Magazine Pricing Weirdness - Analog, Asimov's, F&SF

[pdurrant]

Science Fiction/Fantasy magazine pricing is really weird at the moment.

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF) is only available through Amazon - they did a deal back in 2011. I've been a subscriber since then - paying £0.99 a month which, as it's bimonthly, is £1.98 an issue. An OK deal I thought.

Looking at it's current page at Amazon they're currently asking £29.99 for a years subscription - or £5 an issue. And they're trying to sell individual issues at £7.49!

I do still seem to be getting it for £1.98 an issue. I certainly wouldn't pay £5 an issue! The USA paper subscription is only $36.97 (£28.24 at todays exchange rate).

And weird things in the other direction have happened at Analog and Asimovs. They both went to bimonthly issues at the start of the year, so instead of 8 ordinary issues and 2 'double' issues, we now get 6 'double' issues.

The Amazon subscription remained at £1.99/month, making each issue £3.98. But Amazon are still selling individual issues for £2.49!

I've been an Analog and Asimov's subscriber at Amazon for many years, but I've cancelled now. I just buy the individual issues, saving £1.49 an issue.


How can they be so incompetent about their pricing?!

[pwalker8]

I'm faintly surprised that those magazines are still around. I subscribed back in the early 80's.

I suspect that Napoleon's maxim holds in this case (to paraphrase - never ascribe to malice what can be ascribed to incompetence). I wouldn't be shocked if it's just a case that no one thought to update the individual issue price on Amazon. I would not be terribly surprised if the price goes up as soon as someone points it out to whomever sets the price.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Science Fiction/Fantasy magazine pricing is really weird at the moment.

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF) is only available through Amazon - they did a deal back in 2011. I've been a subscriber since then - paying £0.99 a month which, as it's bimonthly, is £1.98 an issue. An OK deal I thought.

Looking at it's current page at Amazon they're currently asking £29.99 for a years subscription - or £5 and issue. And they're trying to sell individual issues at £7.49!

I do still seem to be getting it for £1.98 an issue. I certainly wouldn't pay £5 an issue! The USA paper subscription is only $36.97 (£28.24 at todays exchange rate).

And weird things in the other direction have happened at Analog and Asimovs. They both went to bimonthly issues at the start of the year, so instead of 8 ordinary issues and 2 'double' issues, we now get 6 'double' issues.

The Amazon subscription remained at £1.99/month, making each issue £3.98. But Amazon are still selling individual issues for £2.49!

I've been an Analog and Asimov's subscriber at Amazon for many years, but I've cancelled now. I just buy the individual issues, saving £1.49 an issue.


How can they be so incompetent about their pricing?!

I am confused. How is that incompetent pricing?
Those prices look about standard for US magazines.
Oh you aren't familiar with US pricing of magazines. I have 2 magazines that because I got a special offer, I pay 33 cents for a paper issue.

[bgalbrecht]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I am confused. How is that incompetent pricing?
Those prices look about standard for US magazines.
Oh you aren't familiar with US pricing of magazines. I have 2 magazines that because I got a special offer, I pay 33 cents for a paper issue.

I used to have a digital subscription to Analog and Asimov's for $29.99 per year for the two of them, but they cancelled it when they switched to bimonthly, and I didn't bother trying to subscribe again. I used to have a subscription to F&SF back at Fictionwise, but they cancelled it when they went to Amazon, and they won't let you read it on the Amazon PC app, so I don't subscribe or read it any more.

[Dr. Drib]

I'm happy to get the May/June 2017 for FREE, courtesy of Kindle Unlimited.

Unfortunately, not all the issues are available that way.

[Tarana]

Asimov Magazine is only available as a subscription on Amazon/US as far as I can see. It lists $5.98 US for individual issue but there's no option to buy an individual issue. My GUESS is that it is a screwup on the Amazon/UK, maybe one they will fix.

[cromag]

I still have the "special price combo" subscription to Asimov's and Analog at Barnes & Noble. I have an older version of the Nook app on an Android tablet, so I can copy the files out to my PC and other ereaders.

Actually, I'd be happy to subscribe to Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock mystery magazines if they had a similar deal.

And I'd be happy to subscribe to F&SF if it was a bit more affordable.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I am confused. How is that incompetent pricing?

The F&SF is incompetent because it is just too high to attract new subscribers. They are asking more for the ebook subscription than for a USA paper subscription (granted, a bit less than a UK paper subscription due to postage costs). It could only possibly attract existing UK subscribers to the paper edition.

The Asimov's and Analog is incompetent because it actively discourages taking out a subscription, to the tune of £1.49 per issue.

[Cinisajoy]

Paul,
I just looked at US prices on Amazon. We have to get the magazines separately and they are $5.98 an issue.
I looked at some other genres. Excuse me when I say that is on par with general magazine costs unless you can find a really good deal.

How do you know it isn't attractive to new customers? There are many people that will pay more. Now see the thing is, the subscriptions are not worded as $5.98 an issue. They are listed as $2.99 a month.
Most people won't bat an eye at $3 a month whereas they might think twice about the $6.
Also does the person do paper or digital.

You know there was another thread recently on paper vs digital pricing.
Three things were proven.
1. If you only do digital, you pay no attention to the paper price because it is irrelevant to you.
2. If you do both new paper and digital, you compare prices.
3. If you don't mind used paper and digital, you compare new, used and digital.
Also noted was most voracious readers do not immediately buy the latest and greatest bestseller when it comes out.

So I think we are comparing apples to oranges and coming up with kiwis.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Paul,

Cin, you seem to be trying to persuade me that my perception that the pricing is weird is wrong, by looking at other pricing that I'm not talking about.

If you really want to debate this, please use the figures I've given, and please distinguish between the F&SF pricing (which is weird for one reason) and the Analog/Asimov's pricing (which is weird for a different reason).

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Cin, you seem to be trying to persuade me that my perception that the pricing is weird is wrong, by looking at other pricing that I'm not talking about.

If you really want to debate this, please use the figures I've given, and please distinguish between the F&SF pricing (which is weird for one reason) and the Analog/Asimov's pricing (which is weird for a different reason).

I never said you were wrong. Just trying to figure out how you know what new subscribers are willing to pay.
I figure the publisher knows a bit about pricing and what most people are willing to pay.
It was your word choice that puzzled me. I didn't see anything weird or incompetent about the pricing. It seemed fairly standard to me. On both of them.
I will agree I wouldn't pay that price either but that is just me.
Now crazy questions, are these good magazines or are they 50% advertisements?

I get offers all the time from some magazines because they need subscribers to show advertisers they have a big subscriber base. The latest offer was a year of two different magazines (22 issues) for $10 + two free gift subscriptions to one of them.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

IIt was your word choice that puzzled me. I didn't see anything weird or incompetent about the pricing. It seemed fairly standard to me. On both of them.

I'm currently subscribed and paying £1.98 per issue on F&SF, but they expect new subscribers to pay £5 an issue?

Asimov's & Analog expect subscribers to pay £3.98 an issue, but you can get the current issues individually for £2.49 each.

And you don't think those pricings are weird?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

I'm currently subscribed and paying £1.98 per issue on F&SF, but they expect new subscribers to pay £5 an issue?

Asimov's & Analog expect subscribers to pay £3.98 an issue, but you can get the current issues individually for £2.49 each.

And you don't think those pricings are weird?

On the first one, not at all. If I saw that you were paying $1.98 an issue and they now want $5, I would just assume that at some point in time, you were given a special deal either because you are a long term customer or they were needing new subscribers and offered you a special deal. Therefore, the price you pay has no bearing on what someone else will pay. Didn't you say you got that rate 6 years ago?
There are a few things I get discounts on because I have been with the company so long or the company bought out the company I had a contract with.


Now as to the second one, maybe a little but not really. The extra $1.50 is a convenience fee. That way you are guaranteed to get it when it comes out.
Do I think it is a little high, personally yes. People will pay it though.

Not everyone is as savvy as you.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Science Fiction/Fantasy magazine pricing is really weird at the moment.

The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction (F&SF) is only available through Amazon - they did a deal back in 2011. I've been a subscriber since then - paying £0.99 a month which, as it's bimonthly, is £1.98 an issue. An OK deal I thought.

Looking at it's current page at Amazon they're currently asking £29.99 for a years subscription - or £5 an issue. And they're trying to sell individual issues at £7.49!

I do still seem to be getting it for £1.98 an issue. I certainly wouldn't pay £5 an issue! The USA paper subscription is only $36.97 (£28.24 at todays exchange rate).

And weird things in the other direction have happened at Analog and Asimovs. They both went to bimonthly issues at the start of the year, so instead of 8 ordinary issues and 2 'double' issues, we now get 6 'double' issues.

The Amazon subscription remained at £1.99/month, making each issue £3.98. But Amazon are still selling individual issues for £2.49!

I've been an Analog and Asimov's subscriber at Amazon for many years, but I've cancelled now. I just buy the individual issues, saving £1.49 an issue.


How can they be so incompetent about their pricing?!

It is a common occurrence. Different people in different rooms making decisions without coordination.

[DiapDealer]

It's weird, Paul. And if lots of e-magazines do similarly weird things, then they're all weird too.