E-subscription

I understand it a bit more now Tim- thanks!  

keilau...I know the single issues are pretty different-- about half price what you would pay to grab the paper copy...but for instance-- a 12 month digital subscription for one with 12 issues a year is around $45 as compared to the print costs (with shipping obviously) of over $100...

I guess the main thing for me- and I am by no means a master modeler- is that I find the articles on Finescale to be things I pretty much already know-- I do enjoy the reviews and still like the magazine-- but I have found some other magazines to be more skill building for my level.  I think what you guys do for the general modeler is great-- and folks just entering or reentering the hobby can get a lot of great information from you guys...I am just not that guy...

pzl66

Digital version can go in your pocket!

But it cannot project out normal page size holographic image yet. How do you read a magazine on a pocket size screen? I just don't get it.

Digital version can go in your pocket!

Hi Jeeves,

I can't answer to the strategies of other modeling magazines. I can tell you that costs for creating the print and the digital versions are almost identical. There are service and provider fees, production costs, and a long list of other things that go into the digital mix that essentially mirror the paper copy. At the end of the day, both versions of the magazine -- digital and paper -- have to pay for themselves. If one is cannibalizing the other, then there's something wrong in the mix. Right now, both are doing very well.

If you are in another country, the benefits for buying a digital copy are multifold, in that you pay the $39.95 rate because we don't have to cover the costs of shipping. In the U.S., we are still very competitive with our rates. A digital subscription to Tamiya magazine via pocketmags is going to run £27.99 ($44.99). We cost less. You also get the issue earlier than those who wait for it in the mail. You can also purchase single issues, or do just about anything that you can do with pocketmags.

In the end, does the content we provide meet your standards and expectations? I hope we do, and we work hard to. However, that's a choice you have to make for yourself. I hope you keep on with us. I know we have some great stories coming up this year, and Aaron and I are putting together the next round of how-to videos, many of which are only available to subscribers.

Thanks for taking the time to ask,  and whatever your subscription decision, I hope to see you and your models around the Forum.

Regards,

Tim

Jeeves

I see this is over a year old- so forgive me.  I recently let my print subscription lapse and was going to go digital- until I saw the cost.  Tim-- you said the costs for creating both are the same-- yet pretty much every other modeling magazine I know that is offering subscriptions through pocketmags is offering it at a pretty dramatic discounted rate in comparison to the print edition.  So-- are they losing money doing this, or is using pocketmags over Zinio a better alternative??  I obviously have no clue how all this works, but I am just stating that if you guys at Kalmbach really want to stay competitive, it might be worth your time to start trying to figure out these questions.  

I'll keep an eye out to see if things change, but if I can save money switching over to Tamiya, Scale Model Addict, or some of the UK publications so that I can use that money on models and supplies instead, explain why I shouldn't?

Jeeves, how did you find the Pocketmags subscription at much lower cost than printed version? I found most modeling mag at £28-35 range in digital subscription which are similar to print subscription in UK.

In US, we pay much less for the FSM than other readers in Europe and Asia simplely because of the international postage. The reverse is true when I subscribe to UK magazines. Typical UK magaine print subscription is $80-140 a years, or 2-4 time of FSM. In general, all modeling magazines are expensive because it was driven by the market size.

The pocketmags.com does offer good saving for international subscription. And they offer single issue purchase too. However, it is NOT true that Pocketmags is cheaper than Zinio. For example, I checked on a UK magazine "Hi-Fi Choice". The subscription is $40 (equivalent to £25) on Zinio. On the other hand, it costs £35 (equivalent to $56) to subscribe the same magazine on Pocketmags. Bottomline, shop before your jump.

$50 for both print and digital versions of FSM is still, by far, the best deal for US modelers. I am the old fashion type of guy who wants a paper copy in hand even if I can read it on the internet. If nothing else, printed page is much easier on the old eyes.

I currently have both subscriptions. I am enough of a dinasaur that I have not been able to completely let go of the paper version. I have been subscribing via my Nook and my wife actually got me a Nook HD+ for Christmas, which works a lot better for magazines (at least for these old eyes). The HD+ has a 10" screen instead of a 7" screen (diagonal measurement I think) and higher resolution. The digital version is an exact duplicate of the paper version, it looks just like you ran the paper version through a copier and stored it on your Nook. With B&N (and the others as well I suspect) once you buy a magazine it is yours. If you cancel the subscription you still have all the issues that you purchased. You can also download a trial version for free (1 week I think), you just need to remember to cancel it if you don't want to buy it. To me there are pros and cons to paper and digital, but you can't beat the digital for traveling or just having all the issues right at your fingertips. But a magazine never has to be recharged ;-)

Since the digital version doesn't matter where you are, does that mean the international subscription will be the same price as for usa residence?

I see this is over a year old- so forgive me.  I recently let my print subscription lapse and was going to go digital- until I saw the cost.  Tim-- you said the costs for creating both are the same-- yet pretty much every other modeling magazine I know that is offering subscriptions through pocketmags is offering it at a pretty dramatic discounted rate in comparison to the print edition.  So-- are they losing money doing this, or is using pocketmags over Zinio a better alternative??  I obviously have no clue how all this works, but I am just stating that if you guys at Kalmbach really want to stay competitive, it might be worth your time to start trying to figure out these questions.  

I'll keep an eye out to see if things change, but if I can save money switching over to Tamiya, Scale Model Addict, or some of the UK publications so that I can use that money on models and supplies instead, explain why I shouldn't?

Richard, thanks for sharing that. It's actually a 'secret' promotion, you don't have to buy anything to get it, just sign up as a new user. I thought it was over by end of last year. But evidently not - I got my $25 certificate just for signing up.

They send it to everyone.  I ended up getting a sub to an iPhone/iPad mag for 32 cents after the $25 gift certificate.

Just an FYI....

I signed up for Zinio like I posted before and bought a $5 sub to one of the car magazines.  Apparently because I made that purchase I was emailed a $25 gift certificate (Zinio Bucks) code good towards any magazine!

So I was able to get a sub to FSM for only $15!  Just an FYI if anyone wants to try it out.  Don't know if they send everyone the $25 discount or not.

deafpanzer

Same here... I use iPad.  If FineScale wants to go digital, they have to make it better for iPad users first!!!  While I use iPad I don't check this forum too often like I do at other forums because they work well for my iPad. 

When is FSM going to make this work?

Just a quick note my iPad works with FSM now. Much better!  Thank you 'the real Red Baron' for your help upgrading my iPad.  I have so much to learn...

I too like the feel of a magazine in my hand; but at the same time I like being able to read it on my iPad. 

I just think that there should be some sort of incentive for a subscriber to "go digital".  Don't charge me the same rate as a paper subscription.  Charging me $39.95 for 10 electronic copies which require less overhead on the publisher's part won't exactly have us all leaving the paper world in droves.

By going with the digital version we are saving the company massive amounts of money.  I'm not one of those that thinks the e-version should be free either.  I'm all for paying for the product; you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

EDIT:  Since I'm already a subscriber, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the $10 digital subscription.  How 'bout splitting the difference at renewal time?  If I want to go strictly digital make it say, $25 a year.  THAT would be an incentive!  Just a thought though.

I will stay with the print edition. I have every issue published and a bound index. Call me old fashioned but I like the magazine in my hand.

Hello everyone,

FSM is available as a digital edition. Zinio is our preferred digital edition provider. You can view the digital edition using computers running Windows, Apple OS, or Linux; iPad; and Android-based tablets running Android version 2.2 or later. You can subscribe to the digital edition here.

It is also available for the Amazon Kindle Fire and iPad through the Amazon Kindle newsstand.

International customers will be able to purchase the digital editions of FSM through both venues.

Issues can be downloaded for offline reading. Digital subscribers also receive access to premium online content, just like paper-edition subscribers. Each issue has an access code in the table of contents. Codes are valid for 60 days.

If you're using Nook, you'll have the best experience on Nook Color and Android-based tablets running Android version 2.1 or higher (not Android-based mobile phones), and iPad. We do not recommend viewing FSM via Nook on PC or Mac computers, original Nook, or Nook Simple Touch.

The digital edition costs the same as the print edition, which is at the standard $39.95 rate. While digital editions don't have the same paper and delivery costs as the print version, digital production is no less expensive; it is a different business model than print production. There are still costs to create, host, maintain, and distribute content electronically which publishers pay for up front rather than at the back end at the printer.

Hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please e-mail Customer Service, and they should be able to assist you.

Best,

TK

deafpanzer

When is FSM going to make this work?

It does work with iOS 5 - or at least it does for me. If you haven't updated your iPad yet, I really encourage you to do so. There are so many improvements, however the FSM forums working is icing on the cake.

For what it's worth, I don't appreciate FSM using another 3rd party app to peddle the digital version. Since when have middle men ever worked to the advantage of the end user? Wait a second, the FSM front page still has Flash only on it - another archaic, dying format. What was I thinking?

RESlusher

I was looking on Kalmbach's website and found an FAQ here.  It refers to the Zinio app, which is free from the iTunes app store.  I emailed them (Kalmbach) a couple months ago; but they said that FineScale wasn't available yet.  I'm not sure if that's changed or not.

Yeah I downloaded the app too yesterday and did a search but no model magazines to be found!  I did end up with a sub to one of the car magazines though.  I'll wait for FSM to pop up on the iPad app so I can buy it with the mountain of iTunes credit I have.

XF5U

It's actually the same price as the print version ($39.95/10 issues) if you only want the digital only subscription.  The $10 for 10 issues is only if you also pay the full $39.95 for the print version.  Wish digital only edition was cheaper since there's no printing/shipping costs involved.

Also wish they did have an app in the Apple app store. Tamiya Model Magazine, Airfix Model World, Model Airplane International and Model Military International all have apps in the app store that let you buy and download issues right to your device. 

I was looking on Kalmbach's website and found an FAQ here.  It refers to the Zinio app, which is free from the iTunes app store.  I emailed them (Kalmbach) a couple months ago; but they said that FineScale wasn't available yet.  I'm not sure if that's changed or not.

When I got my Nook, I tested Bicycling. I was getting the dead tree version and tried a free E-version. They were absolutely identical. page for page, ad for ad. Can't imagineselling many e-subsciptions this way. Just renewed Road & Track for next year: $8 for the year. (and if it goes like last year, I'll wind up with Car & Driver, too.)

The digital version is an exact copy of the print version and go through a subscription or single copy buying process.   So I'm not sure why advertisers would be reluctant to put ads in the digital version?  Just wondering. 

One of the challenges with production of digital format is the reluctance of advertisers to place ads. Some publishers separate the two...print and digital as completely separate products.

That's an additional $10 if you get the regular print edition. If you just want the digital version, it's still $39.

I currently get 2 subscriptions to British model mags digitally downloaded on my Samsung Android Tablet. The price is about 60% less than half the print version. So its way worth it. The magazines are actually downloaded onto your tablet or PC, so you have the actual copy.

FSM digital edition goes through Zinio. They have an app on ipad, android, PC, and mac, You do download it locally, and you can download it again from their website. As for nook, as of now, I believe you have to read it online, the nook doesn't support the ZNO file format (I could be wrong).

Frankly, I think the digital subscription should be offered at a discount, considering the savings in printing, distribution, and mailing.

ajlafleche

Looking at the subscription form, it would appear you could download it to any device. And at $10 for 10 issues, it's quite a (comparative) value over the dead tree format.

It's actually the same price as the print version ($39.95/10 issues) if you only want the digital only subscription.  The $10 for 10 issues is only if you also pay the full $39.95 for the print version.  Wish digital only edition was cheaper since there's no printing/shipping costs involved.

Also wish they did have an app in the Apple app store. Tamiya Model Magazine, Airfix Model World, Model Airplane International and Model Military International all have apps in the app store that let you buy and download issues right to your device. 

Hans von Hammer

ajlafleche:

Hans von Hammer:

Pretty hard to take a compter into the john...

 

It's called a tablet and goes anywhere. Further, if the magazine were available on Nook (includes full color) your smart phone could also access it, I believe.

 

I have no idea what you're talking about..

I hate change...

Your not alone Hans.

deafpanzer

Same here... I use iPad.  If FineScale wants to go digital, they have to make it better for iPad users first!!!  While I use iPad I don't check this forum too often like I do at other forums because they work well for my iPad. 

When is FSM going to make this work?

I use an iPad too and had problems with the site unil I upgraded my iPad software to iOS5. Once i upgraded I rebooted the iPad and have had no problems with the site ever since.

Hans von Hammer

ajlafleche:

Hans von Hammer:

Pretty hard to take a compter into the john...

 

It's called a tablet and goes anywhere. Further, if the magazine were available on Nook (includes full color) your smart phone could also access it, I believe.

 

I have no idea what you're talking about..

I hate change...

So saith

 to

Hans von Hammer

ajlafleche:

Hans von Hammer:

Pretty hard to take a compter into the john...

 

It's called a tablet and goes anywhere. Further, if the magazine were available on Nook (includes full color) your smart phone could also access it, I believe.

 

I have no idea what you're talking about..

I hate change...

LOL

ajlafleche

Hans von Hammer:

Pretty hard to take a compter into the john...

 

It's called a tablet and goes anywhere. Further, if the magazine were available on Nook (includes full color) your smart phone could also access it, I believe.

I have no idea what you're talking about..

I hate change...

Same here... I use iPad.  If FineScale wants to go digital, they have to make it better for iPad users first!!!  While I use iPad I don't check this forum too often like I do at other forums because they work well for my iPad. 

When is FSM going to make this work?