Mary Beth Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I visit MQR, and found this message on their chat. I was hoping Vickie Anderson would post it here also, and have been waiting....but nothing....so I have done a copy and past to share with you all.... As we announced earlier, we are combing our two magazines (Machine Quilting Unlimited and Unlimited Possibilities) into one, larger publication starting with the July issue. The name on the new magazine will be Machine Quilting Unlimited, as that says it all. Our last issue under the name Unlimited Possibilities is at the printers now and will ship soon. You still have a chance to subscribe and receive this issue if you order before April 17! The cover story this time is Darlene Epp, interviewed by Kim Brunner. Cindy Roth shares her views on Pricing Perceptions in the Business Sense column, both your customer’s perception and yours. She advises not to shortchange yourself or your work in a thought-provoking discussion. Steve Anderson walks us through the problem of burrs on the machine, and how to correct them, in Tech Talk, Liz Davis shows her method of Binding on a Longarm, and Renae Haddadin is back with a look at Curved Cross-Hatching in Any Shape. In the Computerized column, Suzanne Moreno introduces us to the HQ Pro-Stitcher from Handi Quilter. Don’t miss this issue! -------------------- Unlimited Possibilities Magazine www.upquiltmag.com Fort Lupton, CO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki A Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Thanks Mary Beth! I didn't mean to exclude APQS forums from the announcement...there are just so many hours in the day! We did put the announcements in each magazine, so subscibers will be notified. Additionally we have this announcement, one we hoped not to make, but the post office has forced our hand: We had to make a decision recently that none of us like. With the exception of Canada (where the postal rates are more reasonable at the moment) and Australia (where we have a fantastic distributor! Thanks Tracey!), we can no longer accept International subscriptions. The US Postal Service has changed the rules and jacked the prices up so far that it is impossible to try and guess what a fair subscription price is for everyone. The USPS requires that the international magazines be in an envelope and ship at FIRST CLASS rates. They have eliminated surface class for any product that has advertising, such as magazines and catalogs, unless they are sent through a distributor. And I cannot secure an International distributor with our small overseas subscription numbers. After the next hike in early May, and with the new magazine being more pages, therefore heavier, the price to ship a single issue will be astronomical, IMHO. Currently it costs us a minimum of $7.00 PER ISSUE. Do the math...at a sub rate of $52 per year, I am already losing money internationally when you factor in the cost of producing the magazines, and add the postage & envelope costs. Therefore, we have to ask our international customers to order single copies, and pay the individual postage costs. This is an issue that surfaced more than a year ago, when the postal service allowed Time/Warner to write the new regulations, and their agenda was to force the small publisher out of business (they were very open about this agenda, by the way.) The postal service representative actually sent an email, and stated in a speech, that small publishers should be just web-based and forget trying to have paper products. I am not made of bucks, folks, and changing to a web-based product, with the protections needed to keep folks from just downloading and sharing (yes, they do it!) is not in my immediate future. So, here we are. We are very unhappy about this turn of events, but until we figure out a better way, this is the result. Let me assure you that we WILL honor all existing International subscriptions on the books until they are complete. And know that we hope that in the near future we can work on a solution to this problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtreusch Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Have you thought about digital subscriptions? Perhaps a PDF that could be downloaded? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Or bulk shipping to one person in each country for reshipping? I know I will forget to order single copies. It's no reflection of your quality or content, I just forget things. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandraC Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 I've been meaning to subscribe for a few years and haven't gotten around to it...so thankyou, Mary Beth, for giving me the incentive to get on with it! I look forward to receiving my first issue. Sandra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted April 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Vicki, I didn't think it was intentional...you have a lot going on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sewlinzi Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Oh good - I only need to remember to to subscribe to one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki A Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Ferret and others, Digital is very expensive also, in order to protect ourselves from just having it downloaded and emailed to 30 close friends! It happens, sad to say. We are looking at ways to deal with this issue...and hopefully it will be short-term. Thanks for all the support! We are committed to being THE resource for all machine quilters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 How about the years worth on cd? I could live with getting them out of date I suppose, the info doesn't really go off and I am guessing a cd would be cheaper to ship. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littleshoes Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I subscribed to another magazine that went digital because of the same factors. I hated it. I would rather pay a little more and get a hard copy of the magazine that I love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I suppose the other option is to ask some one in the US to subscribe for us and pay them to ship it on. I'd rather have hard copy but I know how forgetful I am. If I don't subscribe I just plain don't remember. I wonder if it is something equilter might take on. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helen G Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Thank you, thank you, thank you Mary Beth for that information.....I have been wondering if there was a magazine devoted just to machine quilting. I surscribed last night and can hardly wait to get my first copy! Helen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quiltmonkey Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I have a subscription to both magazines. They are both great, but combined together? They will be double wonderful, I am sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veg-girl Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 I too would forget to order. Surely you must have a cost per issue to buy it and then you would charge the postage on top and we could pay in advance for 3 issues or more, which is the same as a subscription - you don't have to discount the price at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki A Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 Even if you ask a US person to order it and ship it to you, the cost would be the same as we face. ALL magazines (anything with advertising in it) are required by postal regs to be enveloped and shipped 1st class...whether I send it or someone else sends it the price is the same. I just did not think someone would pay $120 or more for a one year sub! Maybe I am wrong? Vicki Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 I don't mind paying what it costs to get it here. If that's the price, then that's what I'll be paying. It's a good magazine. I would say offer the choice. If you get a few people take you up on it they are extra customers and your magazine is seen in moer countries,. If they don't you are out what it cost to put it on the web site. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grammie Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Create an ONLINE Magazine requiring password and emails or something like that for paying customers. A membership can have a membership number and even questionaires that only the member knows. Just like looking at your BANK ACCOUNT online you might say. I know this would probly cost as well like everything does and I know NOT everyone uses the NET but I think longarm quilters certainly do. I wish I could get all of mine per internet. I'm running out of Magazine Space. lololol Hey and you save some trees. lol Good luck I hope it works out for everyone. Grammie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted April 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 I love having a magazine in my hands to thumb through. I take it with me to appointments, to work to read during lunch breaks, or to the lake on the weekends...where there is no internet service. I would love to go green....but I love my magazines like I love buying new fabric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kennan100 Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 I like having the hard copy also. If it were just online I would not bother with it. I'm on thew computer all day at work, I like to relax and read at home, not spend more time on the computer! I don't folllow the bloggers although I do spend time online I just don't want to sit there and try to absorb info like this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhend Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 All my magazines are read and then I keep them in my special room thinking room to stare at the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PattyJo Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 I would definately subscribe to an online magazine and then I could print out the articles that I wanted to keep and ideas for my "someday" file, but wouldn't be contributing to the mountain of paper that adds up with all the magazines that I have acquired over the years. There is only so much storage space for them, and this way, I could keep what I want and ignore the rest. Or for those who like the whole magazine, print the whole thing out and use a stapler to put it together. This is a good compromise between USPS and our pocketbooks. IMHO:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Posted April 21, 2009 Report Share Posted April 21, 2009 Sadly I am another hard copy fan, and there are a lot of issues with using electronic distribution,. If it were my publication I wouldn't be keen on putting the current issue out there electronically. I might use it for back issues, but even there there may be things you still don't want distributed too easily. Ferret Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vicki A Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 Yes Ferret, there are issues to publish electronically, as well as huge expenses. Savings would be nil. We are trying to come up with a solution, but postal regs for small publishers are just getting worse. Good Grief, it costs a fortune just to send reminder cards, but we are committed to that. Email doesn't reach everyone, or is marked as spam. Thanks for the support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grammie Posted April 26, 2009 Report Share Posted April 26, 2009 I like have my hard copy too but I was referring to a solution for those overseas and such to make it more afforadable for them. I like having my mag also so I can understand that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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