Model Engine Builder magazine, Format change/ subscription price reduction

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PTsideshow:
For those that may not be subscribers of the magazine, here is an announcement I received this morning.

The past four years have been trying times for small
businesses such as Elmwood Publishing, Inc., the
publisher of Model Engine Builder magazine. Not only
has the economy been bad worldwide but also printing,
paper and mailing costs have dramatically risen and the
government keeps holding out its hand in the form of
rising taxes, fees and other charges. Many subscribers
understandably have been reluctant or financially unable
to renew subscriptions in the face of uncertainty.
Toni and I have struggled to keep the magazine going
by spending our retirement money to pay the bills and
live upon. Quite the opposite to what one expects and
needs from a company. In any case, both the company
and we are out of the financial resources that would
allow us to continue as we have in the past.
We have two choices with regard to the magazine;
we could shut the company down, that is, declare
bankruptcy, or change the manner of publishing the
magazine. Shutting down the magazine is not what
we want to do because of the effects on our
subscribers and, frankly, our egos. We do not want
to disappoint our faithful subscribers and we also have
lots of good information still to share with you all.
Therefore, what we have decided to do is to switch
to a digital-only version of the magazine. By switching
to digital form, we avoid printing and mailing costs and
can lower our subscription price.
Starting with the next issue, # 28, we will create
downloadable PDF files for our subscribers. You will
need your subscriber's number to access the files
which we will send to you when we notify you by
e-mail of the availability of a new file.
We plan to release articles as they are completed
rather than wait until an entire magazine is finished,
allowing you access to a stream of articles in each
ssue if you would like to. Otherwise, you can wait
until the entire issue is finished.

What are the net effects of this change?
- The magazine will get to you sooner.
- Magazine content is not limited by the constraints of paper,
we can include additional pictures, video, 3D models, etc.
- The magazine will be reasonably immune to increased
publication and mailing costs.
- Magazine pages including drawings will shift to 8.25" X 11":
(210mm x 279mm) size which will print on letter size paper in
either the A size of North America or the A4 size of most of
the rest of the world. A ¾" (19mm) strip on the left side of
the page will be left for a 3-hole punch if you want to put
pages in a binder.
- The best news is that a subscription is now $24 for four
issues and $44 for 8 issues no matter where you are in the world.
- Digital back issues will replace those issues that are outof print
(issues 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10 & 21) will be $6 no matter where you
are in the world.
- Current subscribers will receive 2 issues for every 1 left
in their subscription.

As always, we will be placing our trust in our subscribers
to not give out copies of the magazine files or allow anyone
else to download files using their subscriber number.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact
us via e-mail at publisher@modelenginebuilder.com or via the
telephone (866) 996-8999 in the U.S.A. and Canada and
(707) 643-1970 elsewhere. Our facsimile number is (707) 557-6652.

Best regards,
Mike & Toni Rehmus
Elmwood Publishing, Inc.

jgroom:
Yea I received the same e-mail, not sure how it's going to work out but I guess time will tell.

Cheers

Jeff

AussieJimG:
I received the same email. If they are moving from the outdated magazine format to something more like Madmodder, HMEM and Model Engine Maker then I am all in favour and have sent a reply telling them so. The forums have more diverse content, more frequent updates on builds and better photos plus video.

IMHO, the monthly magazines are on the way out. Even the digital editions of the venerable UK model magazines (you know the ones I mean) are too slow to load, too crappy to read and are just scans of the paper mags with no attempt to utilise the added capability of the web. :hammer:

I have now let my subscriptions to these mags lapse and will be happy to transfer the cost to the forums and to continue subscribing to the MEB in its new format (provided they adopt the forum format).

Jim

dsquire:

--- Quote ---
Starting with the next issue, # 28, we will create
downloadable PDF files for our subscribers. You will
need your subscriber's number to access the files
which we will send to you when we notify you by
e-mail of the availability of a new file.
We plan to release articles as they are completed
rather than wait until an entire magazine is finished,
allowing you access to a stream of articles in each
ssue if you would like to. Otherwise, you can wait
until the entire issue is finished.

What are the net effects of this change?
- The magazine will get to you sooner.
- Magazine content is not limited by the constraints of paper,
we can include additional pictures, video, 3D models, etc.
- The magazine will be reasonably immune to increased
publication and mailing costs.
- Magazine pages including drawings will shift to 8.25" X 11":
(210mm x 279mm) size which will print on letter size paper in
either the A size of North America or the A4 size of most of
the rest of the world. A ¾" (19mm) strip on the left side of
the page will be left for a 3-hole punch if you want to put
pages in a binder.

--- End quote ---

Jim

According to what I have quoted above it will be in PDF format for 8 1/2" x 11" pages. The only difference will be that you print them instead of them printing them. They will still probably have lots of advertisements for you to print as well.

Cheers :beer:

Don

John Stevenson:
Not clear id the early versions will move to downloadable PDF's, be a pain to have a half and half collection.

Mind you I'll all for it, times are changing and when you live in a different country postage rates and delays are something that can be avoided now.

John S.

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