Jump to content

Fine Scale Modeler going down to 6 issues of year!


noelsmith

Recommended Posts

Must be struggling, particularly as they have just 'absorbed' Scale Auto'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is disappointing, especially since the most recent issue - November/December - is 58 pages, same as the old single month issue. According to Aaron Skinner’s note in this issue, the costs have gone up and they’ve had to take this step. It’s too bad, since they’re AFAIK the only US-published military model-related magazine in the US now.
 

I’m willing to stay with them through the end of my current subscription, and depending on future content, will decide about renewing when the time comes.

 

Mac

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kalmbach has a number of different subject magazines, and maybe some of those are suffering as well as FSM.

At least it is still going as a general subject model magazine. Airfix Modelworld and Tamiya International are the only other commercial English language ones I can think of apart from the Journal and IPMS UK magazine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, DaSWO said:

My guess is they go digital to survive...

Maybe, but I really like the hard-copy issues of these, also known as "waiting room insurance." Kept handy in the car, lest one truly enjoys reading about Megan Markle's latest pet-recipes, ad nauseum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Never seen Megan Markle with a dog or cat in any photos.

Am I missing something about how she appears to be an authority on animal feeding to write a pet recipe book? Just cashing in on being married to a royal I guess. 

More interesting things in the world than an ex actress writing about feeding pets, like the future of Fine Scale Modeler. It 'absorbed' Scale Auto. Well that was doom for auto modelling enthusiasts straight away! I have seen a number of magazines go that route where the absorbed magazine content dwindled to nothing very soon after. Nothing changes does it?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/20/2021 at 12:36 PM, VonL said:

Maybe, but I really like the hard-copy issues of these, also known as "waiting room insurance." Kept handy in the car, lest one truly enjoys reading about Megan Markle's latest pet-recipes, ad nauseum.

I print my copies and have them in a 3 ring notebook. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

FWIW, that 'pet-recipes' comment was just a hypothetical example of the lame, pop-culture goofiness with which one is usually stuck in the waiting-room reading venue. An older version of this point might have been "Jackie's UFO-Cancer-Diet!" CAUTION: Humor in progress.

Love my hard-copy of the IPMS JOURNAL, too.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Well, I see it from both sides of the fence.  I have written for hard copy magazines for decades but now most of what I now publish is digital.  And self-published at that.  Leave us to not forget that Amazing Figure Modeler has thrown in the towel and gone 100% digital.  Unfortunately, that is the fate every model publication is facing.  Also, the wealth...or dearth...of kit build videos on Youtube, from Plasmo on down, is another factor.  You can't overlook the fact that all of those videos can also be viewed repeatedly for free.  If nothing else, it makes trying to make a living at this business more than a little difficult.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

I can see where you are coming from on this Richard. How I see it is that the magazine world will be more affected by the onset of digital than the book world.

It my local bookstore is anything to go by they are doing well! It was said that Ebooks will become the norm, but I can see no evidence to suggest this. In fact they started to sell ebook tablets that were being pushed at the time but stopped very soon after.

In fact I received two books this Christmas that were nice to unwrap and start reading. Receiving a transmitted ebook to download would just not be the same.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being 75 years old I was late to the digital scene. I subscribe to at least 4 modelling magazines and buy several others. I has some bad experiences using several digit based publications. Because of how poorly the Covid-19 issue was handled here in the U.S. my bookstores were closed. The only way I could get by U.K. based Air International and Air Forces Monthly Magazines in anywhere near a timely manner was to change my subscriptions to digital. The Key Aero publications are easily downloadable and as PDF files, can be saved for future reference. As a modeler that is important to me. I also save money over paper subscriptions.

Now on that same comparison I buy Scale Aircraft Modelling at Barnes and Nobel with about a month's delay. I was also buying Scale Aviation Modeller International. I tried their digit issue and found it hard to use or download. I contacted them and got a paper subscription because they said the mail was much better now. I did this because Barnes and Nobel just got their August/September issue in last week(December 2021). I did this on 11/11/2021 and am still waiting for my first issue. 

One further question my own mind. How come EVERY major mail ordering company in the US offers all the above PAPER copies on a real time basis while the biggest book seller in the country can't seem to get them even close to on time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 12/29/2021 at 9:32 AM, RCTHEFOX said:

I was also buying Scale Aviation Modeller International. I tried their digit issue and found it hard to use or download. I contacted them and got a paper subscription because they said the mail was much better now. I did this because Barnes and Nobel just got their August/September issue in last week(December 2021). I did this on 11/11/2021 and am still waiting for my first issue. 

There have been many, many well documented issues with SAMi this past year, including the mass resignation of the whole editorial and design staff because of alleged mistreatment by the owners and non-payment of wages; contributors have also gone without payment for some time. As a former contributor, I could tell stories.

I personally would never spend money with that company again and, if asked, my advise to anyone would be the same. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...