Results tagged “Imagine Publishing” from The Word is Not Enough

Hexus.gaming (ed: who they?) is “spitting blood” and wonders how the “so-called” journalists at Imagine's Play and Future's PSW can sleep at night after claiming to have played on the new PlayStation 3, even though they haven't.

I'm guessing pretty well. But don't you just love it when mags start questioning each other's journalistic integrity?

UPDATE: Already, Hexus.gaming's forums have started to froth with amusing gamer indignation in response to the article.

Press Gazette has more details on how many Highbury people survived the transition to Imagine.

In case you don't get Gorkana's media alert, today's mailshot contained all the contact details of the ex-Highbury mags that Imagine is going to continue publishing. For the edification of freelances everywhere, I've listed them below. However, I've noticed that some of the names repeat, so either Imagine have some multi-tasking editorial staff, or there'll be one of those Gorkanna correction emails coming out tomorrow. I'll update the entry whenever that happens.

UPDATE: There's a PDF press release detailing all the Imagine titles and teams on the company's site. I've updated the Gorkana information where possible.

Advanced Photoshop (updated)
Aimed at Photoshop professionals, each issue of Advanced Photoshop has inspirational interviews, tutorials and professional tips.
Contact: Deborah Allen, Editor
Emma Cake

Digital Camera Buyer
Digital Camera Buyer is a monthly magazine covering news and reviews of the latest digital cameras.
Contact: Chris Lean, Editor
Rosie Tanner, Senior Staff Writer

Digital Photographer
Digital Photographer focuses on the complete needs of digital camera users, whether they are professionals or enthusiasts. Each issue brings the reader cutting-edge imagery, practical shooting advice, interviews with professionals plus news and reviews of brand new equipment. NOTE: This isn't listed in the Imagine press release, although there is a web site for it.
Contact: Kirsty Eaglesham, Features Editor

Games TM
Games TM is a gaming magazine about past, present and future gaming products. It features the latest news, reviews and previews appealing to both the serious and casual gamer.
Contact: Paul Morgan, Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 257
Rick Porter, Features Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 200
John Denton, Senior Staff Writer, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 239

iCreate
iCreate is a creative computing magazine for Apple computer users. Editorial focuses on Mac software and hardware.
Contact: Ben Harvell - Editor
Natalie Johnson, Senior Staff Writer

PDA Essentials
PDA Essentials magazine is for dedicated users of PDAs, and covers the very latest news and reviews in hardware developments plus new software and tutorials
Contact: Andy Betts, Deputy Editor

Play
As the longest running PlayStation magazine, Play features authoritative reviews, the very latest in news and the best cover exclusives.
Contact: Nick Jones, Editor in Chief, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211
Aaron Asadi, News Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211
Luke Smith, Sub Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211

PowerStation
Merging the very best of PlayStation and Cheat magazines, PowerStation is packed with detailed guides to the latest PS2 and PSP releases, and all the latest cheats. This magazine is a solutions magazine for keen PlayStation gamers.
Contact: Ryan Butt, Editor
Henry Rowlatt, Senior Staff Writer

Web Designer
Web Designer is the UK's premier publication for the online author. The magazine has a tutorial-based format for learning, whilst also providing the reader with the latest industry news and feature topics.
Contact: Mark Billen, Deputy Editor
Mark was previously the Deputy Editor of Web Developer. There is no editor at present.

Windows XP Made Easy
Windows XP Made Easy is a magazine for the home PC user and covers news, reviews and tutorials on Windows XP and Windows based products.
Contact: Stuart Tarrant, Editor
Steve Jenkins, Reviews Editor
Matt Powell, Technical Editor

X360
X360, the essential magazine for enthusiastic Xbox 360 gamers, is dedicated to giving honest opinions and detailed coverage of the best and most exclusive games on the market.
Contact: Martin Mathers, Editor
Martin previously edited Games TM.

Got a letter from Ernst & Young on Saturday, giving details of the Highbury break-up. For ex-Highbury freelances, the following clauses probably seem the most relevant - if anyone can spot any others, feel free to add comments:

Spotted PDA Essentials on the shelves again. Unlike games™, I'd had experience of the Highbury version of the mag so I can compare and contrast. On the whole, I'd have to save pretty similar, although I don't recall GPS Advisor having been a bound insert in the previous issues. It looks good, reads well and had a good range of software on the covermount. In fact, it looks almost identical to the Highbury version, but with a bit more polish.

So that's good news for the readers of both PDA Essentials and the other mags that should be arriving from Imagine soon. I hope.

Just in case you were wondering whether Imagine would carry on both its Mac magazines, the answer is no. The Mac Creative web site now says “iCreate incorporating Mac Creative”.

For those paying close attention to the Imagine web site, you'll notice that the acquired mags now feature in the Imagine scrolling portfolio, with a couple still marked as “Top Secret” and wrapped in brown paper. Since iCreate isn't shown but Mac Creative is, I'm assuming iCreate is one of those mags. Since I'm writing an article right now (ah, procrastination, how I love you), I won't bother comparing lists to work out what the other mag is.

UPDATE: Incidentally, according to senior staff writer Ben Harvell on the Mac Creative/iCreate forum, the next issue of iCreate is going to be out on the 16th March.

How's this for a happy story from a former Highbury freelancer?

Hi Rob. I freelance for the Radio Controlled Models and Electronics magazine previously owned by Highbury and now a suite of Orpington based magazines owned by Encanta media. I thought you might like to know that Encanta are to pay me in full the missing money I was owed by Highbury. A very kind gesture I thought as they have no obligations to do so. I believe this arrangement is offered to all Encanta freelancers who didn't jump ship as it went down.

A small result but encouraging.

While that's not happening, as far as I know, with any of the titles now owned by Imagine, Imagine are re-commissioning some of the work Highbury commissioned. That means that even if the receivers don't pay up, at least the work will get used and paid for by someone.

As for SMD, I've seen Hotdog and the other titles on the newstands now, but I have no further information on what's happening there. If anyone would like to email me with dirt, the address is blog@the-word-is-not-enough.com.

Imagine Publishing has started the process of integrating its new titles into its operations. First up, some new web sites. Games™ is already on the shelves of WH Smith's so it's not surprising its web site is also the most advanced.

Of interest to readers of the other acquired mags is the pull-down menu at the bottom of the front page that provides links to the other new Imagine titles, as well as the existing ones. None of the sites seem much further down the line than “Under construction” and there are no hints that mags other than the ones we already knew about are being worked upon, but it's good to get some confirmation that the mags are definitely on their way.

games™ is now on the shelves. Looks good (from a design perspective. I have no idea, content-wise), so I have high hopes for the remaining mags.

Still no word, incidentally, on which other titles have survived. Sorry.

Imagine's put up a press release that lists some of the titles it's continuing with. They are:

• gamesTM
• iCreate
• X360
• Play
• Windows XP Made Easy
• PDA Essentials
• Digital Camera Buyer
• Web Designer
• PowerStation
• Advanced Photoshop
• Digital Photographer and
• Go>Play

Damian Butt also adds: “We have made a commitment to honour all subscriptions for magazines we intend to publish, and we are keen to retain the support and enthusiasm of our loyal subscribers. We will also offer an alternative offer for those with subscriptions for magazines that will not continue. All subscribers will be informed by letter within two weeks.”

So good news for a few mags at least. Note, this doesn't mean the other titles aren't continuing, only that the ones listed are the only ones that are carrying on for sure.

Sitting in a warehouse, somewhere in England, are the last unpublished Highbury issues of Digital Photographer, XBox Monthly and Web Developer. No one wants them. So there they lay, collecting dust. How sad.

Does this mean Imagine isn't going to carry on publishing these titles? There are good reasons why Imagine wouldn't want to - and probably wouldn't be able to - ship these particular issues of the mags, including copyright, branding, currency, ad revenue and so on. So we shouldn't necessarily read too much into this. But if you want copies of those mags, I might be able to put you in touch with a man who can help out...

Well, the reason for Imagine's silence seems to be that it's still in consultation with the former Highbury staff about which magazines it's going to continue and whom it's going to offer jobs to.

At the moment (according to unconfirmed reports from my sources), Tuesday or Wednesday next week looks like the end of the consultation period, and it's likely only 50% of the magazines are going to survive. The sad corollary is that only 50% of Highbury's staff are going to be offered jobs. Some have already decided they're going to look for jobs elsewhere anyway and some are being told they're too valuable to head off into the sunset and would they like a job now? Certainly, some of the key mags from Highbury are already up and running with some ex-Highbury staff.

The only ones we definitely and absolutely know for sure are going to continue are iCreate, Web Designer and games™. Play and one of the Xbox 360 magazines are liable to have survived as well, but we've not had that confirmed.

As for the previous list of titles that Imagine's receptionist claimed were surviving, it's entirely possible that she actually gave a list of titles that weren't going to survive, since it looks like Digital Creative Arts and Web Developer won't be weathering this particular storm. That doesn't leave Advanced Photoshop in a particularly good place if that's the case.

Incidentally, I've had another letter from a former Highbury subscriber. The current information deficit clearly isn't going down well with the general public.

Excellent blog - as a reader since first publication of Digital Photographer I was shocked to see a magazine of such quality disappear without trace... I was referred to your blog via a forum with Digital Camera Magazine and read it avidly! Although you mention the publication in passing, I see no news of any relaunch so if you hear any more about it, I would be interested and will follow your blog when I can (I travel a fair amount).

Just thought it would be nice to thank you for letting the victim subscribers know what's going on, as nobody else has.

Still nothing more from Imagine about what titles they're carrying on with, although it looks like Web Developer might be history. I did email MD Damian Butt at the weekend to ask if he'd like to give me a list of the continuing titles so that I could help him get the word out. But so far, I've had no reply. Maybe I've been spam-filtered. Maybe he's busy. Maybe he hasn't decided. Maybe he's trapped under something heavy.

With none of the Imagine staff, old and new, willing to post the info here (they are kind of busy, I suspect), at this rate, it's looking like we're only going to know once the magazines are on the shelves. Oh well.

Continuing our theme of “which ex-Highbury magazines is Imagine going to continue publishing?”, it turns out the receptionist at Imagine may have spoken to soon: Digital Creative Arts may not have a new life after all. I'll get confirmation of that on Monday, hopefully, along with a fuller list of the rejuvenated titles.

But in the meantime, I can tell you that Windows XP Made Easy is one of the survivors as well. Have a nice weekend!

Just got this email from an iCreate reader. Seems like my suggestion about Imagine leaving info here might be a good idea:

I'm not in the industry, just an avid reader of iCreate magazine. I'd been wondering why the latest issue was taking so long to come out; at first I thought it might have been delayed due to Christmas, then I'd heard rumblings that Highbury had run into trouble. No-one though, not W.H Smith Customer Services, not the Highbury website not even trade publications like Media Week seemed to have any information.

That is until Google led me to your blog. I just wanted to say thank you for letting people know what's going on with their favourite publications when the companies involved seem so completely incapable of passing on any information either through their websites or through newsagents. Happily iCreate appears to be coming back. I look forward to picking up the next issue and hope that it's as lovingly written and produced as before.

No sooner do I wonder what's happening with all the ex-Highbury magazines and why Imagine's being so quiet than messages start to come out: I'm guessing everyone was under orders to keep quiet until now.

Only a couple of magazines so far have confirmed their existence, but I'm sure more will be emerging into the light in the coming days. Looks like the first new issues will be coming out this month and next month. Anyway, here's a round-up of what we have so far:

gamesTM: Will continue, according to Imagine MD Damian Butt.
Web Designer: Will continue, according to emails sent out by the new team. Working on issues 116 and 117 right now. Former contributors are being approached. At least some of the old team are running it as well as, I'm told, the former editor of Web Developer (who might also be editor of Web Developer, but I've no information about that title at the moment). The new contact email address for the mag is webdesigner@imagine-publishing.co.uk
Advanced Photoshop: The receptionist at Imagine says the mag will be back.
Web Developer: Ditto
Digital Creative Arts: Ditto
iCreate: Will be coming back and former contributors are being approached. Further details are available in this Mac Creative forum thread.

Anyway, that's six titles out of 24, so there's some way to go before we know the fates of all the mags. But I've had an idea. Seeing as

1. there's a bunch of people at Imagine who come to visit this blog every so often (yes, I can see you) and who are presumably in need of content quickly
2. plenty of former Highbury Entertainment freelances come here, wanting to know whom to approach about contributing articles
3. plenty of subscribers to the magazines come here, too, wanting to know what's happened to their favourite mags
4. Imagine's Flash-based website is probably a bugger to update and is none too compatible with search engine indexing

why don't the new Imagine teams leave their magazines' contact details here in the comments section, along with any information about their respective mags that they want subscribers to know? Alternatively, they can email me. In both case, I'll add a blog entry with the appropriate details so that the information's obvious and clear. That's probably the quickest way to get word out to contribs old and new, as well as subscribers, don't you think? Let me know if you agree or disagree.

And if SMD feel like doing the same, that's just dandy: I'm already getting lots of people asking me for their contact details and BT.com doesn't yet have a number for them.

There's been a slight quietness from Imagine of late as to which magazines it's going to continue publishing and in what forms. There's also a quietness about how many from Highbury have been offered jobs at Imagine. Given the interviews were supposed to be over a week ago now, that doesn't bode well.

I've tried phoning; I've tried emailing; I've tried instant messaging.

Quietness.

Some news has leaked though, as previous blog entries will show. There have been various assurances given that the Imagine versions of the surviving mags will appear at the end of this month or in March.

But there are a few questions still on my mind

a) has anyone from the old Highbury been offered a job yet?
b) have any of the former Highbury freelances (who weren't also Imagine freelances) heard from the editors of the new titles yet?
c) which magazines are going to continue?
d) are the new mags going to be pure Imagine, without any input from the former contributors, a mix, or a continuation?

If you have answers, could you leave a comment on the blog or email me at blog@the-word-is-not-enough.com? Let me know if you'd like the information published or not. I'm hoping it'll be good news for the ex-Highbury lot, at least.

This letter from Damian Butt to a subscriber of gamesTM was posted to the EuroGamer forum recently:

With regards your worries about gamesTM, have no fear. Imagine Publishing will honour all current and future subscriptions for this title and we are even now working to increase the quality and bring it back to its former glory.

I'm afraid however that we cannot deliver any issues you are missing until the first Imagine issue hits the shelves. This is because we have no control over what has already happened, and there is an issue of gamesTM that has not yet been printed. As such there may be one or two issues missing which were produced while Highbury was going into receivership. As soon as the Imagine issue hits the shelves though you will receive every issue until your subscription runs out or you renew it.

If you are contributor to EuroGamer then please spread the word, though do bear in mind that if people have tried to subscribe in the last few months, the records may well be incomplete and we may not get the names and addresses.

If you're a contributor or subscriber to Web Designer, Digital Creative Arts, Web Developer and Advanced Photoshop, the thread in this forum should give you some hope and information about the future of the mags – and your subscriptions.

Press Gazette has a little bit more on the Highbury saga today. A few notable quotes from Imagine MD Damian Butt that corroborate some previous entries here:

Growing tech publisher Imagine has swooped in on 24 computing titles at Highbury Entertainment — most of which were originally set up by the Imagine management team — but said this week that many had been “severely damaged”, possibly beyond recovery, in Highbury's final days.

and

Imagine MD Damian Butt said this week that liability for the debts had not been passed on to Imagine with the sale, adding: “Imagine already works with a large bank of freelances, many of whom are owed money by Highbury.

”All we can do is continue to ensure they are dealt with in a professional and punctual manner, and are paid on time to help restore their confidence.“

So, basically: expect a number of titles to close; expect no money if you're a Highbury freelance looking for payment from Imagine instead.

While the antics at Encanta and SMD/Remnant have been filling this blog of late, the situation with Imagine is still developing. Many are curious as to what's going to happen to the former Highbury Entertainment staff (and, erm, freelancers). This is the latest from someone on the ground who wishes to remain anonymous.

According to a meeting with the HR consultancy firm that Imagine have employed and reps from the NUJ and our accounts and HR departments, they are looking to make approximately 70 redundancies, which is obviously a large proportion of staff. Even more concerning for freelancers is the fact that they are planning to axe all but 13 of the titles that they have acquired.

What's shocking me is that the majority of staff haven't been given this information, and it seems to be down to the NUJ to keep us informed. Their plan now is for everyone to participate in one-on-one interviews with these consultants to justify our own jobs so that they can decide which positions to make available, and we will then have to reapply for our jobs.

I haven't verified any of this with Imagine or the NUJ (this is a non-paying blog and with taxes just around the corner and a big Highbury-shaped dent in my bank account, I have a lot of money-earning to do), so don't take it as gospel. Nevertheless, the re-interviewing procedure has been confirmed by other sources, so that part's almost certainly true.

Having been through a couple of redundancies myself, my heart goes out to you ex-Highbury guys. I really hope it all works out well for you.

Press Gazette has picked up on Damian Butt's letter to me. Which is nice.

Incidentally, it's been intimated to me by various sources that since Imagine has only acquired the brands, rather than the limited company, that means there probably won't be any provision for paying creditors.

For both selfish and altruistic reasons, I'm hoping freelances like me may be the exception rather than the rule. Anyone from Imagine want to clear up whether the titles' freelances will get paid for their work? The last article in Press Gazette on the subject didn't fill me with confidence, since it suggested we'd get as little as 10% of our outstanding invoices, but I always live in hope.

Just got this email from Damian Butt, MD of Imagine

Hi Rob

Just saw your blog (great name by the way).

To clear up the latest news on Imagine Publishing, we have acquired 24 titles in Bournemouth, which is the entire Highbury Entertainment portfolio. We haven't bought the company, that's gone into receivership, but we have bought the titles and the right to publish them. The titles include all the computing titles you mentioned, and also the videogames ones, but of course not Hotdog or Front, which are based in London.

We are now trying to create as many new jobs for the existing employees as we can

Thanks


Damian Butt
Managing Director

So that's that mystery solved. Without Hotdog and Front in the mix, that'll leave Imagine far more money to invest in the titles it's just bought, which clears up that worry.

It's good to know that Imagine are doing their best to save as many jobs as possible: if you recall, Highbury employees in Bournemouth voted almost unanimously for NUJ recognition recently, they were treated so badly. My hopes are that Imagine proves a better employer for them than Highbury. Since many are being re-interviewed for their jobs, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for them.

Updates and related entries
January 23, 2006: Press Gazette has picked up on Damian Butt's letter to me. Which is nice. Incidentally, it's been intimated to me by various sources that since Imagine has only acquired the brands, rather than the limited company, that means there...

Two more mags have picked up the Imagine-Highbury story since my coverage yesterday: Next Generation and Gamasutra. It looks like Imagine have only bought five computing titles, including iCreate, Play Magazine, GamesTM, Advanced Photoshop and Digital Photographer. These are all pretty good complements to Imagine's existing portfolio, but there is considerable overlap on some titles: iCreate doesn't really compete with Imagine's Mac Creative, for example, but Advanced Photoshop and Photoshop Creative are very much going for the same readers. It remains to be seen how many of the new titles will be dropped in favour of Imagine's exisiting titles (or vice versa).

As for the remaining part of Highbury's portfolio, that remains a mystery. Although the PA reported that the special interest titles had gone to Brush Colour, I can't find even the slightest reference to Brush Colour anywhere on the Net and my copy of the Writer's Handbook doesn't list them. So the possibilities are: they're very new (maybe even set up specifically for the deal); they're very low profile - which doesn't bode well for this group of mags which could do with a boost; PA got the name wrong, which isn't like them; or Highbury's been telling porkies - which is very like them. We'll have to see what further details emerge on Monday.

But of course, five computing titles plus Highbury's special interest magazines don't add up to the full Highbury portfolio. Just on the computing side, there's PDA Essentials, Website Maker, Practical Web Projects and Web Designer, to name but a few: you can get the full list at the Highbury Entertainment site. However, various news stories, including a piece in the Irish Independent, say that Imagine has bought the entire Highbury Entertainment division outright. Since that includes Hotdog, I think there's been some confusion as to how big the division is.

Kleinwort Capital's just invested £7 million in Imagine. That might be enough to launch the company into new markets, if they also bought Hotdog et al, but it would leave them stretched. But Imagine are really the old Paragon, the original owners of iCreate et al who were doing really well until they were acquired by Highbury. Their focus has been gaming and computing titles. Equally, analysts were arguing that all of Highbury's titles would go for £5-8 million. So, to have acquired the entire Highbury Entertainment division would have taken the bulk of Kleinwort's investment, leaving Imagine with little for consolidation. That makes me think the acquisition is limited to just the titles mentioned.

So that leaves the rest of the Highbury Entertainment titles, Front and a variety of other mags. I suspect quite a few of the mags aren't going to find a new home, simply because they're too close to existing titles. But that still leaves a few rich pickings for wily buyers: expect to hear a few more deals next week, with Remnant in the mix.

Updates and related entries
January 23, 2006: As discussed on Friday, the mysterious Brush Colour has bought Highbury's specialist titles. Now Companies House is open again, we can get a few more details on the company. They were only incorporated on the 8th December last year,...

As expected, Imagine has leapt in and bought iCreate and various other computing titles from Highbury. The special interest titles have gone to Brush Colour. No info on whether Front and Hotdog have stayed with Highbury or whether they're making their way over to Imagine as we speak, but if they haven't, I suspect they could be pounced upon by Remnant Media any moment now, if they haven't been already.

Phew. Close escape for the Highbury crowd there! Good luck to you all, guys. Hope you like your new homes.

Updates and related entries
January 21, 2006: Two more mags have picked up the Imagine-Highbury story since my coverage yesterday: Next Generation and Gamasutra. It looks like Imagine have only bought five computing titles, including iCreate, Play Magazine, GamesTM, Advanced Photoshop and Digital...