Dear Mumsnet member,
First of all, a huge thank you to the dozens of you who sent us fantastically supportive messages after we wrote to you in November about the possibility of using material on mumsnet - particularly your contributions to our talk boards - as the basis for a series of parenting books. Your enthusiasm for the project, and goodwill towards mumsnet in general, was really heartening. (If you have joined since November and have no idea what this is all about you can find a copy of the last mail below.)
Anyway, first the good news: we have signed a deal to produce two books - one on Babies (due to be published in March 2003) and one on Pregnancy (Autumn 2003). Even better, as we've begun to work on them we've realised just how great they are going to be: funny, accessible and packed with common sense from the real parenting experts - you. So please keep sharing your infinite wisdom - and good jokes - on the Talk boards. Nearer the publication date, we'll be asking for your help to publicise the books and, more importantly, buy them in stupefyingly large quantities. (At a discount of course!)
Now the slightly less good news: while we are optimistic that the first two mumsnet books (and the ones that we hope will follow) will be runaway bestsellers that secure the future of mumsnet and allow us all to buy jazzy new mouse mats, the advance we have received for them falls well short of our running costs.
As we explained in November, none of us have been paid since the launch of mumsnet in March 2000, which is how we've managed to keep going while so many other parenting sites have disappeared. But there are other costs to be met and we won't be able to go on working for nothing forever, so given that the climate for advertising and e-commerce is still so poor, we need to find other ways of raising money. Following our November mail-out, many of you suggested you would be willing to pay a subscription fee for mumsnet. We are reluctant to charge a compulsory subscription fee because we think one of the reasons mumsnet is as good as it is now is because of the sheer volume of people contributing to our talk boards and product reviews (the other reason is that the quality of contributions is so high). What's more we don't think good advice should be available only to those who can afford to pay for it.
However, one possibility we're considering is a voluntary subscription system that would allow those of you who are willing and able to contribute to the costs of mumsnet to do so. A number of American sites have started using a similar model and it appeals to us because it should not deter anyone from using mumsnet plus it reflects the fact that really this is as much your site as ours. Over the next few weeks we'll be looking into the details of operating such a system but in the meantime, we'd love to know your thoughts, particularly on the level of any contribution you might be willing to make.
Thanks again for your help and support,
Justine, Carrie, Rachel and Steven
Mail out to members sent in November:
Dear Mumsnet member,
We need your help!
We are close to reaching an agreement with a publisher that could help secure the future of Mumsnet. If it goes ahead we will begin work on a series of parenting books based around content on the site.
As most of you will know the economic climate on the net has been a little chillier than an arctic winter over the last year or so leading to the demise of at least four other parenting sites since we launched Mumsnet in March 2000.
Because the Mumsnet team has now worked for 18 months without earning a bean, we've been able to keep the site going using our initial investment sum and our small revenues from advertising to meet running costs. But sooner or later we would face a tough decision on whether we could continue.
Now we have a great opportunity. The money promised for these Mumsnet books isn't huge, but it will go some way to covering our production costs for the year, although sadly it still won't run to a salary for any of the team.
What's really important, though, is that the publisher's willingness to commission the books is a vote of confidence in what we have built, and we believe they will do much to spread the word about Mumsnet and guarantee the site's long term future.
So where do you come in? The truth is that, though we'll do the work editing and organising them, these books will be largely written by you. Mumsnet has always been about sharing the expertise of our members and the books will embody the same principle: most of their content will be edited versions of chat threads on the site.
So what is it that we want? Well, three things actually. The first is your permission to use and edit any comments you have posted on the site in our books. Though we have copyright, we feel it's only right to ask your permission and are keen not to compromise your anonymity. If you're happy for us to use your postings and your chat nickname, you don't have to do anything; if you're not, or you would like your postings to appear under a different chat name, you should click on the link at the bottom.
Next we need you to help us produce the books. We'd like your help in filling out the topics on talk which are a bit thin. >From time to time we may start a thread specifically with the aim of getting your thoughts on a particular subject for the book (if we do we'll tell you). What's more if you think there's a subject that should be covered and hasn't so far on the site, please go ahead and start a discussion.
Finally we need you to recommend/ buy the books - preferably by the dozen! We'll make sure to negotiate a special discount for Mumsnet members and, just think, half your Christmas and new baby present dilemmas will be solved at a stroke.
We have tried to be as open as possible about the book deal and the economic circumstances of Mumsnet because the site is, in many ways, as much yours as ours. We'd welcome any ideas you have about the books - or any other ways that we can keep Mumsnet alive.
Thanks to all of you for the contributions, support and enthusiasm that have helped make Mumsnet the most vibrant, useful and warm parenting site on the net - and, in advance, for your help with the books.
If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to write to us at [email protected]
Justine, Carrie, Rachel and Steven.