45,000 THANKS

Aug 7, 2012

By Bernie Hunhoff

We love every one of our readers. The dozen of us (or so) who get to produce and publish South Dakota Magazine are ever grateful for the readers who really make our explorations possible.

And the magazine has steadily gained readers throughout our 27-year history. Today we hit a new milestone — 45,000 paid subscribers!

The magazine industry and our very own surveys indicate that about 4 people read each residential subscription, so the 45,000 subscribers translate to about 180,000 readers.

We never imagined that amout of readership when we published the first issue in the spring of 1985. And for that matter, when we hit 25,000 ... 30,000 ... 35,000 ... 40,000 .... we never imagined 45,000.

It's a credit to our fine staff, the best that any publisher could ask for. And credit largely goes to our big and beautiful state. It's not hard to find adventurous, exciting, heartfelt and heroic stories of life in South Dakota.

At midday today, our circulation chief Jana Lane entered the 45,000th subscriber. She is Joyce Gerberding of Goodwin, and she will get the magazine as a gift from Judy Kranz of Watertown.

When we started the magazine in 1985 we badly needed 200 subscribers so we could qualify for a second class USPS permit, so we knocked on doors and begged for checks from friends and relatives. Every subscription was a step toward our dream of showing South Dakota on paper with stories and photos.

One of the interesting things about still publishing the magazine 27 years later is that our 45,000th subscription is as rewarding as the first 200. Readers make the magazine what it is today. So thanks, Judy. We hope Joyce enjoys the magazine as much as we appreciate the opportunity to practice journalism in South Dakota.