Magcloud is HP’s new Beta self publishing site for magazines, and I am using it to launch the first few issues. Magcloud tells me that that they can currently ship directly to USA, Canada and the UK. Let me know how it works if you are outside of the US.

As a designer, horticulturist, trend hunter, artist, photographer, blogger and plant collector, it only seemed natural to use this new platform to launch this venture, after all, I design magazines for a living, I evaluate publication design for many of the major graphic design journals and annual award issues, I speak at both leading visual design conferences, and plant societies, and I have a vault of images taken over the past ten years from my greenhouses, alpine house and gardens.

The publishing business is changing so fast, that what once was seen as vanity publishing, is now much more accepted in our new digital world of blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. You can think of this as a magazine, or a blogazine. Either way, it will morph and change as I develop future issues to include both plant related features focusing on subjects not examined by the mass market magazines, and garden lifestyle – with inspirational crafts, holiday design, food, travel, and more all planned for future issues.

Currently the magazine sells for $14.99. at 75 pages, but it is on sale as a feature of Magcloud for around $12.00 US give or take some change for shipping and handling directly through the website MAGCLOUD. Anyone in the US, Canada or UK can order direct from the Magcloud website portal, and can even pay directly from their credit card or Paypal on the site. Magcloud prints to order, and the process is very easy. In five days or less, the magazine will be printed, bound, and mailed directly to you.

This first issue is packed with stories, photos and articles including a long article on my culture and experience with Nerine sarniensis, Tuberous Pelargonium, Dahlia, Japanese Chrysanthemums, and more. Please share your thoughts, I really need your feedback on content and what you would like to see in future issues. I am calling this first issues my Prototype Issue, and I am releasing it as a limited edition soft launch, with the premier issue being the Autumn Issue in October. Frankly, I have no idea how this will be received, I expect both positive and critical comments, just as I get on this blog, which is terrific.


I am currently calling this a quarterly, but I am planning this to move quickly to 5 issues a year. High Summer, Autumn, Holiday, mid Winter, Spring. Four issues seems like too few, and six issues stretches my resources at the moment, but five issues although unusual, makes sense for now since it matches the lifestyle and gardening calendar in a more natural way. Since Magcloud sells the issues individually, It really doesn’t make any difference how many issues there are until, or if, or when I finally am able to offer an annual subscription rate. Until then, this is a significant venture, and my strategy is that quickly, this website and blog will change its name and ID as well, as I move our project, forward. Wish me luck ( I’m going to need it!).



An article on Phone Apps for Gardeners.

The post Announcing my New Magazine – Plant Society appeared first on Growing With Plants.

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As I prepare for my ‘soft launch’ next week, I wanted to share with you, my devoted ( an not so devoted!) readers my little project that you’ve perhaps already heard about. Next week I will announce the soft launch of Matt Mattus – Plant Society magazine. Essentially a blogazine, this is my experiment ( a big one) into the brand new world of digital publishing. In a partnership with a new web service called Magcloud, which is itself a beta test owned by Hewlett Packard Development Company, I will be writing, designing and offering subscriptions to my own paper magazine.

Starting as a quarterly this fall, this first printing is a test-a prototype issue, if you will. More info next week, for now, here are some screen captures to give you a taste of the content.

The post A Sneak Peek at My New Magazine appeared first on Growing With Plants.