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52floating around at the time. That%u2019s why %u2018competition%u2019 emerged. It was healthy for us.%u201d153 Since both magazines had a large organization behind them with conferences and trade shows, Owens knew his magazine needed to differentiate itself. Owens said, The only thing I could do with American Brewer was to make it better. The Writing had to be better, it had to be more interesting, and kinda be a thorn in their side to, to keep them more honest and, I mean, we went after them [%u2026] I just always competed against them [%u2026] with my database, my subscribers, and my followers. And I had my brewpub, with Buffalo Bill%u2019s and some interesting brands. So I attracted some pretty interesting people, you know?154And so he did. Fal Allen, the brewmaster at Anderson Valley Brewing Company, explained that Owens asked him to write for American Brewer after reading some of his technical writing: %u201cBill paid me for my writing in a day when beer writers often wrote for just the love of the subject, he got me deals on brewing publications, and, as a staff writer for American Brewer, Bill got me many a press pass to get into events I might never had been able to get into.%u201d155 Allen ended up having a regular column in the magazine, as did Dick Cantwell, the Pumpkin King. Cantwell%u2019s first published work in American Brewer was a letter pointing out that a beer he brewed at Pike Place Brewery in Seattle, Washington, Old Bawdy Barley Wine, was more bitter than Alimony Ale.156 Instead of taking exception to the claim, Owens hired Cantwell to write articles and later a regular column. Brendan Moylan of Marin Brewing Company and Moylan Brewing Company also wrote one article about wheat beer. Moylan had an employee proofread the article then submitted it without reviewing it. Neither Moylan nor Owens noticed the technical errors in the article until it went to press.157 Readers noticed and responded, but that only fueled Owens%u2019 engagement with his audience. With hundreds of other brewers also contributing letters, articles, recipes, and news, American Brewer was a nation-wide brewpub for beer fans and industry insiders alike.