Ami vs Mishpacha | Imamother

amother

Plum

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 10:21 am

Posting anonymously because I don't need everyone to know who I am.

I'm a magazine writer (started out in Ami, since then progressed to better places), and I do want to caution posters to not comment on what they specifically dislike about certain writers. You may let the air out of someone's balloon.

Nobody likes to hear criticism. Much less read it from some random strangers online.

You never know if one (or more) of those writers is on here and will feel hurt because you don't appreciate their styles. Yes, there is freedom of speech and opinion, but there is also simply caring for other people and their feelings.

And no, I am not one of those writers named, but I could be!

amother

Ecru

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 10:21 am

pesek zman wrote:

I'm still not sure that I have a grasp as to how (if at all) they differ hashkafically?

I don't think there's a significant hashkafic difference between the two. Mishpacha strikes me as more thought-out in its hashkafa, but bottom line is pretty similar.

InnerMe

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 10:24 am

amother wrote:

Thanks for writing that.
I was hesitating when I posted my previous post. I will go back and edit.

Raisin

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 10:27 am

amother wrote:

Ha doesn't mean you are not a good writer. James Joyce, for example, is meant to be one of the greatest writers in the english language. Some of his books are unreadable, the more readable ones mildly depressing. Just like not everyone likes pickles, not everyone likes certain styles of writing.

Raisin

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 10:38 am

Pesek Zman - here is one reason why I don't read Ami. (Ok, I don't get any magazines for financial reasons but if I did it would NOT be ami. They have also taken some other strongly reactionary stands on other issues.

https://www.imamother.com/foru.....t=ami

iyar

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 12:32 pm

Raisin wrote:

James Joyce is dead. A long time. And while not everyone likes pickles, a pickle would very likely not be gratified to hear that.
Another vote here for not naming names.
Let's applaud the fact that there's a lot of talent to be found in both (very different) magazines.

mommy3b2c

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 12:44 pm

amother wrote:

As I wrote above. Mishpacha is more clean and I don't think it's appropriate for a 15 year old boy to know about sonograms. I will tell him when I want him to know.

Interesting. And my then 6 and 8 year old boys came with me to their baby brothers sonogram. All kinds.

But regardless, the amiliving is not a magazine for 15 year old boys, so their magazine does not need to write articles with that in mind. If you don’t want your son to read the magazine, tell him he can’t.

watergirl

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 12:49 pm

mommy3b2c wrote:

Exactly. I dont understand why people keep saying that they dont want their kids reading about xyz. Its not a kids or teens magazine and they never claim that it is! Just like you don’t give your kids carte blanche (I guess some do) at the library or at the bookstore, why would you let them pick up a magazine that’s for adults?

mha3484

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 1:39 pm

I have a child that is an extremely advanced reader and his maturity does not match his intellect. There are weeks that I let him read the main mishpacha and weeks its off limits. Its called parenting. Its annoying but its life. I like that the Mishpacha features Jews of every stripe from MO, Chabad, Chassidish. The profiles are interesting and informative. The recipes in Family First are usually my speed too.

Ami just does not do it for me. I dont like a lot of what they talk about and the writing style gets on my nerves. When the Shulem Lemmer thing was news in the summer mishpacha had two pages and Ami had a whole feature. I dont see why we need to make a big deal about someone signing a record contract with a secular label. Why is that noteworthy? My kids should read it and want the same for themselves? I have limited funds so its not worth it to me to buy something thats only blah.

Of all the kids mags I find the circle to be the best. Well written, informative, a current events section that talks about news stories on an appropriate level. One week they had a topic that I thought was borderline racist and they apologized next week.

amother

Navy

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 2:29 pm

mha3484 wrote:

Of all the kids mags I find the circle to be the best. Well written, informative, a current events section that talks about news stories on an appropriate level. One week they had a topic that I thought was borderline racist and they apologized next week.

I write for the Circle and in my unbiased opinion LOL

you are absolutely right!

As for Mishpacha vs. Ami, I subscribe to Mishpacha but get hand-me-down copies of Ami. Mishpacha is usually more reliable (though the editing can also be lacking there) while the Ami is definitely more sensationalist and there are several writers whose work makes me cringe. But the Aim is better than the Mishpacha Jr., so that's a draw...

amother

Ginger

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 2:42 pm

amother wrote:

I write for the Circle and in my unbiased opinion LOL

I also write for The Circle -one of the serials running now. it's really nice to write for a mag that is so well received. The editors struck a really nice balance

amother

Babyblue

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 2:46 pm

Here's a new one.
I'm way to the left of Mishpacha but read it bcz. there's nothing else to read in Israel except the Jerusalem Post.
I enjoy most of the articles (totally skip Eytan Kobre who I find amazingly close minded)- love Yisrael Besser and Yonatan Rosenblum and usually Grylak.
Gloss over the anti army cr#p.
But since I don't have a good English library near me, and borrowing books is not always and option at least I have something to read on Shabbos.
I find Ami so poorly written (gramatically speaking-- which I know is probably not the right way to say it) that I can't read it.

flowerpower

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 2:53 pm

amother wrote:

I write for the Circle and in my unbiased opinion LOL

Nice to see there are Circle writers here. My kids all read it every week. Cover to cover!

InnerMe

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 2:55 pm

amother wrote:

I also write for The Circle -one of the serials running now. it's really nice to write for a mag that is so well received. The editors struck a really nice balance

Cool to see more writers here... though I wish you'd tell me your names.
OT, but I'm curious about The Circle advertising in Mishpacha & Ami, don't they feel like they are advertising a competitor?

Strudel

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 4:05 pm

ra_mom wrote:

I like the Ami Living better than the Family First. But enjoy the Mishapacha magazine more than the Ami magazine.
Mishpacha is based in Israel and that shows.
Ami has better current articles but some are just sensation.
I really dislike Ami's main editor's views and skip his editorials and often roll my eyes when reading the articles he pens himself.

I'm on a tight budget so usually avoid buying magazine and just read my neighbours copy a few weeks late.
I do wish they both had an option to just buy the Family First and Ami Living separate from the main magazine.
With both, I find half the articles uninteresting. Ami with the business moguls and Mish with America focused political coverage and round table discussions on topics that again have little or no relevance outside the USA.

pause

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 8:16 pm

amother wrote:

I hear your point, and as yidden, simply for the sake of hilchos shmiras halashon, we should be careful.

OTOH, writers make their work public and thus by default will be analyzed. Similar to anyone or anything else in the public realm where people have opinions and share them. You liked what Melania Trump wore? Did you agree with Rechnitz's speech? Once it's out there, it's public.

It's ok if someone doesn't like a certain writer's style. That's just HER opinion. No one is taking apart a writer's personal life; they're simply sharing their OWN likes and dislikes in literature.

amother

Lavender

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 8:23 pm

pause wrote:

No, sorry, it's still Loshon harah.

amother

Navy

Tue, Oct 23 2018, 8:33 pm

amother wrote:

I also write for The Circle -one of the serials running now. it's really nice to write for a mag that is so well received. The editors struck a really nice balance

Sorry, InnerMe, not outing myself. I've written for other publications but the Circle is by far my favorite. It also helps that I was familiar with the staff before starting, and I've been with them almost since the beginning.

So glad to see so many people enjoying it! I love getting feedback. Even better when it's from people who don't know that I write for them!

Much as it stings to hear negativity about my writing, I agree that it's part of putting yourself out there. If you can't handle the criticism, it may be time for a different type of writing (or a pseudonym!).