Subscription Renewal Just Isn't Worth It, IMHO

Tojo72

$12 an issue,that's why paper magazines are going the way of the dinosaur,I just won't do it,not for any magazine.

 

The U.S. cover price for FSM is $8.99. If it's a big issue, $10.99. Special, 100-page issues like Paint Award-Winning Figures that just came out are $13.99.

BrandonK

The mag itself isn't all that bad. A bit too many subjects, but they are trying to cover all the bases with members. I'm just not pleased with how they keep reducing what we get. I would like to see some sort of special perks for being a subbed reader here on the forums. We should get some sort of special ability or frills on the site to help make us "readers" feel more special when we log in. Just a thought.

BK

Thanks, Brandon. We don't think we're all that bad, either. 

The Forums are free for everyone, so perks here aren't likely to be a thing. We used to keep a good amount of content behind the paywall on FineScale.com just for subscribers, but we've had to balance that with ease to get to reviews and other stories that we've moved online from the print pages.  

We're looking at replatforming the website, and we'll consider what more we can do for subscribers in the way of special content as that process nears. Before anyone asks, I have no dates on that yet, but it is on the horizon.

murph

Still nothing from Customer Service, Mr. Kidwell or the editorial Staff.  Kind of shows me how much of a "valued customer" I really am, or was, in their eyes.

 

Hi Murph,

Customer Service is a separate department from Editorial, and, as such, I didn't realize you had decided to leave the FSM family. But after reading this extensive thread, I'm here now.

TK

stikpusher

 

I just went back and re read this whole thread. Just curious, but what is the cover price for a copy of the print magazine in your locale? $16 seems quite steep for a single magazine cover price. Is that what retailers currently charge per issue? 

 

I believe I've answered the cover price question in a response to Tojo.

TK

the Baron

Yeah, mine's up for renewal, too, and every time it comes up, I do think it over.  This time around, I'm leaning toward not renewing, either.

I don't mind content on subjects I don't build.  I have always approached modeling publications, and clubs, with the viewpoint that I might not build a given subject, but I can still appreciate the skill that went in to building a particular model.  Same goes for the magazine.

But as others have pointed out, the content sure seems to have gotten thinner over the years, accelerating particularly since COVID and the lockdowns.

That the "downloadable content" is being discontinued made me ask, is that content going to show up in the hardcopy?  If it is, then we haven't lost anything, in this case.  If it's not, though, then we're getting that much less for our money.

I have meant to buy the CDs, too, to have as an archive.  Maybe it's time not to renew, and put the money towards that.

I wonder what you mean by "thinner"? That there are fewer pages? Or that the stories aren't as meaty? There's no denying that we're running leaner on page count (60 pages per issue, except specials like Jan/Feb at 76). Interestingly, Aaron and I ran an audit on story pages as opposed to ad pages compared to issues at the beginning when FSM was quarterly and then bimonthly--we're roughly the same, even though those issues were thicker because of page count. 

The reason? There used to be a formula in magazine publishing that the number of ad pages had to equal or exceed 33% of the total pages in the magazine. So, when ad pages declined, the size of magazine print issues declined, too. There came a point when we tossed the rule entirely, because, if we had a 60-page issue, we'd have to run 20 pages of ads (well, 19.8, but let's round up). In the March/April issue, we had roughly 7 pages and we heard complaints that that's too many. Can you imagine the uproar if we ran 20 pages at the old standard?

But here's the thing, if we were ever to consider going up in pages again, that's what we would have to see--a move back toward that kind of advertising support for the print mag. Impossible? No. Unlikely? Yes. However, we will keep trying. 

If you mean the stories aren't as "meaty" as you would like, that's a different topic and a criticism we can actually engage in a meaningful way. However, similar to my response to Murph, if you'd like to see a change in FSM's content, which relies almost entirely on submissions from modelers who are not otherwise engaged by the magazine, then please submit a story. But, in the main, we continue to work with our current contributors, we encourage new contributors, and the staff will write stories when we have the time to do so.

I've gone over the DLC decision a few times in various posts, and again in a response to Murph's initial post.

TK

A note about the renewal notices...you might want to stop printing "FINAL NOTICE" on the outside of the envelopes, as if it were a dunning notice for a debt.  Or if Kalmbach uses a third party for this, direct them to change it.  Not very discreet.  How 'bout something like, "Subscription expired", instead?

the Baron

A note about the renewal notices...you might want to stop printing "FINAL NOTICE" on the outside of the envelopes, as if it were a dunning notice for a debt.  Or if Kalmbach uses a third party for this, direct them to change it.  Not very discreet.  How 'bout something like, "Subscription expired", instead?

 

I'll pass your suggestion along to our Director of Circulation.