In the early 2000s, I noticed a new magazine on the magazine rack – RoadRUNNER Magazine. Printed on thick, oversized paper stock, it immediately stood out and felt great in the hand, more like the smart British motorcycle magazines (BIKE and Two Wheels Only) that I admired. The focus on motorcycle travel was refreshing and every time I went to Barnes & Noble, I looked for it. When I tried to break into motorcycle journalism, RoadRUNNER was high on my list.
April 14, 2005, I sent an unsolicited email (typos and all) to Christa Neuhauser, who with her husband Christian were co-founders and co-publishers of RoadRUNNER,
“I am writing to gauge your interest in a Las Vegas travel story – I rode a dirt bike and a cruiser in the surrounding desert in December 2004. The story is about there being more to do in Las Vegas than gamble, that the Wild West exists far from the bright light of The Strip, and that a sportbike rider can find happiness on other forms of motorcycles.
Attached are sample photographs and text. I used a Nikon D70 digital SLR. I took a fair number of panoramic photos – multiple exposures from the Nikon stitched together – in an attempt to capture the grandeur of the American West. I think that they will look great in your magazine.
Please let me know if you are interested in publishing the story and I will send you a copy for consideration. I am a regular reader of your publication. I believe that the quality of my writing and photography befits your publication – with it’s oversized pages, nice paper stock, and fine print quality (I’m in advertising so I know a little bit about print production). I hope that you feel the same.
Even you choose not to publish the story, please send me submission guidelines so that I may try again!”
I got my first break the year before, a small article about the NY Motorcycle Show in regional Backroads Magazine. They paid me $50. I’ll never forget walking into East Hanover Honda, picking up a copy at the parts counter, and seeing my name in ink. This was a big deal for me; I was not a good writer in high school or college and over the years worked really hard at improving. This was proof that hard work was starting to pay off and I resolved to get published in a national publication.
May 13, 2005, Christa wrote back,
“Hello John, your photos look great, we would like to see more. Please send the CD with the pictures to the address below. Include the text for the story too. Look forward to hear from you, Christa Neuhauser”
I frantically burned a CD-ROM (remember those things?! seems ancient now), printed out a hardcopy, and dropped it in the mail.
May 25, 2005, Christa wrote back,
“Hello John, yes, we did receive your submission. Give me about 4 weeks, because our team is on tour an our next editorial meeting will be end on June. I’ll keep you updated asap. Thank you for your patience.”
June came and went. So did July. And August as well. Nothing. Then I read the news – Christian Neuhauser was killed in a motorcycle accident in July. Over the years, I had learned the names of motorcycle journalists whose work I admired and Christian was one of them. I was excited to be considered for publication in the magazine he co-founded and was looking forward to someday meeting him. I was gutted.
September 2, 2005, Christa wrote back,
“Hello John, we would like to use your submission ‘Las Vegas’ in one of our next issues…”
To be honest, I had no idea if the magazine would continue after Christian’s death and would have completely understood if they closed up shop. But they didn’t.
September 7, 2005, I wote to Christa,
“Thx for using the story. It is much appreciated. I’ll work on everything this week and try to get it to you before the weekend.
BTW, I heard the news about Christian through several sources – MotoSavvy.com, ApriliaUSA.com, etc… I never met Christian, but judging by the magazine, I know that he was a kindred spirit. I applaud your efforts to continue the magazine through what must be a difficult time, and I feel honored to be associated with Road Runner.”
That’s how my relationship with RoadRUNNER began. My first RoadRUNNER story was published in their 26th issue (April 2006).
Afterwards, Christa asked me if I’d like to write more stories for them. Of course I said YES. It’s been a life-changing ride.
RoadRUNNER just published their 100th issue, quite an achievement in this digital age and a testament to the determination and perseverance of Christa, her sons Florian and Manuel, and everyone that I’ve had the pleasure of working and riding with over the years. While I haven’t been in every issue, I’ve been in a bunch and I’m still honored to be associated with the magazine. Years ago I made a conscious decision to never take this work for granted. I still work my ass off trying to take good photos and tell good tales. I still get a thrill when I go to the magazine rack and pick up the latest copy with one of my stories in it, and I still sincerely appreciate it when readers tell me that they liked one of my stories.
So congratulations, RoadRUNNER. Here’s to the next 100 issues!