It Wasn't Easy, But American Heritage is Back!

I recently picked up a 1961 issue of American Heritage and realized that the sign-up card bound into it for new subscribers had the same price ($15.00) that we were able to charge in 2012, more than a half century later.

Early in the Kennedy administration, movies were a quarter. And Cokes -- served in a conical paper cup at the local soda fountain -- set you back a nickel. 

It is enormously difficult to swim against the tide of changes in society, and it's an understatement to say that the digital revolution and other factors have profoundly affected the media. One of the most difficult moments in my life was when I realized that we could not come up with the funds to print the next issue of American Heritage in 2013.

Unable to send out print issues, our subscription and ad revenues came to an abrupt halt, and a dozen good people joined the unemployment lines.

Since then, a few volunteers have struggled to keep American Heritage alive, often paying for web-hosting and other expenses out of their own pocket. Our publishing partner, New Word City, has done a terrific job digitizing, updating, and helping to promote older books we published in our first 70 years. The 170 new ebooks we created in the last two years provide a modest stream of income that helps pay the rent. Two dozen are even now available in audio editions.

The problem we faced in trying to keep the magazine alive was that our website was ten years old, outdated, and unsecure. We had no way to contact our old subscribers, or to keep track of new ones. 

Happily, more than 600 donors chipped in to provide some of the funds to help create this new website and the technology needed to relaunch the magazine.

If you haven't done so already, please help us keep American Heritage alive another 67 years with a donation on our Society website.

You can read more about plans or sign up for a free subscription at the Society website.