This time of year, the pressure is incredible. Put up or shut up. Leave it all out on the field. Insert your own dramatic cliche here.
No, I’m not talking about football, racing or any other sport – I’m talking about the pressure on a magazine editor to write the perfect end-of-the-year column. The stuff of legend, the thing that movies are based on.
As I sit down to pen these words (the greatest columns always begin like that), I am struck with the challenge I face. What will resonate with you, the reader?
I could write an article encouraging you to weather the upcoming business environment and continue to do great work in this amazing industry. Unfortunately, Group Publisher Scott Shriber already wrote a great column in that vein on page 56 (spoiler alert – the Avengers make a surprise appearance).
I could write a practical column about preparing your business to thrive in the next year – but “Shop Financials” columnist Kevin Stack did that (spoiler alert two – the IRS makes a surprise appearance).
Or I could get down to the spirit of the season and give back.
The “struggle” of writing this column aside, it’s not always easy to put out this magazine each month and it would be totally impossible without the efforts of the Engine Builder team. Managing Editor Greg Jones carries the bulk of the weight in making sure words are put on paper, pixels are put into digital photos and bits and bytes are uploaded to our website, newsletters and social media platform. I’m sure I’m often more hindrance than help to Greg, our Art Director RJ Pooch and our Advertising Services Director Christine Perry, and I appreciate their patience.
We have a great stable of writers who put up with last minute requests, challenging editorial opportunities and difficult deadlines. In our office, Brendan Baker has assumed the role of technical editor with professionalism and courage. Out in the field, we have a number of professional writers who understand engines as well as professional engine builders who understand the language – you’ve seen their bylines every month and I hope you appreciate them as much as I do.
We have some dedicated sales reps at Babcox Media too – if you’re an advertiser you may feel their “persistence” and “persuasiveness” are often too much to argue with – and for that I thank all of them. In particular, David Benson, Roberto Almenar, Karen Kaim and Jennifer Hazen are great at filling all those pages between the editorial team’s words.
Business-to-business publications are an interesting phenomenon, and we recognize that we exist to put suppliers and engine builders together. As a team, our goal is to create a product that advertisers can’t afford to ignore and readers can’t afford to miss.
Helping to lead the Engine Builder team is Scott Shriber. New to the title of Group Publisher but a veteran of the industry, I offer Scott my thanks for his support as well as my apologies in advance for all of the things I have done or will do to throw him off course.
Most importantly, I thank you the readers for your involvement. I have the unique opportunity to interact with a number of you every day, in a variety of ways and locations. Of course, I love to hear when you’re happy with what we’ve presented – that means we’re doing our jobs right. Oddly, I’m just as thankful for the reminders of when we’ve missed the mark. That means that you are as invested in this product as we are – and it gives us the chance to do better.
We have a unique responsibility to be an unbiased resource in this industry. Despite the tongue-in-cheek tone you sometimes read in my column,
we at Engine Builder take it seriously. Again, thank you for helping us do our jobs.
We all look forward to helping you have an even better 2019, movie deal or not. ν
