Billboard, blogs and iPods

VNU's Billboard magazine has decided to cover the digital-music industry through a blog. That may prove a wise move as sales of Apple's iPods continue to rise, and as people increasingly look beyond conventional media in the search for information.
But what's most interesting to me about the blog is that it won't be run by Billboard's editorial staff. But before anyone begins to panic that the blog will be some sort of advertorial hybrid that blurs the lines, take a look at this article. B2B magazine is reporting that my friend Rafat Ali, editor of paidcontent.org, will "direct" the blog, which is known as Billboard PostPlay.
Rafat is a quality journalist with considerable expertise, and his hire will certainly mean that VNU will get superb coverage of the industry.
Let's just hope this new assignment doesn't keep Rafat from updating paidcontent -- one of the most valuable sites in the B2B world.

Email newsletter about email newsletters

Direct, a B2B publication that covers the direct-marketing industry, has launched an email newsletter about the email newsletter business. In an article on the Direct website, editorial director Ray Schultz says the idea was born in an argument about appropriate story length for an electronic publication.
I got a kick out of that for several reasons. First, I remember having a similar conversation (I wouldn't call it an argument) with Ray and some of his staff when I was at PrimediaBusiness and online newsletters were still a novelty. Second, Ray says his recent argument -- in which he came to a new understanding of electronic journalism -- was with PrimediaBusiness' new media department. That "department" is really just a handful of folks guided by Prescott Shibles, who used to work for me. So I'm thrilled to see that Prescott is still fighting for quality work online.
FULL DISCLOSURE: The newsletter and some related projects -- all of which will soon move to the "Chief Marketer" brand -- are being developed under the guidance of Hershel Sarbin, the former president of Ziff-Davis and former CEO of Cowles Business Media. I've consulted with Hershel on his work with PrimediaBusiness and hope to expand that relationship.

Quark vs. InDesign

If you've spent much time in B2B publishing, you've already decided whether you prefer Quark's QuarkXPress or Adobe's InDesign for your layout work.
But you may still want to read this piece in the Denver Post, which outlines the history of Quark and pays particular attention to the company's history of customer-service shortcomings.
Wondering where I stand in the debate?
I have both InDesign and Xpress on my computer. But I tend to be a creature of habit. And the design software I use most often is the nearly prehistoric PageMaker.

Trade pubs for the rag trade

B2B publications in the apparel space seem to be hot, presumably because changes in global trade laws are creating opportunities for clothing entrepreneurs.
Global Sources, which publishes newsletters about the industry, says it will launch "Garments & Textiles" magazine and a related website by summer. The products will serve apparel manufacturers and related businesses, primarily those that do business in China and India.
And Edgell Communications announced it bought "Apparel" magazine from VNU for an undisclosed amount. "Apparel" is an old-timer in the clothing and trade-magazine worlds. Originally titled "Bobbin," the publication entered the world the same year I did -- 1959.
But new and old publications alike must compete against the giant of rag-trade trade pubs: "Women's Wear Daily." No one else has the influence of WWD. No one else has the staff and stringer network to produce the detailed news and gorgeous photos that are the hallmark of WWD.
And WWD has the advantage of having Rich Rosen as managing editor. Rich is a friend of mine, a talented journalist and yet another of my fellow refugees from Bloomberg News.

Thomson Media changes its name

Thomson Media -- parent of such B2B publications as "The Bond Buyer," "National Mortgage News," and "Accounting Today" -- is changing its name. Henceforth, and presumably forevermore, Thomson will be known as SourceMedia.
As rebranding efforts go, I suppose this is a sensible one. The Thomson name is confusing. There's a Thomson Publications, there's Thomson the "world's leading information resource," there's also a DC Thomson Publications and god-only-knows-what-else.
Let's just hope that no one confuses SourceMedia with Primedia or The Source magazine.

Outsider at Crain's didn't fit in

When Jeff Bailey resigned as editor of Crain's Chicago Business last week, I didn't think it was relevant to this blog. Although Crain owns a ton of B2B properties, the publication Bailey helmed was part of a different, although related world -- business magazines for consumers.
But an article in the Chicago Tribune made me rethink my position. According to the Tribune, part of Bailey's problem appears to be that he alienated his staff. Editorial employees were working "longer hours" to keep up with Bailey, a former Wall Street Journal staffer who was at his desk early, late and on weekends.
Bailey was a departure for Crain -- an outsider, rather than someone who rose through the ranks of the company. And it seems that Bailey brought with him the sort of obsessive, striving, money-oriented, worker-loathing style of big media.
I've done my time in big media. I've worked at CNN, Primedia and the mother of all unpleasant newsrooms -- Bloomberg. And I learned to dislike the people who do well in those environments -- sycophants, weaklings, manipulators and ego-crazed moguls. One of the things I love about B2B publishing -- one of the things that has brought me back to this world time and time again -- is that the smaller, often family-owned companies that dominate the field don't see a conflict between success and their workers' happiness.
And so I'm pleased to see that a B2B company has seemingly turned its back on the win-at- all-costs style of big media.