Education Series: March 13 Features Innovator Award Winner

Rat Rod publisher to discuss his surprising success.

Stale, stagnant, afraid to change? Innovation in the magazine market is not dead!

That’s the word from Steve Thaemert Jr.—editor of Rat Rod magazine and winner of the 2012 MMPA Innovator Award—who will present his thoughts in a dialog with Greenspring Publications’ circulation director Tim Morgan on March 13 at the Good Sam offices in Plymouth as part of the MMPA Education Series. The 90-minute session begins at 8:30 a.m.

Thaemert—whose approach is less about thinking outside the box than blowing up the box—was recognized last autumn for both his unique approaches to newsstand placement and sales tracking, and a somewhat surprising lack of advertising in his magazine, devoting as little as 5 percent, and never more than 10 percent, of his space to ads. He also will talk about his total “design-heavy” reliance on Photoshop to create his book, now approaching its 20th edition.

Additionally, Thaermert and Morgan will discuss the inception of Rat Rod, its remarkable growth in readership (both from newsstand sales and subscriptions), and a unique “interactive” issue numbering system that engages readers personally and individually and that also allows Thearmert to track sales.

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