Is Hibernating Over & Done?

We’re getting calls about what’s next for TLC . . . is hibernation over?

By Steve Hays, publisher of TLC

Greetings,

Hopefully our extended winter is finally ending? It’s been a year since we last printed the magazine—and about a year and a half of dealing with this virus. No matter how proactive or accepting we want to be in life, it’s been next to impossible to sometimes feel like we’re just along for the ride.

But finally that looks to be changing. Even the definition of “routine” seems refurbished now and more inviting.

For me I want some things back and not others. Yes on this one, but “no” on that one. Some routines have appropriately crashed and burned and, hopefully, will not return to “normal.”

In a way it seems like people have upgraded their personal operating systems—POS?—to include more discernment. What parts do I want and what am I ready to leave behind. Or even, “that’s” not mine to do anymore.

While I know this time has been horrific and life changing for many people, giving more thought and discernment to what we want may be something positive that comes from this period we’ve been through. Whether we wanted it or not many of us have been given the opportunity to take another look at what we want to return to.

As you might imagine I’m getting a lot of calls recently asking when we will be printing again and how often? What’s up?

There are more phone calls and emails coming in about upcoming events and activities. A lot of new books have been coming out.

I know I miss seeing friends and meeting people that come to the magazine. This part, the writing, is more and more enjoyable to me—and even the research I do has been more fun.

As to whether or not and when I will be printing in San Diego again I’m really not sure. I stopped because there were fewer and fewer delivery locations available. It really made less and less sense to print and then it became an unhealthy and unwise choice to continue.

What happens next depends on how distribution changes. I keep checking on where I can deliver. Obviously we need the cooperation of businesses to allow us to leave copies.

When the larger markets, such as Whole Foods or Jimbo’s, decide not to carry the magazine it causes a major shift for us. OB People’s Food Coop was the only large market where we could deliver when we stopped, but even there not as many people were picking up extra materials to take home.

During the pandemic most of the smaller locations and practitioners closed their waiting rooms and many now seem to like it that way. Beginning anew is not as easy as flipping an on-off switch.

Basically we have a lot to figure out—how many copies can we print, what’s the print cost, how many ads do we need to pay for it—and it all starts with where we can deliver.

The bigger question is does it serve more people and work better for me to expand readership by reaching more people online or to work on print circulation and print again?

That means, what appetite is there for a print magazine?
I need to polish my crystal ball, once again.

In other words, I don’t know yet if we will be back in print. As soon as things open up more we’ll find out. We also want to try a few more things online and see how that goes.

We invite you to tell us what you’d like to see.

Note that at the bottom of the home page under “Events: Live and Virtual.” For a small fee we are putting information about coming events and ways for people to participate. Also, take a look at our Business and Services Directory.

Meanwhile I hope you find value in what we are doing.

Be well and enjoy
Steve Hays
Publisher

Photo by Tyssul Patel on Unsplash