THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE NOT UGLY

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HELLO TO ALL STAFFERS:

An open letter to all involved with Caustic Truths Communications, Inc:

Good day. Long time no hear from moi huh? Anyhow, I got some bad news =20=

and good news. Let=92s do the usual first bad news shall we? I believe =20=

this takes a lot of balls to do but I did anyways:

THE BAD NEWS (we are now saving trees so we are the world=92s first =20
environmental friendly metal publishers)

Basically with a combination of people, it has come to a sad day we =20
are suspending the print edition of Caustic Truths. #111 will mark =20
the last print magazine for at least a while. How long? I don=92t know. =20=

As you know, some of my favorite mags have closed down including =20
Toro, Life, and most recently Premiere. Most advertisers say print =20
has lots it=92s meaning. Some would argue that but I cannot financially =20=

throw money that is not supported by advertisers. 2007 marks the 15th =20=

year at this PRINT magazine so it is a good chunk of my life. I feel =20
like I have killed my own offspring and believe me, that hurts. =20
Another major reason is the music industry is not treating print =20
priority as it once did many years ago. The web has helped and =20
hindered. For example, Warner Music Canada has cut all print budget =20
by 75% as of Jan so you get the idea. This is the same across the =20
board for all major and indie labels. I have no idea how small and =20
big labels will expect their product to sell without people knowing =20
about it. Print has always been the best and always will be the best =20
in doing this.
As some of you know, cash flow at my angle has sucked. This is =20
because either labels don=92t pay fast enough or just don=92t pay. For =20=

instance, I am in the midst of launching 4 new lawsuits to retrieve =20
thousands of dollars from last year. They have immensely hurt me =20
personally by not allowing me to pay writers enough dollars (which =20
most deserve), editors, or office people I like to have. But, these =20
pieces of sh*t labels continue to have the ability to pay for their =20
Blackberries, air flights for travel, and what not. They also =20
continue putting out releases without paying their prior billed =20
commitments. I hope these type of labels burn in f**king hell. I will =20=

however say that there are great and genuine people that make you =20
want to continue being in this exciting and dynamic industry. I don=92t =20=

think there is anywhere else I would rather be.
Putting together a print edition is a lot of work. Production =20
(including printing) can take up to 4 weeks from layout to coming off =20=

the presses. Printers have gotten into a situation to rob small =20
magazines of extra charges that are not needed or treating =20
independent publishers as if they were to rob the piggy banks of =20
their kids. Screw it! Also, the labor involved is intense including 20=20=

+ hour days. I kid you not when I say this. The labor involved is way =20=

too much for the compiling, layout, etc.
Personally, when you are close to 40, the burn out factor is too much =20=

for me. I have personally suffered a lot and I feel like my life =20
force has been sucked out of me.
Advertising sales was fun once. A few years ago, it was not hard to =20
make a few thousand dollars in a few days worth of calls. Now, when =20
you make your daily calls, it was like pulling teeth. Being avoided =20
and put into voice mail is not fun and can be pretty draining. You =20
already know their answer, it will be a no since they don=92t have =20
budget or some decided to spend their thousands on putting nice =20
little chalk band logos on sidewalks that no one reads or understands.
Spending 15 years of your life is significant, but running 2 =20
magazines (9 issues a year), and 10 web sites is pretty ambitious. =20
The best part of it was a one man show doing this which was me. It =20
was very grueling for a few years but I got through it. I think this =20
was one of the proudest achievements I will ever do career wise. I =20
never got a dime from the government for subsidies or could truly =20
afford help. Thanks to everyone for their patience and who stuck =20
through the REALLY TOUGH times.
As with the $ perspective, I hope to clean up this massive debt over =20
the next few months. Once clear, I hope to make a fresh break and get =20=

to paying bills on time as opposed the slow snail pace.
Good bye old print edition friend, it was fun but not on the wallet. =20
I got 111 Caustic Truths + 9 Snaggletooth to make 120 total issues =20
ever printed by your old little buddy, Rithie. I would believe there =20
are about 2.4 Million total printed editions of you floating out =20
there somewhere. It is a sad day today, Friday April 20, 2007, but =20
may there be something better rise from the ashes=85..

NOW THE GOOD NEWS:

The Internet has been mean and kind to some businesses. Luckily, =20
CausticTruths.com recently has been doing ok on the traffic front. =20
Over the last few days, we get close to 2000 unique visitors which =20
has doubled over the last week. As you can tell, Caustic Truths is =20
now going purely electronic via the web. No more printing magazines, =20
intensive labor design (although I enjoy it), and Canada Post mail =20
hell fun! I already feel good about it in the last few weeks. How we =20
going about this?
Don=92t worry, interviews is the same. CD reviewing is not changing =20
unless you are outside of Toronto, Shipping CDs is too expensive =20
these days to mail. Thanks Canada Post for cutting those people off! =20=

More effort will be put into the content of the site. Right now I am =20
looking for additions to our photo gallery, blogs, etc. Just register =20=

and start submitting. It is ready to roll now! I have also added new =20
sections that allow people/bands to do FREE classifieds, blogs, =20
social bookmarks (profiles on themselves), etc on the site. If you =20
are worried about having your email publicized, it will be kept =20
highly confidential since we only use it for sending out our online =20
newsletter that has yet to be done. Check it out, contribute, and =20
most of all, let me know what you think. I like criticism and will =20
follow through if it sounds valid. Please get in touch if you feel =20
something needs improving.
Yeah…yeah=85 I know. How do you plan to make money? Well banners =20
works for now and as long as we keep building our banner impression =20
levels, I think we will be able to rival some of the best. Also, =20
there will be digital/electronic mags you can download. We have over =20
50 back issues and we are selling a few a day so there is proving to =20
be a market. This is also a new and up-and-coming industry so foo on =20
you doubters.
The above is just the start. I am sure there are newer methods to =20
earn revenue off of websites but that is my problem. To make you feel =20=

better, I am part of =91what now appears=92 to be a highly exclusive =20
bunch of people in an online marketing course to learn from the best =20
=91white hat=92 internet marketing people. No not black hat SEO spammers =
=20
=46rom what they promise, the next group could be charged over $10,000 =20=

each for what we are learning. We just happen to be VERY LUCKY =20
hamsters for their new course outline. Don=92t ask questions about it =20=

since I am not privy to tell you about it.
All in all, this is a very exciting time to be in a newer industry =20
where revenues and most important, profit, will far exceed any print =20
magazine. I just hope some of you will be around when I hope this =20
happens. As our online marketing group discussed last night, if you =20
are a naysayer or doubter, please get off at the next stop as this =20
bus does not accommodate types like that.
It might be to early to tell, but I think this new vision is an =20
improvement versus moaning and groaning about the good old days of =20
indie small print magazines. I would like to introduce you to the =20
new, improved, leaner and meaner Caustic Truths V2 (as they say in =20
the software world). I feel stronger, more confident with this =20
vision. I hope you do to.
Later, over and out, roger that, and all that walkie/talkie/CB talk =20
(you remember those before cellular phones don=92t you???)
RICHARD TANANA
Also known as
Bitchie Rithie
Or
Online as Dickinc
Smell ya later,
Hahaha
P.S. My favourite online signature, I have seen is:
This is my world and you are a guest in it.
P.P.S. Please wish Morley, Clare, Douglas, and me the best of luck on =20=

this venture. I am sure we will need it. Thanks for reading.
P.P.P.S. REMEMBER TO SUPPORT ONLINE INTERNET RADIO. IT IS THE LAST =20
HOPE WE INDIE PEOPLE HAVE TO KEEP TRUE MUSIC ALIVE!!!!

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