#magazine subscriptions

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Knit Simple: Winter 2019

If you are still stuck for a gift, you can always give a magazine subscription and Knit Simple is perfect for those of us who are beginners and prefer simpler patterns for now and LARGE sketches of how to do new techniques. Every issue offers up a new technique or two matched to a project, so it helps you to build skills as you go. I can’t say I am thrilled by the color palette which has lots of greys which are not always easy to wear as they can drain your own complexion color. Notice that the editors warmed up the grey cover with a lot of pink type, plus pink cheeks and rosy lipstick on their model.  Of course, you can always swap out anything in grey with a color you like better. One of the pleasures of making something yourself.

There are 28 knitting project patterns here from the grey yoked sweater by Katerina Segerbrand in DMC Woolly to smaller projects like hats and socks. The sweet snowy blue sweater is by Amy Bahrt in Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash and comes with coordinating blanket, socks, mittens and hat. The modified basketweave is the “Swatch of the Season” done up in Koigu’s Chelsea. And the blue scarf is by Anastasia Blaes in Blue Sky Fibers Extra and features three-stitch cables along with large photographs explaining the technique. One-row buttonholes are also illustrated, as are lifted increases and other cable techniques. In addition, there are columns on new products, new books, and the advice column by Jil Eaton.

Purchasing the perfect book or selecting the right magazine subscription for an avid reader is a delightful yet puzzling task. With so many options available, from lifestyle to technology or science, choosing magazine subscriptions that resonate with their interests and are reasonably priced can be challenging.

Deciding between an online magazine subscription and a traditional print one adds another layer of complexity. Here are some criteria to help you make an informed decision when selecting your magazine subscription:

1. Identify Your Interests Every passionate reader has specific interests and preferences. Before choosing any magazine subscriptions, it’s crucial to identify your interests. Are you into fashion, lifestyle, cooking, technology, or science? Once you’ve decided on your niche, choosing the best magazines that align with your interests becomes easier.

2. Decide Between Print and Digital Many magazines offer digital and print subscriptions, each with advantages. If you love the feel of glossy pages and enjoy reading traditionally, a print magazine subscription is ideal. However, if you prefer the convenience of digital magazines and believe in saving paper, an online magazine subscription is the way to go.

3. Quality vs. Quantity When choosing a magazine subscription, it’s essential to prioritize quality over quantity. Instead of subscribing to multiple magazines, it’s better to invest in one subscription that offers high-quality content. This approach not only saves money but also ensures you get valuable and engaging content.

4. Explore Free Trials or Samples Before committing to a full subscription, order free trials or samples of magazines. This allows you to assess the content quality and decide whether you want to subscribe for a longer period. Additionally, check for discounts offered by different publications to make the best deal.

5. Consider Reviews and Recommendations Reading reviews from other readers can provide valuable insights into the quality of a magazine’s content. You can also ask for recommendations from family and friends to find the best magazines available.

6. Frequency of Publications Determine how often you want to receive your magazines. Publishers offer various publication frequencies, including weekly, monthly, and quarterly. For niches that require up-to-date information, a weekly subscription might be the best choice.

7. Customer Support Services In the digital age, it’s crucial to check a publication’s policies regarding subscription renewal, pausing, or cancellation. Choose publications that offer reliable customer support services to avoid any issues later on.

THE LAST MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION

I used to get mail all the time. These days, though, it’s mostly junk mail, and fliers, and credit card offers. A couple of years ago, I attempted to remedy the situation by subscribing to some print magazines. I already had a subscription to Record Collector, a music monthly based in England. And I’d already subscribed to the new print edition of Creem magazine due in Autumn 2022. I liked the idea of some fresh reading material every month, and I wanted to break up my reading a bit.

I added a subscription to a magazine called The Strand, a mystery magazine published quarterly. I also ordered a one-year subscription to Goldmine, a record collector’s magazine. I’d been a Goldmine reader from the 1980s until 2007 when I let a longstanding subscription expire after the magazine underwent some drastic changes, and the quality declined. But, as I’d been away for 16 years, I thought the time might be right to try again, and see if the magazine had regained its footing. Along with Creem, and Record Collector, I’d have four magazine subscriptions to look forward to in my mail.

The first two issues of The Strand arrived on schedule by October. But the third issue never turned up at all. After waiting another month, I contacted them, and requested either a replacement for the missing third issue, or cancellation of my subscription. Two more weeks passed, and I heard nothing, so I contacted them again. They curtly replied that they’d delayed mailing the replacement due to a snowstorm. I live in the Midwest, and there were no snowstorms this winter that lasted two weeks. In any case, when the issue still did not arrive, I asked them to cancel my subscription, and refund the balance. Instead, they sent the December issue – now eight weeks late, and I never heard from them again. I never received the last issue on my subscription, nor did I receive a check for the missing issue. I won’t be subscribing to The Strand ever again.

The situation with Goldmine was more complicated. Three months went by after I bought the sub, and I’d gotten nothing in the mail. Then an e-mail arrived telling me that the next issue had been delayed because the magazine was switching from a bi-monthly to a quarterly. I’d paid $29.99 for six issues, and I was told that I would still receive six issues, but the issues would ship over eighteen months instead of twelve. By October, I’d received the first two. The third issue due in December never arrived. I requested either a replacement copy or a refund for the balance of my subscription. I got a notice shortly after that nothing was owed me. I fired off another e-mail, and demanded they honor the agreement, or refund the balance. I heard nothing back, but a few weeks later, a replacement issue arrived. I assumed we were back on track, but the Spring issue is out, and I never received it either, and there was no refund forthcoming. As happened with The Strand, I was cheated, and probably will never see another issue, let alone a refund. It’s just as well. I don’t like being cheated, but I’d already decided not to renew because, while the magazine has a glossier, nicer design than it had in 2007, the quality of the journalism is just as poor now as it was then. They don’t use many professional journalists, but depend, instead, on amateur “fanboys” to supply them with fawning profiles of washed-up dinosaur bands trading under famous names, but usually with no (or maybe only one) original member. These band’s careers careers were over in the 70s and 80s. But to read the profiles, you’d think they are still topping the charts, and as relevant as ever. No, thanks.

I was very excited to see a new version of Creem. It had been my favorite music magazine growing up, and I was especially excited about having access to the archive of back issues. The first year’s issues arrived as scheduled, and while I liked the magazine’s content for the most part, the design wasn’t what I would call reader-friendly. When I renewed, I decided to take just an online subscription which was easier to read, and considerably cheaper. A month later I got an e-mail telling me all subs would be print-only going forward with continued access to the archive, and that I would have to pony up the difference or lose the subscription altogether, and be refunded the amount. Because I was enjoying the archive so much, I agreed – even though I really didn’t like the print edition, and would’ve preferred to continue reading it online (which I could do while still being required to pay for a print copy I didn’t want).

I read issues five, and six online, and thought the magazine was improving with each issue. But I was really beginning to spend a lot of time reading the archive’s back issues. The magazine was every bit as good as I remembered, and I was reading back issues I’d missed as well. But in January, most of the archive suddenly disappeared. I reached out to find out what was going on, and was told the archive was migrating to a new online home, and would be back very soon just as it was. A month went by, and there was no progress. There were posts, and complaints to the magazine’s Facebook group, and I sent an e-mail telling them that if the archive wasn’t going to be available, that I couldn’t justify $85 a year for a print magazine I was forced to buy just to get access to an archive that was no longer there.

Then I received an e-mail from Creem’s CEO requesting a conference call with me, and the magazine’s marketing director. I was stunned, but was told they’d been impressed with my e-mails, and the feedback they’d been getting from me all along, and wanted to have a phone chat and clear some things up, answer some questions, and let me know the direction the magazine would be taking going forward.

We chatted for more than an hour, agreed to stay in touch, and I was satisfied because my concerns and questions had been addressed to my satisfaction. The archive was still in a state of disrepair four weeks later when the new issue appeared online. I read it, and while I enjoyed some of it very much, I was repelled by a good deal of it. I wrote an e-mail offering some constructive criticism, and was disappointed to hear that the things that I’d most disliked would be a part of the magazine’s direction moving forward. In the meantime, the archive finally reappeared in radically altered, and nearly unusable form. Again, I complained, and was told they were aware of the problem, and that it would be fixed soon. It wasn’t (and still isn’t). And, oh, by the way, the print copy I’d been forced to buy had never arrived in the mail either.

The condescending remarks I’d gotten from the marketing director about my criticisms of the new direction did not sit well with me at all, and after two more weeks of no repairs to the archive, and no print edition in my mailbox, I cancelled my subscription, and received a refund.