It’s a wrap

Our DVD wrapper arrived today, completing all the components we needed to be ready for a retail launch.

When we ordered the device, we scratched our heads at the required freight shipping. From the images of the thing it doesn’t look monstrous, and the literature even stated that it should live on a desk without a problem.

The truth lies somewhere in-between. It showed up in a crate, and we actually had to use a crowbar to pry it open. Once inside, we realized that the thing will fit on a desk as long as the desk can hold a metric ton of steel. It’s small, but very heavy.

After a few test-runs, we can happily report that it does a stellar job wrapping DVD cases in plastic.

“Distribution” is the name of the game.

Last week was quite eventful for PTD Magazine.   I met with our first distribution partner, Kent News, and hammered out a distribution agreement with them.  They service independent bookstores in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, although a majority of their customers are in Colorado.

The deal with Kent marks our launch into the retail arena — a milestone for our company.  We’re looking forward to using the experience we gain with Kent to grow our distribution to a nationwide venue by the end of the year.

Our goal this week is to finish the first draft of our new site design.  I’ll post it here for comment when it is ready.

PTD Magazine issue 304 available for download

We’ve just finished issue 304 of our flagship product, and have it up on the server now. Our goal is to publish each issue on the first Monday of each month, so that you have something to flip through on a Monday afternoon. This issue was a day late, thanks to my bout with the plague the week before. I blame Peter, who had it the week before I did, who in turn blamed psu. I’ve never met psu, but I can only assume from all this that he is a bad person.

Now that issue 304 is complete, we’re going to continue working on two projects this week. First, we’re going to be actively expanding our retail distribution in the state of Colorado. I’ve got three distributors that have received sample copies that I need to follow-up with. Second, we’re going to do a minor overhaul to the PTD Magazine website. We’ve decided that the current ‘one feed’ approach on the main page could use some tweaking.

More on both as we crunch through them.

I’ll show you mine if you show me yours

I’ve just finished reading this month’s Wired, and have made the decision to follow the crowd into the fray of transparent corporate leadership. That said, welcome to the Empire Consolidated Dispatches, a medium that will be freely available to the staff and contributers of the EC family.

I pride myself on being a leader, a fact that generally causes me to shy away from someone else’s idea — no matter how good it might be. Because of this I’ve made some stupid mistakes, to the chagrin of the highly intelligent members of my staff that often give me excellent advice. That being said, I spun up this blog without asking any of them their opinion. Maybe one day I’ll learn my lesson.

In the next few quarters we’ll be working our fingers to the bone to bring our flagship product, PTD Magazine, to our readers in a nation-wide print distribution. We’re going to give transparency a shot, baring all our tribulations, successes and excite screw-ups in full color in this blog. We’re not doing it to jump on the bandwagon (although if it’s going our way we’ll hitch a ride), but rather to open the communications between our company and our readers wide open.

Feel free to join in.

[edit: I realize now that it's April 1st. No foolin', for real.]