What Do Decathletes, Converters, and Editors Have in Common?

Published: March 01, 2002, By Yolanda Simonsis, Associate Publisher/Editor

Producing a magazine on any technical subject in the trade journal business is no easy task for an editor. But in the converting industry — a very horizontal business — it's like attempting a monthly Olympic decathlon. (Sorry. I couldn't resist the obvious timely comparison.)

With a dwindling number of converters and suppliers alike, there should be more work for everyone, right? Don't you wish it were that simple?

My editorial philosophy calls for a balanced mix of focused articles appealing to a broad audience involved in any number of converting processes…because that's the way our audience is comprised. As complicated as it is to assemble such a diversity of stories, it is even harder to write the articles. As in the decathlon comparison, trade journal editors are expected be “experts” in all areas of technology, made even more difficult by the fact their performance in reporting information is frequently judged by engineers — people generally outside of an editor's training ground as a writer. The magazine that succeeds at performing these tasks best, it would seem, should win the gold medal.

Don't I wish it were that simple?

Converters must feel similarly. At one time an entrepreneurial company may have specialized in a particular process. Now, through a merger or acquisition, the same company (or combination of companies) may be the owner of any number of new intellectual properties. Marrying these diverse technologies in a complementary fashion is the prime focus in the aftermath of most M&As. This takes Herculean effort. Some technologies or facilities are discarded or closed (along with the dedicated personnel); others are integrated, and redundancies are eliminated. With a dwindling number of converters and suppliers alike, there should be more work for everyone, right?

Don't you wish it were that simple?

How does a converter — or a trade magazine for that matter — become all things to all customers?

As in the decathlon comparison, a converter works long and hard at plying the arts it practices. Trial and error frequently come into play. As any athlete or scientist knows, it is only after many failures that some of the greatest victories or successes have resulted. Reliance upon suppliers for technical assistance — and even support and understanding in tough times — also is necessary.

So, too, on a trade magazine, the publishing staff must rely upon suppliers to bring you the news featured within its pages. Because advertisers purchase ad space in a trade publication, qualified subscribers can receive the magazine free of charge. Outside of university professors or on-the-job mentors who taught or refined an editor's writing skills, it is often the same supplier you rely upon that took the time to educate an editor on the technologies the company offers and that are covered within a magazine's pages.

I guess what I want to say is thank you to the many suppliers in our industry that have helped me as well as all the editors who have worked alongside of me. One supplier who comes to mind as having been a great source of information and guidance in my past was a gentle lady named Patricia Farley, who retired from National Starch & Chemical as corporate publicist in 1993. Even after her retirement, we kept up a treasured personal friendship. She passed away late in January from cancer at the age of 79. It is to her memory that I dedicate this column for all of her patience in helping me understand the complexities of the adhesives business. In true tradition, her former employer continues to educate and mentor its customers and trade editors alike. Particularly timely at this point in our struggling economy, it has published a recent newsletter providing advice for tough economic times. Certainly we could all use some helpful hints on how to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

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