Interact and Prosper

I often ask if you like what we’re doing and if there’s anything more we can offer in our print and online vehicles. Most of you say you get plenty out of Catalog Success, and you find it beneficial to cherry-pick from all the tactics and tips we offer. To that, I say, Neh! I think you’re wrong. I believe we can offer plenty more. But we need your help. More on that in a moment.

This is the second November issue I’ve presided over, and it’s become one of my favorites. Along with the rest of the Catalog Success staff, I’ve scoured through all the winning strategies and pointers we’ve run over the past year, and I’m confident that The 50 Best Tips of 2007 you’ll find inside will lead you to many successful endeavors.

Each tip is referenced back to the print issue or online edition in which it first appeared. So you can turn (or click) back to find the complete original articles and contact either the experts who provided the tips or the columnists who recommended them, if you wish. Any way you slice it, it’s our hope you’ll turn these tips into future profits.

But that’s only the half of it. Not long ago, I had a rather provocative interview with a candidate for a position at our company. At one point in the conversation, the candidate asked me how interactive our audience is with our magazine, e-newsletters and Web site. I found myself at a bit of a loss. It got me thinking that for all my years covering this market, catalogers just don’t seem to be an interactive bunch. Not with us and not during my days with the old Catalog Age. I’ve always found it somewhat bewildering, considering that people in other markets appear to be more interactive. Plus, we all know it wasn’t Al Gore who invented the Internet, but catalogers, right? And the Internet is all about instant communication. You folks are all great communicators, aren’t you?

Help Us Help You

So, here’s the part where I’d like your input. We pride ourselves on being your idea exchange. The tips you’ll hopefully feast on inside come from experts who are your peers. But it can be equally beneficial to hear from fellow readers. I’d love to have a lengthy letters-to-the-editor section in every issue and more of an idea exchange online, wouldn’t you? We make it so easy for you to contact us, and you don’t have to write much. My info is always at the bottom of this column, and our “submit a comment” links are all over our e-products.

But don’t contact us for our sake. It’s your peers who deserve to hear from you when you have a success (or failure) story to tell. So please, spend a couple of minutes to speak up, and we’ll all benefit.

Paul Miller

Editor-in-Chief

(914) 669-8391

pmiller@napco.com