Dear Richard, Bob, Malcolm and Barry
Rumcar News has been running for 30 years ( 120 issues) and has had four editors, in that time virtually all of the historic microcars have been written about. Every time I have a bright idea I trawl through the back issues and low and behold it has been written about before, so coming up with new material is not that easy. Having said that, there are some cars that have slipped through the net, but these are so rare there is very little information available to write more than two lines.
My experience is to get the photographs first, and then write the article around the images and what they show. ( like the classic windscreens article)
There are three other areas that I try and include in each issue, But do not always succeed, and they are electric cars, cars from around the world, and new cars. With the one make register reports and at least one Uk based historic article, up to half the magazine is related to what Richard would call Historic Rumcars, leaving the other half for news, ebay sales analysis, books, cartoons, and the three other branches.
As I have always said. The readers are the experts and know more about their cars than I ever will, I as editor can help you to get the words on the page, like I did with Alan Evans for the Bambi Story. Do not be afraid to try putting pen to paper as it is my job to sort it out before it is published. The more you send me the less I will have to find from other sources.
Being restricted to 32 pages is another factor in the number of pages devoted to a subject. The 32 page restriction relates to 100 gm weight to get the magazine into the cheaper postage band, to save money. More pages means more printing and postage cost.
With such a narrow readership I need to keep the subject spread as wide as possible to keep everybody happy, as everybody would like a magazine just about their one love joy. producing such a publication for just three or four people would be uneconomic.
You write about your favourite cars and I promise I will publish it in Rumcar News as soon as I can squeeze it in.
THINKING CAPS ON GUYS
Chris Thomas
Rumcar News