MAKE: in Chicago Tribune

The Chicago Tribune ran a great story about MAKE:, the DIY technology magazine that all of us at Boing Boing contribute to in one way or another. (Mark is editor-in-chief, I'm editor-at-large, Cory is a columnist, and Xeni is a contributing writer.) I was delighted that the writer really seemed to understand the point of MAKE: and also celebrated the hard work of Dale Dougherty, the fearless founder and editor/publisher of both MAKE: and Craft:. From the Tribune article (photo of Dale at last year's Maker Faire by Scott Beale):

"I felt the technology space didn't really have a project magazine," said Make's editor and publisher, Dale Dougherty. "Cooking does. Gardening does. But technology did not."

Indeed, the vast majority of tech-related magazines focus on new product releases, news and reviews.

"And when I looked back at magazines like Popular Science in the 1950s, they were project-oriented," Dougherty said. "They had this wonderful spirit of, for example, how to build a three-story birdhouse. Or to build a wind sail that'll skate across ice…"

In two years, in an industry where the success rate for new magazines is nearly zero, Make has amassed 42,000 subscribers. It has a paid circulation of 85,000 and is available at major bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and Borders.

There's even a Maker Faire (www.makerfaire.com), where enthusiasts gather to show off and discuss each other's projects. Last year's event in San Francisco drew a whopping 20,000 attendees.

To keep up with demand, Dougherty is expanding to two Maker Faires this year.

"They're enthusiasts and hobbyists," said Dougherty, explaining the magazine's following. "People are doing something they love, and they love talking about it. It's one thing to do the work. But the real satisfaction is to share it with other people."