Hornby magazine.
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QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 2 Sep 2017, 01:21) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>*** You have to laugh...
September edition arrives several days before the start of September... and its a problem
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I have long argued with all of the mags that their dating helps nobody in the readership - but they all say they do it because it gives them a longer shelf life in the larger distributors.
Eventually, who is kidding who with the cover dates .
regards
Richard
*** Yes it is a problem. You can fill the page with icons but the fact remains that the issues are posted out on the 8th of the preceding month and I expect them not to take 20 or more days to arrive, if at all.
September edition arrives several days before the start of September... and its a problem
----------------
I have long argued with all of the mags that their dating helps nobody in the readership - but they all say they do it because it gives them a longer shelf life in the larger distributors.
Eventually, who is kidding who with the cover dates
.regards
Richard
*** Yes it is a problem. You can fill the page with icons but the fact remains that the issues are posted out on the 8th of the preceding month and I expect them not to take 20 or more days to arrive, if at all.
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*** I was jesting and taking the P&^S out of the cover date choices.
In the end I do not think they will actually ever solve this sort of problem with remote subscriptions. Directly from the magazine via standard post is too expensive, indirectly via 3rd parties is low coast but slow and occasionally erratic. Its been like that for longer then I can bother remembering.
A more mature approach by some of the mags to online usability and printability would help, but its not the same as holding and reading it for many.
I do wonder though: Apart from the frustration of not seeing it at the same time as "home country users" - Does it really matter as a modeller as most of the content rarely has a use-by date.
regards
Richard.
In the end I do not think they will actually ever solve this sort of problem with remote subscriptions. Directly from the magazine via standard post is too expensive, indirectly via 3rd parties is low coast but slow and occasionally erratic. Its been like that for longer then I can bother remembering.
A more mature approach by some of the mags to online usability and printability would help, but its not the same as holding and reading it for many.
I do wonder though: Apart from the frustration of not seeing it at the same time as "home country users" - Does it really matter as a modeller as most of the content rarely has a use-by date.
regards
Richard.
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288 Posts
Taking on board all the valid points and applying pragmatism, as I see it as a past and current subscriber:
Consistent delivery before the end of month preceding its annotated cover month is adequate -just, if annoying in the knowledge that it has released to newstands and local UK subscribers sometime between 8th and 13th of the month - HM seem to have a floating date which wavers between these dates. Previously, IME delivery in AU regularly lapsed to inconsistent, the only consistency being it was not occurring until after the release date in the UK of the next month's edition, if at all.
I think that valid cause for dissatisfaction and complaint when the sub is prepaid 24 months in advance, and the premise of the subscription contract makes certain promises not subsequently fullfilled.
Surely in 2017, there must be some means of distribution other than coercion to DS whereby a magazine can be routed to subscribers in Australia in under three weeks average if the will to make it happen existed and was actioned? For instance, my packages from Hattons, Peter's Spares, Book Depository, Abebooks, Kennys et al arrive in 10 days average via no frills untracked base airmail small packet. Why can't HM manage this?
Perhaps drop the HM discriminatory free gift "for UK subscribers only" subscription offers, and increase the UK subscription price to the same as ROW so all subscribers are treated equally? The savings and increased sub revenue could subsidise the impost of delivering to ROW customers by an alternative reliable method in a more timely manner.
Quite reasonable, and only fair. Wouldn't you agree?
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One might think Aussie, Kiwi and R.S.A. subscribers more than most would be likely to buy UK outline online from the magazine's advertisers given the status quo, and so should be a targeted priority for any magazine whose actual raison d'etre is as a delivery mechanism for targeted specific advertising to its SIG demographic?
I think a justified complaint driving such tardy delivery is that in the digital age of forum driven 'virtual clubroom' discussion, ROW subscribers are unable to participate in discussion of the latest news at the same informed kevel as is the wont of human nature, as the forum momentum (pick one of any) has moved on to the next edition by the time the stale news hard copy reaches them. This relegates ROW subs to reading forum article spoilers ...but not the magazine.
You'll should be pleased to know that regardless, I read DCC Concepts adverts in toto Richard.
Consistent delivery before the end of month preceding its annotated cover month is adequate -just, if annoying in the knowledge that it has released to newstands and local UK subscribers sometime between 8th and 13th of the month - HM seem to have a floating date which wavers between these dates. Previously, IME delivery in AU regularly lapsed to inconsistent, the only consistency being it was not occurring until after the release date in the UK of the next month's edition, if at all.
I think that valid cause for dissatisfaction and complaint when the sub is prepaid 24 months in advance, and the premise of the subscription contract makes certain promises not subsequently fullfilled.
Surely in 2017, there must be some means of distribution other than coercion to DS whereby a magazine can be routed to subscribers in Australia in under three weeks average if the will to make it happen existed and was actioned? For instance, my packages from Hattons, Peter's Spares, Book Depository, Abebooks, Kennys et al arrive in 10 days average via no frills untracked base airmail small packet. Why can't HM manage this?
Perhaps drop the HM discriminatory free gift "for UK subscribers only" subscription offers, and increase the UK subscription price to the same as ROW so all subscribers are treated equally? The savings and increased sub revenue could subsidise the impost of delivering to ROW customers by an alternative reliable method in a more timely manner.
Quite reasonable, and only fair. Wouldn't you agree?
One might think Aussie, Kiwi and R.S.A. subscribers more than most would be likely to buy UK outline online from the magazine's advertisers given the status quo, and so should be a targeted priority for any magazine whose actual raison d'etre is as a delivery mechanism for targeted specific advertising to its SIG demographic?
I think a justified complaint driving such tardy delivery is that in the digital age of forum driven 'virtual clubroom' discussion, ROW subscribers are unable to participate in discussion of the latest news at the same informed kevel as is the wont of human nature, as the forum momentum (pick one of any) has moved on to the next edition by the time the stale news hard copy reaches them. This relegates ROW subs to reading forum article spoilers ...but not the magazine.
You'll should be pleased to know that regardless, I read DCC Concepts adverts in toto Richard.
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*** Absolutely reasonable - But the problem is I think just cost... quite a lot added if more reliable direct airmail becomes part of it. I would also probably be voting with my feet as a subscriber given the current reality.
To me, outsourcing of delivery is at the core of it.
Royal mail, Australia post and others worldwide increased cost to the point that it created a window of opportunity for low cost 3rd party delivery services that further gutted their core business, but those same 3rd party delivery services have a need to keep costs super-low, so they in turn have gutted things to the point that they have become reliant on lowest-cost space in shipping, which means that they are lowest priority - and therefore ever slower.
Keep reading the Ads though
BTW the discussion was re subscriptions so I quite purposely omitted the fact that we advertise with them but of course WE ALSO want them delivered fast because of that! Rest assured it was very annoying when I was in AU as I actually had to arrange a special delivery (it took several attempts with a couple of the mags) in order to see my own ads in print to verify things before the bill was due to be paid!
To me, outsourcing of delivery is at the core of it.
Royal mail, Australia post and others worldwide increased cost to the point that it created a window of opportunity for low cost 3rd party delivery services that further gutted their core business, but those same 3rd party delivery services have a need to keep costs super-low, so they in turn have gutted things to the point that they have become reliant on lowest-cost space in shipping, which means that they are lowest priority - and therefore ever slower.
Keep reading the Ads though
BTW the discussion was re subscriptions so I quite purposely omitted the fact that we advertise with them but of course WE ALSO want them delivered fast because of that! Rest assured it was very annoying when I was in AU as I actually had to arrange a special delivery (it took several attempts with a couple of the mags) in order to see my own ads in print to verify things before the bill was due to be paid!
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