SAMI, MAM, June & July issues

[christian Boehm]

OK

that position is understandable and clear

Nevertheless I am satisfied to see that you are aware of what is going on

[Jabba]

As I have had no refund yet, sadly it is now in the hands of my bank.

[spruecutter96]

On 10/18/2021 at 9:41 AM, KLN said:

We are aware of the what is posted on forums and as with all social media and forums it has a little no or effect on our business.

The arrogance of this sentence is just, plain astonishing. If this person thinks that all the comments posted about his company's poor treatment of its readership will not affect his business, then I reckon he has a rude awakening heading his way and soon.

 

When people start voting with their wallets, then he might regret his words.

 

Chris. 

 

   

[Graham Boak]

Sorry, but if you add up all the individuals who are making comments, what proportion of the readership is this?

[christian Boehm]

The representativeness of such comments is always difficult to assess.

 

But the number of modelers subscribers to SAMI in the world is enormous, even if they express themselves less than here, on Britmodeller, which seems quite logical to me.

As one of the rare non-British subscribers on this exchange and registered on other forums, either very well-known and international (like hyperscale), or more specifically French, I can tell you that the problem is known and is spreading strongly. A proof is that it was Hyperscale which advised me to watch this chat.

 

That our remarks will remain without significant effect surprises few (like many here, including me ...), but that anyway the company’s attitude is contemptuous is very regrettable because a forum like this one is not a social network (Facebook or other type) where everything goes all over the place.

 

christian

The representativeness of comments is always difficult to assess.

But the number of modelers subscribers to SAMI in the world is enormous, even if they express themselves less than here, on Britmodeller, which seems quite logical to me.

As one of the rare non-British subscribers on this exchange and registered on other forums, either very well-known and international (like hyperscale), or more specifically French, I can tell you that the problem is known and is spreading strongly. A proof is that it was Hyperscale which advised me to watch this chat.

That our remarks will remain without significant effect surprises few (like many here, including me ...), but that anyway the company’s attitude is contemptuous is very regrettable because a forum like this one is not a social network (Facebook or other type) where everything goes all over the place.

 

christian

[christian Boehm]

sorry for double text ...

have a nice sunday

[spruecutter96]

On 10/30/2021 at 10:22 PM, Graham Boak said:

Sorry, but if you add up all the individuals who are making comments, what proportion of the readership is this?

It's a decent objection, until you consider that the current situation should not happen EVER. It reflects very poorly on the publishers, despite them claiming otherwise. 

 

Chris.  

[Graham Boak]

Agreed, but it seems that the arrogance was not one-sided.  Thinking that a small portion of the readership equals mass action is arrogant.  "I don't like this therefore this will destroy the magazine"  seems deluded in view of the large number of buyers who never see any controversy, just a lack of the magazine followed by relief and a rush to  buy when it reappears.   This will include people who are complaining about it, here or elsewhere.  I don't care for the magazine anyway, and haven't bought if for years, but this doesn't seem to have done it any harm.

 

Christian: you have it in a nutshell - "as one of the rare non-British subscribers".  To a business relying on a mass market, rarity can be ignored,  I suspect you meant from a non-English speaking country, but even including overseas English-speakers is "immense"? at all justifiable?  I suspect most of the magazines sold abroad are through distributers, not subscriptions.  And yes, this forum does act as a social network, if one under a benevolent dictatorship on the limits of free speech.  As is often testified, this is a friendly forum (if not always a happy family!)  If Facebook (etc) were to crack down on hate speech (etc) then it would still be a social network, if with a rather wider remit than Britmodeller.

[Random Username]

Graham I just detest having my money taken for no reason and being lied to. I just won’t buy anything connected to these people 

[Graham Boak]

I entirely agree with your action, but expect it to have little effect on their business.

[John B (Sc)]

40 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

I entirely agree with your action, but expect it to have little effect on their business.

Given the delays in recent issues, I suspect that 'en masse', the actions of many may be having an effect.   I agree, comments on here would only ever reflect a tiny proportion of opinion overall.  Still not the way I'd run a  business ! 

[Eric Mc]

1 hour ago, Graham Boak said:

I entirely agree with your action, but expect it to have little effect on their business.

They seem to be running their own business into the ground very effectively, completely without any assistance from others.

[spruecutter96]

How many subscribers have bad experiences with these publications and don't ever read BM, don't have a computer, wouldn't ever post comment about it if they had computer-access (not their inclination) or have not commented on the situation for any number of other reasons?

 

We cannot assume that folks posting on Britmodeller are ALL the wronged patrons in existence. There might be a lot more out there. 

 

The publisher's situation will sort itself out, either by them going out of business or continuing to publish and providing a MUCH improved service. They are certainly not the only publishers producing model-making-based titles (to state the really obvious).   

 

One aspect of this.... How much longer do "hard-copy", paper magazines have left? I would suggest, not very long at all. With a rapidly aging model-making community, the lack of the younger-generations buying conventional, injection-moulded kits (more likely to 3-D print their models in the future), the Internet's influence and a number of other worrying trends, it would not surprise me at all if you will not find modelling-magazines in your local WH Smith's in 5 or 10 years time. If no-one buys them, they simply won't be viable any more. On-line publishing appears to have a much brighter future. 

 

Chris. 

Edited November 1, 2021 by spruecutter96
Amending some information.

[John B (Sc)]

I'd expect online publishing to increase, 'spruecutter', but there are always going to be folk who prefer to read physical text rather than view on a screen.  Many of us do both, and some of my youngest friends and relatives are amongst the keenest reader of what I will call 'real' books and magazines, Still rather easier to re-read, annotate and look back over text on a paper page, so I think some magazines will remain - maybe in both forms or as hybrids. 

[Mike]

Anyone that's been bitten by this unexplainable delay and subsequent behaviour by the publishers is likely to vote with their wallet, thereby reducing the market for any of their future publications.  Add to that the fact that bad news travels much quicker than good, and I think it will have an effect.  Whether it's enough to make them regret their actions remains to be seen, but to me that statement is telling, although I'd temper that with not knowing what previous message they were responding to.  As is always the way, no-one really knows the full story.

 

The short answer is: Do what your common sense, moral compass and conscience demand.  Just make sure that if you speak about it online it's factual, demonstrable and not libellous.

[Eric Mc]

People have been predicting the demise of the magazine for the past 2 decades. There are more magazine titles around now than there were 20 years ago. I am pretty sure the issues surrounding MAM seem to be specific to that company and not reflective of the industry in general. 

[Graham Boak]

Come to that, there were modelling magazines before injection-moulded kits.  3D modelling will not make a major difference to this, any more than vacforms or resins did.  The hobby changed, but carried on, as did the magazines.  There will still be a vast majority who do not want to design their own kits, do want to buy "of the shelf" - real shelves or virtual, and are interested in the history of what they are making, what the options are, what alternatives are available, and even (some of them, sometimes) how good they are.  All in a nice one-stop package easy to handle, easy to read, and with something new each month.  What's to dislike?

[Dave Swindell]

15 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

What's to dislike?

From the tone of this thread, not getting it through the letter box when you've paid up front for it!

[Eric Mc]

I remember how excited I was when Scale Aircraft Modelling started in 1978. At that time it was the very first UK magazine devoted entirely to scale aircraft. All the previous magazines had been multi-disciplinary - such as the original Airfix Magazine or Scale Models. Some non model magazines also featured new kit reviews, such as Air Review International or Aviation News.

 

We currently have four UK scale model aviation magazines - although how long that will last is anybody's guess.

[KLN]

Did get all four each month but from now on have reduced it to two.

 

[Richard Humm]

1 hour ago, Eric Mc said:

I remember how excited I was when Scale Aircraft Modelling started in 1978. At that time it was the very first UK magazine devoted entirely to scale aircraft. All the previous magazines had been multi-disciplinary - such as the original Airfix Magazine or Scale Models. Some non model magazines also featured new kit reviews, such as Air Review International or Aviation News.

 

We currently have four UK scale model aviation magazines - although how long that will last is anybody's guess.

Ron Firth had PAM News running as an all scale aircraft magazine from 1973, though it was rather less professional-looking than Scale Aircraft Modelling. PAM News did have newsagent distribution by mid-1978, as the June/July 1978 issue was the first to have a news trade distributor listed in the indicia.

 

We've had four UK scale model avaiation magazines running for fifteen years now, and I'm a bit surprised there are still that many, considering how low circulations seem to be - Airfix Modelworld, which is the modelling magazine I see in the most retailers, shows an ABC audited circulation of less than 15,000 copies a month total print and digital.

[Ade H]

I can think of five or six about aircraft alone, unless you're discounting the bi-monthlies. I've always been surprised by how many we have, not least because of the poor quality of most of them. Other major modelling markets generally seem to have far fewer.

Edited November 1, 2021 by Ade H

[Graham Boak]

Except railways, which if anything exceeds aircraft.  I'm not sure what other modelling markets could be described as "major".

[John B (Sc)]

56 minutes ago, Graham Boak said:

Except railways, which if anything exceeds aircraft.  I'm not sure what other modelling markets could be described as "major".

True. And one of our modelling magazines is edited by a keen railway enthusiast; real crossover in the enthusiasms.

[Ade H]

Don't you think that, say, the U.S., Russia, China, or Japan could be fairly be described as major markets, then? All of which have fewer modelling magazine titles than here.