Except for a brief visit from my daughter Tiffany yesterday, and a break to go to dinner with Greg and Jan White, I spent most of the day at my desk working on the new issue of the Gypsy Journal.

Since I am in the process of switching production from our antiquated Adobe PageMaker computer page layout program to the current InDesign program that most of the newspaper industry uses these days, there is a learning curve that I am trying to master.

That being said, I really don’t have much to write about for today’s blog, so instead, I thought that I’d post a blog on frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the Gypsy Journal. We get some questions over and over about how we produce the paper, and why we do things the way we do. Here are some of our most often asked questions, and an explanation of the whys and wherefores of how we do what we do.

Q. How do I know when my subscription is due to expire?

A. We send out a renewal notice with your paper two issues before it is due to expire, and again with the last issue before expiration. For subscribers to our digital issue, we send an e-mail alerting them when it is time to renew. There is also a number on the top line of your address on the envelope the paper arrives in. That number is the issue your subscription expires with. The issue number is always in our masthead, at the bottom right of Page 2. For example, I am working on issue 67, so if the number on the top line of your address block is 70, you have three more issues to go before you are due to renew.

Q. What does the letter C, G or R after my expiration number mean?

A. The C is a code we use to tell us you have a courtesy subscription (usually given away as a door prize at a rally). G means you have a gift subscription. R means you are a customer that has renewed in the past. You may also see a series of letters after the expiration number. LOW means you first subscribed at Life on Wheels, OW means you came to us from the old Out West newspaper, and TLR means you were a subscriber to Two Lanes Roads before that publication shut down.

Q. Why do you use different printers and mail houses around the country, instead of just having one place you use to print and mail each issue?

A. Because we travel all of the time, and because we always print several thousand extra copies to pass out at rallies and RV parks, shipping those extra papers to wherever we may be would be both expensive, and cause travel delays that we can’t afford.

Q. Why don’t you just go to an all electronic format instead of a printed publication?

A. While we do have a digital issue available, the great majority of our readers tell us they want the printed format. I’m a dinosaur who loves the feel and smell of ink and newsprint. Besides, it’s too hard to carry your laptop computer to the bathroom.

Q. Why don’t you have very much outside advertising in the Gypsy Journal?

A. I have sold millions of dollars worth of advertising in my newspaper career, and even though I’m pretty good at it, I hate sales. I’d much rather spend my time searching out new things to write about. Also, when you have advertisers, they sometimes want to dictate what a publication can say. I’m too stubborn for that. If I think a particular product is junk, I say so. Not many companies want to spend their advertising dollars with a publication that may tell the truth about their products. If we could find an experienced, energetic salesperson, we would probably let them try to build up our ad count a bit, but we’re not trying to make a fortune, just get by, and our business model has worked so far for us.

Q. Why isn’t your telephone number included on your masthead on Page 2 so I can call you if I want to?

A. We do not have an established office; we run our business from the road. We check our e-mail several times a day, and we usually receive snail mail every week. Those are the best ways to reach us. At one time we did publish our telephone number, and it became a problem. We got calls at midnight when we were on the East coast from people on the West coast who were looking for a campground for the night and wanted recommendations. When we were on the West coast, we got calls at 6 a.m. from people on the East coast wanting to tell us about a funny sign they had seen and should include in the paper. It just became too much of a problem.

Q. Why do you have other websites, such as your Honor A Veteran or the Bad Nick Blog?

A. We have several websites, GypsyJournal.net, MotorcycleTravelOnline.com, Publishing4Profit.com, HonorAVeteran.com, and the Bad Nick Blog. I started them partly because they cover topics I am interested in and saw a need for, and partly for economic reasons. Each time someone clicks the ad links on our websites, we make a small commission. It all adds up to help us make a profit.

Q. What happened to your Today’s Hero Blog?

A. While I really enjoyed Today’s Hero, and it is still online, though I haven’t updated it in months. People just stopped sending in new nominations and I ran out of heroes to write about. I’d like to revive it someday if there is enough interest.

Q. Why is your main website GypsyJournal.net instead of .com?

A. The .com suffix was already taken when I started our Gypsy Journal website and the .net was the next best thing available.

Q. You seem to be going in a dozen different directions at once, between the paper, your rallies, speaking at RV events, and your websites. Where do you find the time for everything?

A. Everything in life takes some sacrifice, and one has to set priorities. In my case, I have given up dieting and exercise to squeeze in the extra time I need. Seriously, I’m pretty much a Type A person and I thrive on all of this. After a lifetime of publishing daily and weekly newspapers, having a deadline come around every two months is like a permanent vacation, and I need to fill the time.

Q. You do an Eastern and a Western rally every year. How about a third, floater rally, maybe in the Pacific Northwest one time, in the south another time?

A. This has come up before, and Miss Terry assures me that if I add one more event, she’ll be sitting under a palm tree on a beach somewhere when it happens. We can only stretch ourselves so far.

Q. I have all of your books. Are you going to bring out any more?

A. I have a couple written now that still need to be proofed and formatted. I hope to be able to announce them very soon. And there are several other writing projects I am also working on.

Q. What do you see in the future for the Gypsy Journal and for yourselves? Any long term plans to settle down someplace in the future?

A. Terry and I are both in agreement that we’ll continue to do just what we are doing for as long as we possibly can. We’re both in pretty good health, we’re having fun, and we’re happy. Why would we want to do anything else? As long as we can physically continue, and as long as our readers keep on wanting what we produce, we’ll be out here exploring America’s small towns and back roads, and writing about our travels.

Click Here To Register For Our Eastern Gypsy Gathering Rally!

No, that’s not a typo that I left in the headline to give my proofreading friends a migraine. It’s a word that I made up to describe living long term with your spouse or partner in the close confines of an RV. It is a situation that can be either heaven on earth, or pure hell, depending on the couple.

I always tell newbies and wannabe RVers that it’s one thing to love your significant other, but if you plan to live the RV lifestyle, you had better really like each other too! Because when you live in a 2,000 square foot house and start to get on each others’ nerves, or have a little spat, one of you can always retreat to the bedroom, garage, or workshop until you cool off. But if you live in a 300 square foot box on wheels, there is nowhere to go to escape!

Back when I was teaching for the Life on Wheels program, a couple sat though my The Reluctant RVer seminar, in which I explore the concerns that many new RVers have to deal with that are holding them back from totally embracing the RV lifestyle. One couple came up to me later and thanked me for talking them out of selling their home and becoming fulltime RVers. They said that they love to travel, but that they are always arguing and stepping on each others’ toes in hotel rooms because they each didn’t have their own space, and they had hoped that RVing would be the answer. They told me that my class convinced them that this would have probably ended in a divorce. Not everybody is cut out for the RV lifestyle, and I’m glad that they released it before they sold their home and invested all of their money in an RV.

The couple in this photograph, on the other hand, are a perfect example of a loving relationship that has only grown stronger through RVing. We have known Sal and Bonnie Bellomo for years, and they are delightful people who are totally in love with each other. Sal is her knight in shining armor, and Bonnie is, and always will be, his fair princess. It makes my heart warm every time I see them together.

So what does it take to have a successful relationship on the road? I think the same things that are required for any relationship, only more so.

Communication is probably first and foremost. A lot of guys are terrible about keeping things inside of them until they fester and blow up. I’ve been guilty of that myself more than once. If something is bothering you, or if you are not enjoying something, talk it out. Ladies, if he is a slob and you are tired of picking up for him, or if you need some help with the household chores, tell him so. Don’t just bite your tongue and let resentments build. I always tell Miss Terry that I can read books, magazines, and internet blogs, but I can’t read minds.  

Compromise is just as important. If one half of the couple wants to spend a few weeks sitting still, and the other one always wants to be on the go, something has to give. Agree to spend a few days sightseeing, and then block out some downtime for just relaxing around the RV park, reading, watching TV, or whatever it takes to recharge your physical and emotional batteries.         

You both have to be on the same page. Does the husband see RVing as an endless exploration of the back roads, seeing new places every day; while the wife envisioned a lifestyle where she could go and spend quality time with the kids and grandkids scattered around the country, staying in their driveway or in a nearby RV park for weeks at a time? Discuss before you start what you both expect this new lifestyle to be.

Treat every day like your first date. My dad told me once that a man should always treat his wife with the same respect and consideration that he did on their first date, and it was good advice. The little things mean a lot. My wife and I may have just had a terrible argument, and we might both be ready to poke each others’ eyes out, but you’ll never see her get into a car without me holding the door for her. Guys, compliment your wife when she makes you a nice dinner, and tell her how pretty she is. And ladies, it’s not a one way street. We need some positives strokes too. When you arrive at a campground at the end of a long day on the road, thank your husband for getting you both there safely. If you get hung up in heavy traffic, or have to thread your way through a narrow construction zone, compliment him on his driving skill once you’re in the clear.

In this RV lifestyle, you will have to depend on each other for everything. Even RVers have bad days from time to time. Our lives may seem like a permanent vacation, but the reality is that you might be a thousand miles from the nearest familiar face, you might be sick, tired, or discouraged about something. You may be feeling insecure, you may be homesick for the grandkids, or you may just have the blues. Having a loving, supportive partner can help you get through it and back to the sunny side of the street.

Of course, the flip side to that is that when the sun is shining, life is good, and you are excited about the day’s new adventures, it’s sure great to have your best friend by your side to share it with! 

Thought For The Day – It’s a great pity that things weren’t so arranged that an empty head, like an empty stomach, wouldn’t let its owner rest until he had put something in it.

Register Now For Our Arizona Gypsy Gathering Rally

I spent most of yesterday working on a website for Carlyle Lehman at Focal Wood Products. Many people are surprised to learn that while the Amish people live a much simpler lifestyle than most of us, with their horses and buggies, they do in fact make use of many modern conveniences, including telephones, electricity, and even the internet.

Every Amish community has its own rules as to how much of the “English world” (as they call life among the non-Amish), they can incorporate into their homes and businesses. While the Amish don’t own or drive cars, they will hire someone to take them where they need to go if it is too far for their buggies, and crews of Amish workers at local factories car pool in vans driven by non-Amish co-workers.

If you drive past the Amish farms on some of the back roads here in northern Indiana, you will see small wooden structures at the end of the driveway at every third or fourth home. These are shared telephone booths, where they can make and receive calls relating to business. But these booths are not heated and do not have a seat, to prevent them from spending much time chatting. We often see newspaper advertisements for items for sale, with a telephone number and the notation “Call between 7:30 and 8 a.m.” Those are the hours when they will be monitoring the telephone to receive calls. For businesses such as Focal Wood Products, they have a voice mail system, so if we call when Carlyle is busy, we leave a message and he calls us back. It’s not quite as convenient as calling a traditional business, but it works for them.

In the case of his website, Carlyle received permission from his community to have one to advertise his products, but he cannot build or maintain it himself. That’s where I got involved, and it’s been an interesting experience working with someone whose culture is different in so many ways from our own.

I mentioned a while back that I have co-authored a new book on self-publishing, titled The Step-By-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit. Last week I received my first copy of the book, hot off the press, and I’m very pleased with it. All of the credit goes to my co-author, Christy Pinheiro, who conceived the project and handled all of the production details. For more information, here is a link to the book’s website. Check it out; you too could be a published author!  

One of the things I suggest on my self-publishing website, Publishing4Profit, is producing small niche guides aimed at very targeted markets. Examples would be our Guide to Free Campgrounds and Overnight Parking Places, and our Guide to Casino Camping.

I don’t know if Dale Sumner from Mobile RV Medic, Inc. spent any time reading the website or coming to any of my seminars, but he recently published a very good guide, titled Basic RV Electricity and Protection, which is an excellent primer for anyone who owns an RV. Dale packs a lot of excellent information into the book, without getting buried in technical details that the average RVer could not understand. If you want to know what happens when you plug your RV’s electrical cord into a campground’s pedestal, and how to avoid overloading the circuit, and how to protect your rig from problems, this is an easy to understand guide that is well worth the money. You can order your copy at www.lulu.com/basicRVelectricity or e-mail Dale at sales@mobileRVmedic.com.

Of course, if you’re staying at an upscale RV resort such as Retama Village in Mission, Texas, you won’t have to worry about things like electrical problems. My friend Jack Mayer owns a couple of RV lots at Retama Village, and Jack and some of the other lot owners have set up a website, Retama Rentals, to market their lots when they are not staying on them. We paid a visit to friends at Retama last winter, and I can tell you it’s the nicest RV resort we have ever seen! So if you’re thinking about spending some time in the Valley this winter, check out Jack’s website.

While I was busy building a website this weekend, Bad Nick wrote a new post for the Bad Nick Blog titled We’re Going To Lose The War On Terror. Check it out, it will give you something to think about.

Thought For The Day – Anything in the future will always look better because there’s always something wrong in the present.

Register Now For Our Ohio Gypsy Gathering Rally