Can North & South Magazine Be Salvaged?

From the North & South Website

I was surprised to see an advertisement for North and South magazine in the latest issue of Hallowed Ground that included a special discount to new subscribers.  Keith Poulter has a brand new website up, which suggests that he is trying to bring back to life what was once a first-rate publication.  Unfortunately, those days have long passed.  It is true that when the magazine hit the newsstands back in 1997, it set a new standard for what a popular history publication could be.  It regularly attracted some of the top scholars in the field and introduced aspects of the war that had never made it into a popular magazine format.

Looking back it is clear that the most important asset on Poulter’s staff was Terry Johnston and he has just launched The Civil War Monitor, which I strongly encourage you to consider.  My N&S subscription recently expired and I have no intention of renewing it, not simply because of the way I was handled as an author, but more importantly because of the declining quality of the content.  Perhaps I am being unnecessarily critical, but in this economy consumers deserve information with which to base a decision and I am certainly not the first person to raise concerns.  For me it was an investment that went sour and that alone deserves to be made known. I am very happy with The Civil War Monitor and as an author and reader I couldn’t be more pleased with Civil War Times.

We shall see whether Poulter can salvage his magazine.

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13 comments… add one
  • Eric Wittenberg Dec 8, 2011 @ 16:55

    Kevin,

    The question is not CAN it be saved, but rather, SHOULD it be saved. With the present management, even if it survives now, there is little doubt that it will fail soon. My humble opinion is that the thing is a zombie and needs to be put out of its (and our) collective misery.

    Eric

    • Kevin Levin Dec 8, 2011 @ 16:57

      Given the history I can definitely appreciate the framing of this as a normative question. As long as Keith Poulter is in charge there will be legitimate questions about the operation.

  • Eric Wittenberg Dec 8, 2011 @ 16:53

    Mr. Stoudt,

    The British editor also has a habit of not paying authors, and also of running businesses into the ground, to the detriment of his investors.

    Eric

    • Kevin Levin Dec 8, 2011 @ 16:54

      I knew it was just a matter of time, Eric. 🙂

    • John Stoudt Dec 8, 2011 @ 18:07

      Thanks also for your reply. I did not know the backstory to this situation.

      No offense intended if my previous questions sounded impolite.

  • Lyle Smith Dec 7, 2011 @ 18:18

    I’ve never had a subscription to North and South, but I’m thinking of spending the $10 on an annual subscription. It’s dinner money and makes it worth it, I think.

    What are some of the quality control issues you have with the magazine?

    • Kevin Levin Dec 7, 2011 @ 18:20

      Like I said, I think the quality of the articles has suffered over the past two years. It’s definitely a good deal.

      • John Fox Dec 7, 2011 @ 18:58

        One reason that the qualtiy has suffered might be the unethical treatment of some contributing authors by the British accented editor!

        • John Stoudt Dec 8, 2011 @ 15:08

          Mr. Fox:

          Which authors have been subjected to “unethical treatment?” And does the editor’s British accent really matter?

          John Stoudt

          • Kevin Levin Dec 8, 2011 @ 15:12

            I had a horrible experience with the magazine. I’ve told my story before, but basically I was told that an article I submitted had been accepted. It was even advertised as forthcoming in one of the magazines. It never appeared and I was never notified.

            His accent is irrelevant. 🙂

            • John Stoudt Dec 8, 2011 @ 15:36

              Kevin:

              That answers my questions. Thanks much.

              • James F. Epperson Dec 9, 2011 @ 8:57

                Mr. Stoudt, I have also been “treated badly” by Keith Poulter.

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