Dear Gijs and Conch-L all,

Pardon the length of this. I have a lot to cover.

It must be repeated that the Vita Marina publication is going to be a
serious loss to shell collectors everywhere.  Gijs, don't think we are
not desolate! It's only that this comes at a very busy time...lots of us
are away, distracted, or otherwise "not all here." I just now noticed,
catching up on things, and am so very saddened! I hope, as do all of us
familiar with this fine publication, that something can be done to save
it. But I also, like Gijs, don't see how it can live on without the
support and the input of many more interested shellers. Some of the
realities associated with paper publishing need to be better understood
by subscribers.

As longtime editor of American Conchologist, I can tell you quickly that
the financial realities are pretty staggering! I do not know how Vita
Marina has made a go of it so far!  Without the membership dues of COA
members worldwide, our publishing venture would not work. Our total
publishing costs are nearly $7000 per issue and then one must add about
$1500 in mailing fees and associated costs. Multiply that sum by 4
issues and divide by the number of members COA has (somewhere around
1300) and you can see that membership dues don't cover the costs. Even
the advertising doesn't quite bring the income up to the expenses. But
COA has the luxury of being a membership organization that offers other
incentives, and also, we are tax exempt as of 1999.

This sum does not include the contributions of time and money from our
dedicated volunteers. Contributors bear the cost of their own photos and
slides, postage, etc. Ross Gundersen and Jim Miller have contributed
immense amounts of their time and talent. Assistant editor Charlotte
Lloyd gives unfailingly generously of her time. Kevan Sunderland has for
many years contributed the centerfold photos and associated costs. The
Coltros continue to contribute interesting columns and lovely photos of
shells and collecting localities in South America. Paul Monfils, Tom
Eichhorst, Kurt Auffenberg and others contribute regular columns and
more. And who can forget Gary Rosenberg and his fine Conchatenations
column? Or "Henry A. Martens" and his superb landshell collecting
expeditions? Or the work Rich Goldberg did for many years?  And then
there are Bret Raines and "Tall One" Betty Jean Piech who raised money
at auction for a scanner for our use. And Lori Schroeder (preceded by
Bobbie Houchin, Howard Roux, Glen Deuel and Walter Sage in their time)
does a quality job managing advertising. Our Editorial Board (Harry Lee,
Jose Leal, Emilio Garcia, Emily Vokes, Tom Watters, Don Dan, Gary
Rosenberg and Don Shasky) are always there for us. And, lastly, the
editor works long hours at the expense of sleep and family relations.
These names are just the tip of the iceberg on which our publication
floats! Many names should be mentioned here! This is a great time to say
thanks, here at the end of the year and the Millennium. Thanks to all.
But that's not my (primary) purpose at this time.

My intent in the above listing is to say that without massive support it
wouldn't go.  And that is my true purpose here. Vita Marina is also
amply and very capably staffed. But paper publication of periodicals for
shell collectors is increasingly difficult to fund. Even with all the
desktop publishing aids, and the computer preparation of photos, the
printing companies keep escalating their costs (to keep their earnings
up, I sometimes think). In spite of the increasing interest in shell
collecting because of increasing ease of travel, wider publicity of the
hobby online and increasing disposable income, obtaining quality
material for publication is difficult.

Also, web publishing is undoubtedly hurting the paper publishing effort
as much as it is helping. Note that the first thought Helmut expressed
after his regrets at the loss of Vita Marina was his concern that the
website continue. We tend to think of the web as our everything when it
comes to shell collecting resources, references and enrichment. But what
happens when the list goes down or our computers fail us? Crashes and
data losses are common disasters. Are we willing to give up the paper?
Most of us will undoubtedly cry "No Way!!!" Note the continued influx of
new shell books. And they sell. Ask Guido, Patty, Maria and the
Janowskys. One can't cuddle up for a good read with a computer screen
and a keyboard. Nor can one take it to the breakfast table with a good
cup of coffee and a roll. Coffee tends to get real cold while one stares
into the big square eye, and rolls turn to rock.

 I'd guess that if we saw the periodical publications issue by issue,
we'd buy them all in a flash! Yet they don't come that way. We have to
subscribe, put all our money out front. So we squawk about costs and
don't do it. Yet, really, the cost of a good publication is less than a
lot of shells we buy every month.  But folks, it is as simple as this!
If we don't support the publications we love, we won't have them. Among
others: gone is Hawaiian Shell News; there used to be a great New
Caledonian pub called Rossiniana;  Tom Rice and his Of Sea and Shore
have struggled in the past; Steve Long and his Opisthobranch Newsletter
died for lack of financial support. What else? Apex/Arion has recently
scaled back. And several worthy club publications would never dare go
larger.

Yes, what Gijs says is true...Americans are not as aware of the
excellence of Vita Marina as they could be. And this is undoubtedly part
of the problem. I have tried in the past to make readers of American
Conchologist aware of this fine publication, but have not kept up with
this PR job as well as I could wish.

So permit me, in a second post to the list, to run through some of the
beautifully illustrated and excellently written articles it has featured
in the past few years! Just so you'll know what you are going to miss.

A suggestion for someone out there: Conch-L is a super medium for
reviews of the malacological and conchological journals. It would do the
publications good and it would do us a world of good. Anyone willing to
take the job on?

Another suggestion: if you don't subscribe to Vita Marina/Spirula, give
some really quick thought to doing so and put your money where your
heart is! Write Jean Paul and Gijs. Show support.

Lynn Scheu
Editor, American Conchologist since 1987
Conchologists of America
Louisville, KY