It is disappointing to see the folks at Fisherman and Boatowner have another crack at newsagents this month with a full page ad luring people to subscribe. While I acknowledge it is their right to make such a pitch, it concerns me that they do so in terms which make newsagents out to be the bad guys. Newsagents make 25% off the cover price for each issue we sell.
For our 25%, $1.98 per issue sold, we provide shelf space to display the product, labour to unpack, price and put the product on the shelf, labour to process returns, the cost of cash to fund the stock and the cost of shrinkage. I get two copies a month and sometimes sell both, sometimes one and sometimes none. If I sell both I break even.
The discount offered for direct subscription is 37.7%. Maybe the publisher could consider more equitable terms for newsagents rather than trying to cut us off.
From the significant amount of negative comment I have seen from newsagents all over the country, I doubt that Fisherman and Boatowner will sell many copies of their magazine through newsagents from now on as most of us will not even put it on the shelf – I’ll certainly be early returning my allocation. So their plea for people to subscribe will be to no avail as there will be few magazines sold.
there seems to be a case, escpecially for the smaller publications to bypass the distribution chain altogether and deal directly with the publishers in order to get better commissions. As you state from the distributors we get 25% and we have to carry what the distributors say we will as apossed to subscribe direct for say 3-5 copies per month and get 30odd%.
We are having trouble stocking many smaller publications from the distributors for our regular customers, and cannot backorder a copy if they do not arrive. When we go through subscription the magazines arrive at the same time if not earlier then through network and co and I look like the good guy as I pass on the bonus stock ( in this case free sunnies) to the customer. All we have to do is not over order, which a good POS makes easy.
The direct stance taken by Fisherman & Boatowner is strange.
Even if they were succesful in getting a large portion of the readership to subscribe they face te challenge of gaining new readers. As they loose readers over time, where do they expect to find new readers if they are not encouraging it to be ranged in newsagencies?
I agreed with Mark and others. We need help us by helping these publishers to recruit readers, and share the profit via promoting and selling subscription for these publishers. That will be win/win for publishers, newsagents, and readers.
Cheers,
Sunny
There are 2 issues regarding Fisherman Boatowner; 1. The flagrant disregard by the editor to acknowledge the importance of the newsagency channel. ALL newsagents need have a serious look as to whether they continue to carry this item, considering the further abuse by the Editor in the current issue! If the clown wants to go down the road of subscription only, then don’t expect newsagents to prop him up!
2. The ignorance of NDD; i know of many newsagents that requested the title be stopped immediately after the editors cheap swipe at newsagents, yet the title appeared in their deliveries on Wednesday; including mine. This is complete disrespect for newsagents, as the requests have been ignored.
Vaughan
Beechworth Newsagency