Thus, when we picked up the August copy of a new English language monthly published here that began circulating in June, we were pleasantly surprised. As we flipped through the pages, it became evident there really is somebody up there; somebody with a lively interest in encouraging small publications to get on their feet. Out of 11 full-page ads, nine were paid for (assuming the space was not donated by the publisher) by public funds, as were several smaller ads. We were heartened to see the active concern in official circles for the fate of a fledgling business, living proof of an oft-stated concern for small and medium enterprises.
The evidence of this concern helped to relieve some of our on-going anxieties. Contrary to talk of recession, cutbacks in government spending and the weakness of the drachma, things must be getting better if the government can contribute taxpayers’ money to the publishing industry, at (list price) 45,000 for a full-page color ad, 30,000 for black and white, and 55-60,000 for cover positions.
On the inside front cover we saw, to our happy surprise, a color ad from the National Tourist Organization. Good news indeed, since we had just finished reading the latest official figures on the downturn in tourism. We had spent 18 months trying to convince the ΝΤΟ to advertise with us and finally managed a black and white page in April, but we were told not to expect anything else this year from their very tight budget; the situation sounded so desperate we felt almost unpatriotic accepting the 18,000 drachma payment we charge for that kind of space. It’s nice to know NTO’s budget planners are feeling a little more flush these days, a sure sign that an upswing is on the way.
A new luxury hotel, the Astir Palace Athens, controlled by the State-run National Bank of Greece, also joined the ΝΤΟ in the pages of the new magazine. The management of the Astir Palace, due to open any month now, had written us an austere letter in May noting that “budgetary reasons” made it impossible for them to advertise. Another auspicious sign: do the loosened purse strings mean that management has renewed faith in expanding occupancy rates and future revenue? We, and the hard-pressed hotel industry, would love to know. Are good times on the way, and perhaps here to stay?
But there was more evidence to come in the new magazine of the government’s desire to encourage economic recovery through its interest in supporting new enterprises. DEH, the Public Power Corporation, presented a two-page paid advertising supplement on Greece’s energy future. Could it be that there was a windfall from increases in our electricity bills and the extra money is being ear-marked for the local publishing industry? The Post Office, too, in a 1/2 page ad, promotes its undeniably beautiful stamps and urges us to become collectors, which we may consider after we stop reeling from the recent one-two punch of rate increases and the application of the new postal zone system.
The list of public organizations advertising in the pages of the new magazine goes on: the National Welfare Organization, which promotes Greek handicrafts; Astir Insurance, a subsidiary of the State-controlled National Bank of Greece); Hellenic Organization for Promotion of Exports; the National Investment Bank for Industrial Development (ETEBA); and Olympic Airways, in full color.
This public demonstration of support for a sister publication is inspiring; it raised a bit of hope in our hearts – as well it might in the heart of any publisher – that maybe next time the gold will rain on us. We decided to check if this largesse had begun to spread elsewhere, in the hope that our turn was not far off.
So we picked up Epikaira, a fine Greek weekly magazine with a healthy circulation, but not enough ads; like most publications around, it is under chronic stress. Sure enough, it still has a modest number of ads, and not one paid for by public money. At that we felt a bit downcast. The thought went through our minds that the gravy train is going to pass us by after all; it looks as if, as socialist George Orwell wrote, “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
