In a former role I had responsibility for a specialist aviation related publication with a worldwide circulation. The problem for Karting Magazine is one faced by many niche publications globally � falling readership and subscriptions and declining income from advertising. Unfortunately editorial costs are largely fixed, and there�s a constant need for marketing and sales effort to attract advertisers. Even if costs are cut to the bone, as I suspect Karting Magazine did a long time ago, margins progressively get squeezed until publication is no longer viable. Simply adding a digital version is usually not enough � overall circulation does not generally increase, and therefore no more subscription or ad revenue is obtained. Some publishers have found a solution by morphing into a community channel / play. Imagine Karting Magazine partnering with karting.co.uk and bringing Facebook and social media like features (likes, following, groups, etc) in addition to the bulletin board and classified ad listing. Would never be big, but potentially more targeted and attractive to advertisers.
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