The challenges facing small publications such as ours pale in the context of challenges to much larger realms of life. But we are working hard to step up to ours with new offerings.
Allow us please to pause, here in these uncertain times—for the world, for the nation, for the region and yes, for magazines—for a commercial message. For ourselves, no less.
Well, a bit of background first: Blue Ridge Country, which published its first issue in the fall of 1988, has made its way over the decades since through the kind and generous support of two entities—our supporting advertisers and our loyal readers.
Of late, the realities of the world—especially those realities that have hit the world of travel—have served to dampen the support we usually receive from those destinations and businesses that know our readers will enjoy their offerings. Simply because, for at least a time—and through no fault of their own—those businesses and destinations were unable to operate and unable to welcome visitors.
In the context of our goal to provide maximum value to our readers (and thus too, our advertising supporters), we have undertaken a new venture.
What we’ve launched into our part of the world is what we hope will be a welcomed piece of communication to our readers, and especially to our subscribers. Back in April, right here on BlueRidgeCountry.com, we released our first volume of The Heart of the Mountains, alongside our new subscriber reward program, Blue Ridge Country PLUS.
That was a digital collection of five stories—presented in a new computer/tablet/smartphone-friendly e-book format—from past issues, on heroic women from the southern mountains. Including Mary Draper Ingles and her amazing 800-mile walk home, in 1755, after escaping captivity; Anna Jarvis, who invented Mother’s Day; Nancy Ward, beloved hero of the Cherokee; Belle Boyd, young Civil War heroine; and the “Petticoat Mafia,” a set of garden-club ladies who took over the governing of a small Kentucky town.
You can visit that set of stories here: BlueRidgeCountry.com/PLUS
Well, you can if you’re a subscriber.
Or, you know, want to become one.
Yes, this is where we’re getting into the commercial message part.
We are now creating these sets of classic stories every two months, to be issued between the print issues, with the goal being to further enhance the value of your existing Blue Ridge Country print subscription by bringing you deep and enriching stories from the mountains 12 times a year instead of just six.
The new set, now available—did we mention to subscribers only?—is called Tales of the Strange but True:
- Did you know there was a major paper-dress fad in the ‘60s? And that the fashionable non-washables were generated in Asheville, North Carolina?
- Remember the amazing but ill-fated Land of Oz amusement park in the North Carolina mountains?
- Or how about that time a 6-year-old wrecked a train and, as punishment, had to get his tonsils removed?
- And remember Mary the Elephant in 1916 in East Ten . . .
OK, that’s enough: Commercial messages are supposed to tease toward the full experience. So this is where we say, And So Much More!
We are pleased and proud to present these themed story sets, and we hope you will think about reading them.
And thank you for your support, whether it’s been over many years, or here in your entry into your very first issue.
The story above appears in our July/August 2020 issue. For more subscribe today or log in to the digital edition with your active BRC+ digital subscription. Thank you for your support!
