Magazine Pricing Weirdness - Analog, Asimov's, F&SF - Page 2

ZodWallop · 08-01-2017, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

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.

I have never heard of a subscription that worked this way. Can you show any other newspaper/magazine/comic book subscription that charges its subscribers more than the newsstand price?

Especially considering the state of the newspaper/magazine/comic book industries, charging loyal readers a convenience fee seems very unlikely. A screw-up in price (the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing) seems much more plausible than some sort of business strategy.

AnemicOak · 08-01-2017, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I have never heard of a subscription that worked this way. Can you show any other newspaper/magazine/comic book subscription that charges its subscribers more than the newsstand price?

I've seen something like it with newspapers, where they called it a delivery/convenience fee, but never with magazines. In the past I've subscribed to plenty of specialty/hobby magazines where there was no discount off of the cover price, but never seen one where the subscription was more than walking into a store and buying a copy (some offered upgraded shipping at an extra cost).

ZodWallop · 08-01-2017, 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

I've seen something like it with newspapers, where they called it a delivery/convenience fee, but never with magazines. In the past I've subscribed to plenty of specialty/hobby magazines where there was no discount off of the cover price, but never seen one where the subscription was more than walking into a store and buying a copy (some offered upgraded shipping at an extra cost).

Yeah. My ComiXology subscriptions are at cover price. I've just never heard of a company charging above cover price. And for a subscription to an e-magazine charging a fee like that seems unlikely.

Cinisajoy · 08-01-2017, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I have never heard of a subscription that worked this way. Can you show any other newspaper/magazine/comic book subscription that charges its subscribers more than the newsstand price?

Especially considering the state of the newspaper/magazine/comic book industries, charging loyal readers a convenience fee seems very unlikely. A screw-up in price (the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing) seems much more plausible than some sort of business strategy.

He said he could get individual digital issues $1.50 cheaper. Not the paper copy. The paper copy is $5.98.

pdurrant · 01-03-2019, 03:16 PM

The weirdness continues.

Amazon eventually stopped selling me F&SF for £1.98 per issue at Amazon, and started charging me £29.99 per issue.

Unsurprisingly, I cancelled, got a refund and looked around. It was still supposed to be an annual subscription at Amazon for £29.99 or £5 per issue.

But I found it was also carried at Weightless Books for $29.99 per issue, or about £3.60 per issue with the exchange rate as it was them. A bit more than £1.98, but much less than £4.99, so I subscribed for a year.

And now my subscription is up. It's still £29.99 for a year at Amazon, but the Weightless Books subscription is now over $36, which with the current dreadful exchange rate works out at just over £30 a year.

I've have every electonic issue since January 2002, although I started subscribing in June 2003. I don't really want to stop, not it has C C Finlay editing it, but I don't think I can pay £5 per issue. Although I see that I did pay £4.25 for th double issues back when it was published ten times a year.

Well, I have at least a couple of months to make up my mind.

Oh - and I'm still buying individual copies of Asimov's and Analog for £2.49 per issue, instead of the £3.98 they'd cost if I subscribed. Madness!

Fbone · 01-03-2019, 05:08 PM

I guess you have to decide if each 250-page issue of F&SF is worth about $6.16.

pdurrant · 01-04-2019, 04:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fbone

I guess you have to decide if each 250-page issue of F&SF is worth about $6.16.

That is the problem. When I have so many unread books (books which I really want to read), it seems foolish to spend so much on a small magazine, even every other month.

Well, I have the Jan/Feb 2019 issue. The Mar/April issue will be available as part of a subscription until the end of April, so I have four months to decide whether I want to restart the subscription.

HarryT · 01-04-2019, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Amazon eventually stopped selling me F&SF for £1.98 per issue at Amazon, and started charging me £29.99 per issue.

That seems ludicrously high. Are you sure it wasn't £29.99 for an annual subscription?

pdurrant · 01-04-2019, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

That seems ludicrously high. Are you sure it wasn't £29.99 for an annual subscription?

It was certainly supposed to be the annual fee, but somehow they started charging it per month. It was just a mistake (and got refunded), but I could no longer get it for the old price.

HarryT · 01-04-2019, 07:08 AM

It doesn't seem too outrageous for an annual subscription.

pdurrant · 01-04-2019, 07:10 AM

When I can get Analog SFF and Asimov's SF magazines for £2.49 per issue, £5.00 per issue seems a lot.

I might change my mind and resubscribe, but there's no rush.

HarryT · 01-04-2019, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

When I can get Analog SFF and Asimov's SF magazines for £2.49 per issue, £5.00 per issue seems a lot.

Sure, I completely understand. The real "weirdness" was perhaps the fact that until recently it was cheaper to buy individual copies than an annual subscription

.

ZodWallop · 01-04-2019, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fbone

I guess you have to decide if each 250-page issue of F&SF is worth about $6.16.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdurrant

That is the problem. When I have so many unread books (books which I really want to read), it seems foolish to spend so much on a small magazine, even every other month.

If you've been reading the magazine for years and always read every issue, $6.16 an issue seems fair, even if it were monthly.

If you really wanted to read those other books, you'd read them. You prioritize the magazine, which should mean it is worth more to you. Just my opinion.

pdurrant · 01-04-2019, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

If you've been reading the magazine for years and always read every issue, $6.16 an issue seems fair, even if it were monthly.

If you really wanted to read those other books, you'd read them. You prioritize the magazine, which should mean it is worth more to you. Just my opinion.

That is a good point. Somewhat I prioritise the magazines precisely because I have them on subscription - I don't want to end up with a backlog of magazine ebooks as well as a backlog of other ebooks.

If this had happened before the new editor took over, I wouldn't have had a dilemma. As it is, I'll give it some more thought. Thanks for your input.

Fbone · 01-04-2019, 12:53 PM

Does your library have digital magazines available through RB Digital or Flipster?

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01-03-2019, 03:16 PM	#20
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,506 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	The weirdness continues. Amazon eventually stopped selling me F&SF for £1.98 per issue at Amazon, and started charging me £29.99 per issue. Unsurprisingly, I cancelled, got a refund and looked around. It was still supposed to be an annual subscription at Amazon for £29.99 or £5 per issue. But I found it was also carried at Weightless Books for $29.99 per issue, or about £3.60 per issue with the exchange rate as it was them. A bit more than £1.98, but much less than £4.99, so I subscribed for a year. And now my subscription is up. It's still £29.99 for a year at Amazon, but the Weightless Books subscription is now over $36, which with the current dreadful exchange rate works out at just over £30 a year. I've have every electonic issue since January 2002, although I started subscribing in June 2003. I don't really want to stop, not it has C C Finlay editing it, but I don't think I can pay £5 per issue. Although I see that I did pay £4.25 for th double issues back when it was published ten times a year. Well, I have at least a couple of months to make up my mind. Oh - and I'm still buying individual copies of Asimov's and Analog for £2.49 per issue, instead of the £3.98 they'd cost if I subscribed. Madness!

01-03-2019, 05:08 PM	#21
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	I guess you have to decide if each 250-page issue of F&SF is worth about $6.16.

01-04-2019, 07:08 AM	#25
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	It doesn't seem too outrageous for an annual subscription.

01-04-2019, 07:10 AM	#26
pdurrant The Grand Mouse 高貴的老鼠 Posts: 71,506 Karma: 306214458 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Norfolk, England Device: Kindle Voyage	When I can get Analog SFF and Asimov's SF magazines for £2.49 per issue, £5.00 per issue seems a lot. I might change my mind and resubscribe, but there's no rush.

01-04-2019, 12:53 PM	#30
Fbone Is that a sandwich? Posts: 8,189 Karma: 100500000 Join Date: Jun 2010 Device: Nook Glowlight Plus	Does your library have digital magazines available through RB Digital or Flipster?