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12-16 weeks???!!! no wonder magazines are going out of business
Leu   Advanced Beginner NY USA Member since 1/21/10 Posts: 293	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 11/30/11 9:42 PM I want to get my mom a subscription to a quilting magazine for Christmas. I've looked at a few titles. They all say, "allow 12 - 16 weeks for subscriptions to begin." That seems crazy to me!! I know we're living in an instant-satisfaction society (2 day shipping, download instantly, etc.) but 3 months--maybe 4--seems so unreasonable to me. So, if I wanted this to be a Christmas gift, I needed to order it in August?! And, what exactly are they doing? I mean, run my credit card info, add her name to a spreadsheet for the labels. I am actually considering picking up a copy each edition and mailing it to her myself. I expected to have to wait for January for things to start arriving for her, but March??!! What the heck? Leu
GlButterfly Intermediate CA USA Member since 8/28/08 Posts: 2388	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 11/30/11 10:22 PM Before computers I might understand, but not these days. That's ridiculous. ------ I have not yet begun to procrastinate
dove29   Intermediate USA Member since 4/28/07 Posts: 991	Login to reply to this post In reply to Leu Like this post Date: 11/30/11 11:41 PM It might vary by magazine. One of my relatives got me a gift sub to the New Yorker (a weekly) and I think it started in under a month. Only thing was, it is an interesting magazine but I didn't have time to read it, and they billed ME.
gramma b Advanced USA Member since 7/25/08 Posts: 2262	Login to reply to this post In reply to Leu Like this post Date: 12/1/11 7:54 AM Consider sources like Half Price books, JA's (use their 50% off coupons), your library sales or antique stores. You can pick up a variety of quilting mags and books, new and used, to try out so you are not limited to one magazine's style or level of experience.
Mom to 5 Beginner MD USA Member since 2/5/09 Posts: 1025	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 12/1/11 8:08 AM Im surprised by the amount of magazines that are NOT offered in epub format... Most of my faves are NOT and yet they are crying about dropping subscriptions. In this day & age, having an epub ( paying full subscription price, no less) should be a given....I am assuming that the costs associated have got to be less than publishing a full color print magazine. ------ http://mamazsewingescapadez.blogspot.com/
poorpigling Advanced TX USA Member since 12/28/07 Posts: 10057	Login to reply to this post In reply to Leu Like this post Date: 12/1/11 8:16 AM My guess is that that info is there to cover their butts.. giving them more than ample time to get an issue out to you so you won't cancel your subscription if you don't receive a copy right away.. And also a lot of magazines are no longer published monthly. but just three or four times a year. Which would mean a longer delay. Here is one reason I know longer subscribe among others.. I noticed the issued for sale at the newstands are a bit different than those mailed to you on subscription.. More content. less ads and so forth. the same magazine.. no kidding..
Janie Viers   Advanced OH USA Member since 4/8/02 Posts: 2169	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 12/1/11 9:20 AM It's usually faster if you buy from the magazine itself. The middle men (and by middle men I mean ALL the levels in sales) means that the order is given to one person/company who forwards it to another person/company etc. until it gets to the magazine publisher. I hate to admit it, but I would rather wait 3 months than pay top dollar! ------ JanieV
goodworks1   Advanced IL USA Member since 7/19/03 Posts: 3298	Login to reply to this post Like this post Date: 12/1/11 10:53 AM Jane and poorpigling have explained much of the problem. Plus many of our best magazines have reduced the number of issues -- so if the magazine only is published every 2 months, then the publishing schedule doesn't always work in their/your favor. For a magazine publisher to get the best shipping rates, the magazines have to be sorted by zip code before being sent to the post office. Otherwise, shipped individually, each monthly magazine issue could cost around $5. just for the postage. The zip code sorting, etc is generally done before the magazine is printed and then as they come off the printing line, they are bundled into the various zip codes and sent to the bulk mailing center. So if your new subscription is not on the list for the upcoming issue, it's generally too late to add it.... I don't remember exactly how far in advance of publication most magazines have to be prepared, but I think it's on the order of at least 2 months. (Obviously, some magazines like Time have figured out ways to keep at least certain sections with very timely news, but I'll bet that even they prepare special issues and many of the feature articles far in advance.) Most of our favorite magazines like Threads and Quilt magazines have skeletal staff and less flexibility in publishing schedules in comparison to Time magazine. When I'm giving a gift of a magazine subscription for a specific occasion I like to buy an issue on the newsstand to wrap up and present to the person. And I'm always careful to be sure that the sub I've given them is NOT one of those that commits the person to ongoing billing for the future....that's tough to figure out sometimes....the print/details are printed so small. ------ blog: goodworks1.wordpress.com
Sewliz   CO USA Member since 6/22/04 Posts: 4112	Login to reply to this post In reply to poorpigling Like this post Date: 12/1/11 12:11 PM Quote: poorpigling I noticed the issued for sale at the newstands are a bit different than those mailed to you on subscription.. More content. less ads and so forth. the same magazine.. no kidding.. Not to mention all the spamming with junky mail advertising that starts if you subscribe. ------ Liz thefittinglife.blogspot.com
Doris W. in TN   Intermediate TN USA Member since 2/9/04 Posts: 6741	Login to reply to this post In reply to poorpigling Like this post Date: 12/1/11 12:50 PM Quote: poorpigling Here is one reason I know longer subscribe among others.. I noticed the issued for sale at the newstands are a bit different than those mailed to you on subscription.. More content. less ads and so forth. the same magazine.. no kidding.. Really? Wow, I should check my subscription mags against a newsstand one, sometime. It would seem the faithful subscriber would get more content because we paid our money up front.

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