WarthogMKL Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Here is an update that I got this morning that was sent to subscribers yesterday. Though many will get the mass mailing blocked by their ISP as SPAM including BT Internet that I use. Dear Readers Over the last 8 months we have faced many challenges related to the Covid pandemic in supplying out titles to our subscribers and stockists around the world for which I sincerely apologise. Traditionally we have always released our magazines in the last week of the month before the cover date. So as an example, the September issue is released in the last week of August. The latest two-week delay in printing the June issue due to circumstances beyond our control means that we are now almost a month behind our pre-Covid printing schedule - a state of affairs that I sincerely want to correct. So, with the agreement of our distributors, we have made the decision to use this enforced delay to return our three-monthly titles to their pre-Covid schedule. This regrettably means that we have made the decision that the next magazines to be printed will be the July 2021 issue which will be on sale in the UK from 30/06/2021 The June issue will still be produced as a limited print run on 02/07/2021and will initially be supplied exclusively to our subscription and digital subscription customers. A small number of excess printed copies will then be made available to purchase on our website and from our stand at model shows. I am hoping that with the pandemic hopefully behind us, that taking this action now will restore the regular and reliable production of Scale Aviation Modeller International, Scale Military Modeller International and Model Aircraft Monthly each month as so many readers have requested. Yours sincerely MA Publications Ltd 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomf Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Really????? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLN Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 As it seems I will be unlikely to obtain a copy of the June issues of MA and SAMI now would seem a convenient point to call it a day on future purchases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spruecutter96 Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Some folks seem to be very keen to judge the publishers harshly here. I can understand peoples' frustrations at not getting magazines they have already paid for, but the whole Covid / distribution-issues situation was unavoidable on the publisher's part. As I understand it, the publishers were told that part of their distribution-service managed to "lose" an entire pallet on magazines - how you lose something that size is really beyond me. I'm sure that the publishers are doing the best they can in some unprecedented, difficult circumstances. Chris. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 10 hours ago, spruecutter96 said: As I understand it, the publishers were told that part of their distribution-service managed to "lose" an entire pallet on magazines - how you lose something that size is really beyond me. Many years ago and well before the internet made everything immediate an entire issue of a well known modelling title went adrift , at that time a branch of a national chain of newsagents kept a copy for me while distribution was handled by another branch of the company but no-one could find any trace of it ever having been released. I telephoned the rather famously irascible editor and publisher and was told that I should get a subscription or at the very least have a copy reserved by my newsagent which did not really solve the problem that neither the newsagent nor distributor could find it anywhere. A couple of months later the missing magazine turned up in the shop midway between the usual run of issues and after a phone call or two between the shop and the distributor the explanation was offered that they had never left the printer and had been lying gathering dust in the warehouse until the editor/publisher started looking to balance the books and prompted a search. In that case it appeared that they never left the building but around forty years down the road with computerised logistics systems running the show I reckon that the world is literally your oyster when it comes to misplacing goods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treker_ed Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 43 minutes ago, Des said: Many years ago and well before the internet made everything immediate an entire issue of a well known modelling title went adrift , at that time a branch of a national chain of newsagents kept a copy for me while distribution was handled by another branch of the company but no-one could find any trace of it ever having been released. I telephoned the rather famously irascible editor and publisher and was told that I should get a subscription or at the very least have a copy reserved by my newsagent which did not really solve the problem that neither the newsagent nor distributor could find it anywhere. A couple of months later the missing magazine turned up in the shop midway between the usual run of issues and after a phone call or two between the shop and the distributor the explanation was offered that they had never left the printer and had been lying gathering dust in the warehouse until the editor/publisher started looking to balance the books and prompted a search. In that case it appeared that they never left the building but around forty years down the road with computerised logistics systems running the show I reckon that the world is literally your oyster when it comes to misplacing goods. computer says it's left - it must have left! no need to look any further..... Common sense has also left the building, along with any brains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarthogMKL Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 58 minutes ago, Des said: Many years ago and well before the internet made everything immediate an entire issue of a well known modelling title went adrift , at that time a branch of a national chain of newsagents kept a copy for me while distribution was handled by another branch of the company but no-one could find any trace of it ever having been released. I telephoned the rather famously irascible editor and publisher and was told that I should get a subscription or at the very least have a copy reserved by my newsagent which did not really solve the problem that neither the newsagent nor distributor could find it anywhere. A couple of months later the missing magazine turned up in the shop midway between the usual run of issues and after a phone call or two between the shop and the distributor the explanation was offered that they had never left the printer and had been lying gathering dust in the warehouse until the editor/publisher started looking to balance the books and prompted a search. In that case it appeared that they never left the building but around forty years down the road with computerised logistics systems running the show I reckon that the world is literally your oyster when it comes to misplacing goods. That sound like an Alan Hall quote founder of the original Airfix Magazine and SAM as well as my model club which met at his house for the first few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Des Posted June 25, 2021 Share Posted June 25, 2021 15 hours ago, WarthogMKL said: That sound like an Alan Hall quote founder of the original Airfix Magazine and SAM as well as my model club which met at his house for the first few years. It was indeed , what could be truly called a 'character'. Sent him my first attempt at a magazine article and then went into hiding for a decade before trying again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted June 27, 2021 Share Posted June 27, 2021 I went into my Smiths today and was told that the June issues from MA Publications has missed their on-sale dates. I must admit I do find all these excuses/explanations a bit thin, as I have no issues getting all the other magazines recently. Even during the height of the pandemic I was able to buy Airfix and SAM without issues. Others will know more about what this information means than I do, but I wonder if the litany of missed and late issues has more to do with it than anything else ... https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11312397 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07830009 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 (edited) On 6/27/2021 at 10:04 AM, DamnFockes said: I went into my Smiths today and was told that the June issues from MA Publications has missed their on-sale dates. I must admit I do find all these excuses/explanations a bit thin, as I have no issues getting all the other magazines recently. Even during the height of the pandemic I was able to buy Airfix and SAM without issues. Others will know more about what this information means than I do, but I wonder if the litany of missed and late issues has more to do with it than anything else ... https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11312397 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07830009 Its speculative but cashflow could well be a problem, especially if you are contesting a winding up order (normally resolved within 6-9 months from date of action), accounts are also overdue (although thats not un-common). The distribution and printing of the magazines run into the thousands, you seriously have to ask the question of who would print, let alone distribute a product if your not guarenteed payment? It possible that this could be a factor in the lack of distribution. I want to see these mags progress and be successful, but feel that the owner perhaps needs some help from those that are within that industry. Edited June 28, 2021 by Hardtarget Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul821 Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 On 6/27/2021 at 10:04 AM, DamnFockes said: Others will know more about what this information means than I do, but I wonder if the litany of missed and late issues has more to do with it than anything else ... https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11312397 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/07830009 Drill down through this information and you end up with two people who are also sole directors of a company: https://triplesixmedia.co.uk/ Triple Six "are currently contracted to produce International Best Selling magazines in the hobby industry for MA Publications". Their accounts only show this as a dormant company with two shares of £1 each. Their web site mainly covers material relating to opposing the route of the Bedford - Cambridge railway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Random Username Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 As all others I’m waiting all three June issues and am truly frustrated. I even contacted the post office who couldn’t care less about the magazines they admitted to loosing. I have chosen to renew all my subscriptions don’t let another business die because of Covid and particularly the royal mail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted June 28, 2021 Share Posted June 28, 2021 (edited) Hmmm...I think this might be more than COVID and Royal Mail losing a few mags. Odd they didn’t manage to lose anyone else’s, but I guess these things happen ... Edited June 28, 2021 by DamnFockes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLN Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 On 6/24/2021 at 10:16 AM, WarthogMKL said: Here is an update that I got this morning that was sent to subscribers yesterday. Though many will get the mass mailing blocked by their ISP as SPAM including BT Internet that I use. Dear Readers Over the last 8 months we have faced many challenges related to the Covid pandemic in supplying out titles to our subscribers and stockists around the world for which I sincerely apologise. Traditionally we have always released our magazines in the last week of the month before the cover date. So as an example, the September issue is released in the last week of August. The latest two-week delay in printing the June issue due to circumstances beyond our control means that we are now almost a month behind our pre-Covid printing schedule - a state of affairs that I sincerely want to correct. So, with the agreement of our distributors, we have made the decision to use this enforced delay to return our three-monthly titles to their pre-Covid schedule. This regrettably means that we have made the decision that the next magazines to be printed will be the July 2021 issue which will be on sale in the UK from 30/06/2021 The June issue will still be produced as a limited print run on 02/07/2021and will initially be supplied exclusively to our subscription and digital subscription customers. A small number of excess printed copies will then be made available to purchase on our website and from our stand at model shows. I am hoping that with the pandemic hopefully behind us, that taking this action now will restore the regular and reliable production of Scale Aviation Modeller International, Scale Military Modeller International and Model Aircraft Monthly each month as so many readers have requested. Yours sincerely MA Publications Ltd Went into town today but looks like July issue may have missed the on sale target date of 30/06/2021 as not in local WH Smiths and not appearing on website either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted July 1, 2021 Share Posted July 1, 2021 Damn those pesky blighters at Royal Mail (or whoever is the scapegoat this time!) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg B Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 21 hours ago, KLN said: Went into town today but looks like July issue may have missed the on sale target date of 30/06/2021 as not in local WH Smiths and not appearing on website either. The downloadable version has not appeared either. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 It would be nice to know what’s happened this time, joking aside. I checked again in my Smiths, nothing, but everyone else’s magazines were in stock, so no distribution issues there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted July 2, 2021 Share Posted July 2, 2021 (edited) Confirmed nothing in Smiths Maidstone, therefore not on shelves during July, Best hope is for August edition but as there has been no further corespondence from MA Publications, its a little worrying. They still have not released the Mirage F.1 book which was due back in May. Edited July 2, 2021 by Hardtarget 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 The omens are not good and have not been for many months. Nothing has turned up in my local Smiths for quite a while. A quick check on the Companies House link shown above reveals that one of the companies involved in this is in the middle of a striking off process and is already late with its statutory filing requirements - which is never a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Just pleased I never took out that subscription. If I had I think now might be time to ask for my money back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLN Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 Pleased I never took out a subscription either, which I was going to. Still nothing in WH Smith or local newsagents today. Perhaps they could post an update on the news page of what is going on as they are still not meeting the target dates that they set themselves. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamnFockes Posted July 3, 2021 Share Posted July 3, 2021 I suspect history will repeat itself and they’ll resurface in a couple of months under that Triple Six name mentioned above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLN Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 All gone quiet from MA Publications with no further update on their missed publication schedule. Feel for those who took out a subscription 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardtarget Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 Indeed it has and with no social media medium to track nor updates on their website, the silence I feel is not looking good. As a subscriber i hope alll is well, but i have not even had the inital email update Warthog opened this post with. I have chased the owner many times in the last 18 months for missing copies due to various 'issues', with the editor sending copies manually. With late production of products and not being able to get products to market or even online via their own medium, and a key requriement for sales, the signs are not looking good and can only go on for so long before 'help' and 'agreements' dwindle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72nd SQN Posted July 8, 2021 Share Posted July 8, 2021 9th of July - still no digital edition & no update - time to make sure the auto renew subscription is off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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