Hornby Magazine Yearbook

QUOTE (rb277170 @ 24 Nov 2008, 20:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Plenty of them in WH Smiths up in Scotland!

Remember the Hornby Mag has a £5 voucher in inside cover for money off.

However, be warned. I am given to understand that the layout articles are all as have appeared in the magazine. So really this is just a compilation of existing articles. Please correct me if I'm wrong. However I do feel this should be made clearer to prospective purchasers, especially as members of familly may be buying it for Christmas and be unaware of this.

Sorry guys , but at £5.95 the paperback BRM annual is all new and a fair amount of reading!

Russell

The layout articles are the top five from the competition. The text has been amended with additional photo's. Compared to BRM you are getting a quality produced annual whereas the BRM year book can be considered an additional issue of the magazine for Christmas. Ian Allan where selling the Hornby annual for £11.99 at Warley.

Dave

QUOTE (rb277170 @ 24 Nov 2008, 20:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Plenty of them in WH Smiths up in Scotland!

Remember the Hornby Mag has a £5 voucher in inside cover for money off.

Russell

That voucher is only usable at WH Smith's High Street Stores. And £5.00 from RRP of £16.99 is still a hefty £11.99!

Amazons most expensive price is £11.89 with free (if not exactly Express) delivery. So, as "they" say in the USof A, "Do The Math!" (The "Bye Traders" are usually even cheaper! )

Regards

Sarah

Just to be clear, the BRM Annual is produced and sold through W H Smiths as a glorified magazine and has a heavy paper cover. The HM Yearbook has been produced by Ian Allan Books Dept, has a case bound cover (hardback) and is sold through W H Smith book department, rather than on the magazine shelves. It is also available through other book retailers and model shops.

The £5 discount voucher was a tie in with Smiths at their behest, as part of a deal to stock the book in the first place. However, they of little faith, only ordered 1,000 copies, which to go around over 500 High Street branches is ludicrously light. They virtually sold out within 48 hours and have admitted their mistake. A further 3,000 copies are being distributed this week and there may have to be a reprint. This is why readers haven't been able to find it at their local branch, for which I apologise for the obvious inconvenience.

This is also why we honoured the £5 discount at Warley. It wouldn't have been reasonable to send readers away to use their voucher at Smiths when we had a supply on the stand. Obviously, most people wouldn't have their voucher with them. We sold out in about three hours, but our colleagues at MCP had a supply that lasted well into the Sunday of the show.

As for the content, a fair proportion is recycled and repackaged, but we have used different pictures for the five key layouts - those we wanted to use in the mag, but didn't have room for. There is new material too, and most of the material has been updated rather than being a straight repeat. It still makes a very smart and readable book in my view.

As for price, this is always dodgy with books. Amazon have it cheaper as do W H Smith on-line (post free in their case) and understandably some traders aren't happy about the price it can be had elsewhere. But at the end of the day, I always prefer to browse a book first rather than buy it blindly, something book retailers do have the advantage on, although I know some people will browse first and then go and order it on line. But there is nothing we can do about Amazon and Co.

Hope this explains things.

Black 5 Man

So really this is just a compilation of existing articles. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

My pleasure, the pieces I wrote and at least one other are completely new. A brief look through it at Warley seemed to show the non-layout elements of it are certainly new, and certainly the images of the layouts are not all the same as those in the mags. The Cover of the book clearly stated five favourite layouts as voted for by Hornby magazine readers, its unlikely that those layouts would not have been featured in the magazine. I don't know if the text is the same however, or if they took a different approach as well with the writing.

They also mention in their advertising on the Ian Allan website
http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product....productid=61313

'This will be a digest of popular features from the magazine, plus a whole range of new and informative articles covering topics of interest to the broadest range of model railway enthusiasts.'

digest of popular features That'll be the five layouts then.
Digest: Compilation of information, often condensed.

However I do feel this should be made clearer to prospective purchasers, especially as members of familly may be buying it for Christmas and be unaware of this.
What makes you think it isn't? Its crystal clear on the publishers web site, do people want them to turn the pages for them as well?

QUOTE (black 5 man @ 27 Nov 2008, 09:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>SNIP>
The HM Yearbook has been produced by Ian Allan Books Dept, has a case bound cover (hardback) and is sold through W H Smith book department, rather than on the magazine shelves. It is also available through other book retailers and model shops.

SNIP>
This is why readers haven't been able to find it at their local branch, for which I apologise for the obvious inconvenience.

SNIP>
As for the content, a fair proportion is recycled and repackaged, but we have used different pictures for the five key layouts - those we wanted to use in the mag, but didn't have room for. There is new material too, and most of the material has been updated rather than being a straight repeat. It still makes a very smart and readable book in my view.

As for price, this is always dodgy with books. Amazon have it cheaper as do W H Smith on-line (post free in their case) and understandably some traders aren't happy about the price it can be had elsewhere. But at the end of the day, I always prefer to browse a book first rather than buy it blindly, something book retailers do have the advantage on, although I know some people will browse first and then go and order it on line. But there is nothing we can do about Amazon and Co.

Hope this explains things.

Black 5 Man

You say that it is to be sold through WHS' Book Department. Our "local" branch in Chester didn't seem to know this!
The WHS Book people (Who said they couldn't order me a copy.) sent me back down to the Magazine Department. They also said that they couldn't order me a copy. The best they could do was put a note in their department diary, to give me a phone call when the "book" came in. (NOT very helpful.)

(Yes, I know, this is the fault of WHS, not IA or HM people. )

I didn't want to buy from "other" retailers because of the £5.00 voucher... (I didn't look!)

Thanks for the explanation and apology. Accepted...

I decided to buy the book as soon as I saw the promotion in the magazine. As others have said elsewhere, HM is the ONLY magazine I tend to buy WITHOUT looking through it first! I have yet to be disapointed.

In fact, as I had purchased my copy of HM in Crewe (WHS in fact!), I went to Chester WHS on the way home, but there was no sign of it upstairs or downstairs, and the place was far too busy to ask anyone. So I went about a week later...

So, I am buying this book as a super dooper hardback version of the magazine. I am pretty sure that I will not be disapointed... (I hope ) I DO normally check MOST books, but sometimes the only option is the net!

I'll have to let you know how I get on....

Still 3 issues for sale in WH Smith Braehead Glasgow. Don't know if Scottish WH Smiths are more attune to the needs of railway modellers than those down South. It is in the book section , however, as it is a hard backed book. It does look very attractive and had I not already bought the mags would have been a purchase for me, without hesitation.

My point on the BRM annual (which is softcovered and a "glorified mag") is that it does contain all new information. It is also a hefty volume containing much more than the normal mag. For that reason @£5.95 I thought it a better bet for me than the Hornby Annual - however if its all new content for you in the Hornby book you may differ.

QUOTE So really this is just a compilation of existing articles. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

My pleasure, the pieces I wrote and at least one other are completely newPMP

Thanks PMP I am indeed indebted. Indeed there are new parts to the book. However:-

QUOTE As for the content, a fair proportion is recycled and repackagedPer Black 5 man

QUOTE There is new material too, and most of the material has been updated rather than being a straight repeat. It still makes a very smart and readable book in my view.

Completely agree it does look very smart and Chris Nervard pictures are superb.

QUOTE They also mention in their advertising on the Ian Allan website
http://www.ianallanpublishing.com/product....productid=61313

'This will be a digest of popular features from the magazine, plus a whole range of new and informative articles covering topics of interest to the broadest range of model railway enthusiasts.'

digest of popular features That'll be the five layouts then.
Digest: Compilation of information, often condensed.

However I do feel this should be made clearer to prospective purchasers, especially as members of familly may be buying it for Christmas and be unaware of this.
What makes you think it isn't? Its crystal clear on the publishers web site, do people want them to turn the pages for them as well?PMP

I suspect a lot of people buying this book for relatives will not have surfed the Ian Allan Website first. To make it very clear I would have had on the front cover maybe in smaller print under the title"a compilation of articles that have previously appeared in Hornby Magazine" To me that makes it "crystal clear" to any prospective purchaser without the need to surf the website.

Russell

To me that makes it "crystal clear" to any prospective purchaser without the need to surf the website.

Well it wasn't so very long ago you were telling everyone on a different forum thats what manufacturers should use the web for, particularly for new releases

To put the statement
"a compilation of articles that have previously appeared in Hornby Magazine"
Wouldn't be a truthfull statement though, because MW asked more than me to write specific pieces for the yearbook.
It's stated in pretty big writing on the front that there's content that has been covered in the magazine, bearing in mind the layouts have appeared, thats why they're the magazine readers five favourites.
From the cover
Five favourite layouts
As voted for by Hornby Magazine readers
The magazine readers are hardly going to vote for five favourite layouts that have appeared in the Railway Modeller.

maybe in smaller print
Surely it should be massive print? otherwise people may miss it ...

I think its clear you've not actually read or thumbed through the book if your comments are factual.

"I am given to understand that the layout articles are all as have appeared in the magazine. So really this is just a compilation of existing articles."

1. The green text is an obvious admission that you havn't actually read or thumbed through the yearbook in question, so you doesn't actually know.

2. Yet in the very next sentence, in the blue text, you're stating as a fact what the content of the yearbook is! Which is in complete contrast to your previous admission of not having even seen the publication!!

QUOTE Well it wasn't so very long ago you were telling everyone on a different forum thats what manufacturers should use the web for

Absolutely - the web as a news medium is superb. Why wait weeks for magazines to do rehashed press releases, particularly as news leaks out anyway.

However back to the Hornby Annual . I have thumbed through it in Smiths, enough to recognise the layouts and Anthony News' plans from the mag. If you haven't received the magazine I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it. However if you click on Amazon and have a look- there is no mention of it containing material previously published . Our respected contributor black5man I think fairly sums up the situation

QUOTE As for the content, a fair proportion is recycled and repackaged, but we have used different pictures for the five key layouts - those we wanted to use in the mag, but didn't have room for. There is new material too, and most of the material has been updated rather than being a straight repeat. It still makes a very smart and readable book in my view.

Russell

A great magazine, interesting, informative and a perfect mix for all levels of railway modellers I never miss a copy. But what a disaster the highly publicised first annual has been.

Ian Allen marketing people need a jolly good kicking, they have got it woefully wrong. Not for the content, as I can appreciate old articles being revisited and expanded with a mix a some new as that is standard fair for any annual. I refer to the pricing and availability.

£16 is, I must say, especially to a pensioner like me a bit steep, however I was still keen to lay my hands on a copy spurred by the expectation of an excellent read and the benefit of a £5 of voucher. My nearest WHS is 12 miles away halving the benefit of the voucher, but then I wanted a copy of the annual. "No never heard of it was the response", on enquiry so like some of your other forum members and not being one to give up too easily I set off around all the WHS stores In south Linc's, 5 stores visited and over 100 miles travelled, not one either had a copy or was aware of it's existence.

I was now extremely fed up even angry. If a copy was available in my local newsagents I do not think I would now buy a copy. To return home and read of similar incidents up and down the country and of the ridiculous deal done with the devil in the guise of WH Smiths beggared belief. Ian Allen publishing by this deal have shot Hornby Magazine in the foot and disenfranchised many loyal customers. I for one will never go on such a fool's errand again.

Why do publishers insist on doing deals with this monopolistic devil? All publishers and some newspapers are as guilty, and need to work to break the monopoly held by WHS and get their goods out to all newsagents and book shops not just those in major cities and see their sales and circulation increase

Just as well I can still get my monthly copy locally.