I had a dream

I read the news about the launch of Singapore very first dedicated Running magazine "Run Singapore" with a tinge of sadness. Sure I am glad that Singapore finally has its own running magazine but at the same time there is this feeling of what if and that it could have been me who was launching it. Cos a few years ago, I had a dream. But the dream never came to life and all I had are regrets of what if............

Back then about 2007 I was seriously contemplating publishing my own running magazine. It was not just wishful thinking or daydreaming. I was serious. I held discussions with a magazine editor; a magazine publisher and people in the sports retails industry. I even shortlisted some potential candidates for editors and writers. 

But all I got was discouragement from these people. In those days, the running scene in Singapore hasn't explode like it has today. There was at most 6 races a year. The estimates was there was only a pool of about 30000 regular runners out of which only about 10000 are hardcore. The subscription rate for the magazine would likely not exceed 2000 plus another 3000 new stand sale. At most, each magazine can only sell for not more than $10 so the sale will barely be enough to cover the cost. Advertisement sale will have to form the main bulk of the revenue and being in this line for so many years, I knew it was tough for established magazine to get ad much less a new untested magazine.  After doing the sum, I reckoned I need at least half a million to tide over the first year.

I had over the course of the years seen many magazines opened and folded within a short period of time. Of course raising the money was another big hurdle. Getting investor was going to be tough and I couldn't afford to go it alone. In the end, with a comfortable job in hand and no push to do anything new I gave up the idea. But what if I had persisted with the dream? Well I guess I will never know now right?

Incidentally, the 2 sports magazine that was available then, Asia Runner and Sportsmag have both folded so maybe I did made the right decision?