SAMI woes

[SleeperService]

21 hours ago, Mr T said:

Looking at the media pack, the pie chart which shows how sell SAMI etc are doing, is labelled Warner Publications. A check on their website shows no connection with any of the titles currently under discussion. I cannot remember how long ago Warner divested itself of SAMI etc. If I were them I would not be happy with the use of an out of date chart. The media pack also trumpets that SAMI was voted the best aircraft modelling mag by IPMS members in 2014. Nothing like resting on your laurels. 

Given the irregular publishing of the magazine and its limited availability, the guy behind it must know he is potentially misrepresenting the true publication data. 

The pair of them must know what they're doing from THIS £320k in 2014 to THIS £450k now, both sold August 2017. 

[Des]

On 3/30/2022 at 10:58 AM, jezz said:

 I have indeed thought I was back in the late 90s for a minute maybe we should club together and get a dictionary so they can correct the spelling mistakes on the cover what is a Bronko....... https://postimg.cc/gL9PbNkq

 

Out of Interest do ZVEDZA still have the full-colour full-page back-cover advert on this issue that they have been running on all of the MA Publication titles for some time or under current circumstances has that revenue source now dried up?

[HartDeco]

57 minutes ago, Des said:

 

Out of Interest do ZVEDZA still have the full-colour full-page back-cover advert on this issue that they have been running on all of the MA Publication titles for some time or under current circumstances has that revenue source now dried up?

Yes. It still has the Zvezda ad on the back cover. It is possible that they have a long term contract.

 

Ronnie Smith

Edited March 31, 2022 by HartDeco

[BillF67]

I have a subscription with Model Airplane International, published by Doolittle Media. I haven’t had a problem in 4 years so I assume it isn’t affected by any of the issues in this and other threads?

[John B (Sc)]

3 hours ago, BillF67 said:

I have a subscription with Model Airplane International, published by Doolittle Media. I haven’t had a problem in 4 years so I assume it isn’t affected by any of the issues in this and other threads?

 

I don't see why there should be anything to concern you.

Model Airplane International is published by an entirely different company, Doolittle Media, as you mention.  That company is active and quick a look at Companies House information suggests it is trading quite happily and effectively. The one person mentioned under Doolittle Media was also mentioned with regard to the previous publishers of MAI, ADH Publishing.  It is probable that Doolittle Media took over the interest in MAI when ADH went into liquidation.  I hope that helps.

[BillF67]

1 hour ago, John B (Sc) said:

 

I don't see why there should be anything to concern you.

Model Airplane International is published by an entirely different company, Doolittle Media, as you mention.  That company is active and quick a look at Companies House information suggests it is trading quite happily and effectively. The one person mentioned under Doolittle Media was also mentioned with regard to the previous publishers of MAI, ADH Publishing.  It is probable that Doolittle Media took over the interest in MAI when ADH went into liquidation.  I hope that helps.

Thanks, John. Sets my mind at rest.

[Des]

Couple of emails this week (which for reasons unknown go straight to Spam) saying that the next issues of the titles will be in the shops next week and that Subscribers and WH Smith customers will receive a free 'MAE' book which I imagine means from their Model Aircraft Extra range with usual RRP £14.99 or £17.99 depending on title. 

 

Pet niggle about these types of bundled freebies and not unique to this publisher as it is often used by Key Publications as well but for as long as I can recall readers have been encouraged to have a regular order with their newsagent if they cannot invest in a subscription yet casual buyers at certain stores are rewarded instead. 

 

Oddly, perhaps, the emails have SAM Publications emblazoned on them again as opposed to MA Publications which I thought had taken over the 'franchise' a few years ago.

[dipaoj]

I just received a notice in my Pocketmags account from SAMI. Since I can’t copy/paste it, I’ll summarize:

• Due to Covid, 3 issues weren’t printed in early 2021 and were only released digitally 

• Those same issues were released in hard copy in late-2021/early-2022, thus creating a gap in digital editions

• All subscribers had “5 SAMI issue credits” added to their accounts which can be used on back issues or new ones (if their subscription is no longer active)

• Subscribers can download a free pdf copy of their Modellers Data File Grumman A6 Intruder book

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by dipaoj

[Chimpion]

1 hour ago, Des said:

but for as long as I can recall readers have been encouraged to have a regular order with their newsagent if they cannot invest in a subscription yet casual buyers at certain stores are rewarded instead. 

I think that's the whole point of the freebee promotions - they get sales from those who wouldn't normally buy the magazine. The hope is that they're sufficiently impressed to become a regular buyer or subscriber. It's also one reason why a regular order is a good idea otherwise these promotional issues might sell out before you get to the newsagent.

 

 

[Des]

58 minutes ago, Chimpion said:

It's also one reason why a regular order is a good idea otherwise these promotional issues might sell out before you get to the newsagent.

 

 

Not when the only newsagent getting the magazines with the freebie is an at times dire national chain and the newsagent I have been using since moving here twenty-five years ago and where I have reserved copies of all the magazines I take is a small local sole trader who actually knows his trade. 

[Chimpion]

I see your point now - I agree it's not good that local newsagents don't get the promotional copies.

 

 

 

[HartDeco]

Some interesting reading here, including reactions from the person in question:

 

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=380657747399340&id=100063653529060&comment_id=380668210731627&reply_comment_id=380760934055688&notif_id=1649765613047635&notif_t=feed_comment&ref=notif

 

René

[lasermonkey]

Wow. Threats of physical violence in print. Not the smartest move, it has to be said. Here's hoping that all those who have had these threats report them to Bedfordshire Police. Nothing will change otherwise.

[Mr T]

Unbelievable. His comments slagging other people off seem to be childish at best. Yes, he has an ATPL, but quite a few other people on this forum have similar or dare I say better in the qualification/career line, and so I am not sure what that is supposed to prove. 

Using electronic communications to threaten people or cause distress is a criminal offence. Facebook also need to be aware as I am pretty sure it will be in breach of their rules. 

[Mike]

Folks, can I advise you all to be careful how you describe this situation and the person in question, as if things get legal it could put you in lumber to say the least.  Stick to the facts -  It's for your own good

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

1 hour ago, lasermonkey said:

Not the smartest move, it has to be said.

 

Indeed. That Facebook thread linked is a cringefest.

[mutleyp]

Wow, He comes across as a real

playground bully! Only way to deal with these people is to cut them off at the knees and boycott his publications (If you can call them that anymore). How the mighty have fallen!

[Adam Poultney]

With all this discussion here, I wonder what it would take to start up something new putting modellers first and providing the quality product we actually want.

[HartDeco]

9 minutes ago, mutleyp said:

Wow, He comes across as a real

playground bully! Only way to deal with these people is to cut them off at the knees and boycott his publications (If you can call them that anymore). How the mighty have fallen!

It is a real shame of what's become of a once great magazine. If the owner had been a bit more sympathetic to his contributors, we would still be supplying him with articles. Most of us even sent several articles for free during the Covid period. Not even a simple thank you. Too sad.

 

René

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by HartDeco

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

7 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

With all this discussion here, I wonder what it would take to start up something new putting modellers first and providing the quality product we actually want.

 

I think we kinda have that already between forums like this and Facebook groups. All the magazines seem past their glory days and there's a generational phase-out of magazines been happening for a long time. I get cold-called all the time by magazines hoping to secure cash for advertising - which by the way was impossible to correlate with any change in sales when we did try it - and sales figures are not impressive.

 

We can not only see build reviews on the specific kits we're interested in via a forum but can have a kit defacto reviewed and its quality, accuracy and fit determined before a published magazine goes to print.

[Procopius]

8 minutes ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

 

I think we kinda have that already between forums like this and Facebook groups. All the magazines seem past their glory days and there's a generational phase-out of magazines been happening for a long time. I get cold-called all the time by magazines hoping to secure cash for advertising - which by the way was impossible to correlate with any change in sales when we did try it - and sales figures are not impressive.

 

We can not only see build reviews on the specific kits we're interested in via a forum but can have a kit defacto reviewed and its quality, accuracy and fit determined before a published magazine goes to print.

 

Jamie has hit the nail on the head here. I run the social media for a large professional association that derives most of its income from selling memberships, and the situation is very much the same there. Gone are the days where people needed a middleman like a magazine or even a club or association to facilitate their access to the hobby: now they can freely associate with whatever groupings of like-minded people they choose, largely for free. These groupings will almost always have the upper hand over traditional associations or magazines, because they have far less overhead and are far more agile in terms of getting content to people. The situation is vaguely akin, to my mind, to the difference between the fanatical mass armies of the French Revolution in 1793 versus the small professional armies of the various monarchies who struggled to face them in battle.

[Adam Poultney]

1 hour ago, Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies said:

 

I think we kinda have that already between forums like this and Facebook groups. All the magazines seem past their glory days and there's a generational phase-out of magazines been happening for a long time. I get cold-called all the time by magazines hoping to secure cash for advertising - which by the way was impossible to correlate with any change in sales when we did try it - and sales figures are not impressive.

 

We can not only see build reviews on the specific kits we're interested in via a forum but can have a kit defacto reviewed and its quality, accuracy and fit determined before a published magazine goes to print.

I didn't really think of it like that, but yes you're right. We have all that here on Britmodeller and other forums.

 

Perhaps a more 21st century evolution of modelling magazines could be a hand picked selection of the best content all the internet's forums have to offer from the past month, showcasing the best builds, summarising scale modelling news and linking to reviews of the best kits. 

Even though I spend quite a lot of time on here, I often find threads of fantastic builds weeks or months after they're over. It would be nice to have a selection of the best highlighted each month.

 

I don't know if something like this already exists, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it does either.

 

[HartDeco]

Sorry but l had to shut him down by blocking him from my facebook page. So, his replies won't be visible anymore. I'm probably doing him a favour here.

 

René

[ckw]

46 minutes ago, Adam Poultney said:

Perhaps a more 21st century evolution of modelling magazines could be a hand picked selection of the best content all the internet's forums have to offer from the past month, showcasing the best builds, summarising scale modelling news and linking to reviews of the best kits. 

Even though I spend quite a lot of time on here, I often find threads of fantastic builds weeks or months after they're over. It would be nice to have a selection of the best highlighted each month.

 The problem with builds and other topics on this (and for that matter most other forums) is the 'noise' factor. What we see here is a sort of conversation, with lots of people chipping in - and as in real life conversations, going off on tangents. In many of the more popular 'works in progress' you might be lucky if you get 1 pertinent (i.e. directly related to the build progress) post in 20. Now that's fine in the context of a forum discussion, but it makes reading the whole thread a but tedious once completed. What would be brilliant would be if the build posts - and the more relevant comments - could be edited down into an article. But that's a lot of work.

 

Of course that's the role the editor plays (or should do) in a printed magazine - produce a product that's a pleasure to read. In the context of a forum, even if someone was willing to do it I can image all kinds of arguments and complaints from people who's posts on a given topic had been edited or ignored.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

[Procopius]

17 hours ago, ckw said:

 In many of the more popular 'works in progress' you might be lucky if you get 1 pertinent (i.e. directly related to the build progress) post in 20.

😬