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Proposed changes to Postscripts – from magazine to quarterly anthology
Posted by Peter Crowther on August 28th, 2008 at 9:00
We’re aiming to make some changes to Postscripts… but we’d like to gauge our customers’ opinions before we go ahead. So do let us have some feedback. Here’s the plan:
Starting with issue #18 (ie. the first issue of 2009… the intended all-crime special issue), we’re considering changing the paperback edition to hardcover and increasing the page-count from 144 to 160 — or occasionally 176 and even 192. (This will mean that huge 400-page extravaganzas such as #10′s all-horror beanfeast and the current all-SF #15 will cease. They’re simply too expensive… great fun to do but, at more than three times the usual contents, a drain on finances and resources.) The price for the limited signed edition will remain at £25/$50 while the unsigned edition will increase to £12/$25.
Please note that if we do go ahead with this then there will be no change to existing subscriptions (ie. we won’t be going to subscribers and asking them for more money for their existing subs). Once the changes have been implemented, then the subscription rates would be as follows (but please note that all prices will be inclusive of first-class UK or airmail postage anywhere in the world — plus we’ll be continuing our popular free winter chapbook series for subscribers… a signed copy to signed edition subscribers and an unsigned copy to unsigned edition subscribers):
UNSIGNED EDITION
- four issues — £40 post-free (instead of £48 plus postage — the paperback edition is currently £26 in the UK and £30 outside the UK)
- eight issues — £72 post-free (instead of £96 plus postage — not currently available)
- twelve issues — £96 post-free (instead of £144 plus postage — not currently available)
SIGNED EDITION
- four issues — £100 post-free (instead of £120 plus postage — no change)
- eight issues — £190 post-free (instead of £240 plus postage — not currently available)
- twelve issues — £270 post-free (instead of £360 plus postage — not currently available)
And finally on this subject, some readers have suggested we change Postscripts‘s title (or classification, if you like) from ‘magazine’ to ‘quarterly anthology’. We’re kind of warmed to this idea which, be assured, would have absolutely no effect on the contents (though we would probably abandon the two-column page layout for the standard full-width of all our other books). The advantage — or so we tend to believe — is that such a move may well increase still further the title’s already healthy take-up by (and recognition of) readers and pundits in our field of literature.
But, like I said, let us know what you think – drop us an email, or leave a comment below.
- Pete
September 2nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I like the idea. Go for it!
September 6th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
The switch from paperback to hardcover sounds a great idea, though being on low income I worry whether I could justify the cost once the subscription comes round for renewal. Not that the hardcover isn’t value for money, it’s just the paperback is a nice cheaper option (but that’s more my problem than yours – I should get a job that pays more!) Saying that however, considering how good Postscripts #10 looks and feels I know I’d end up succumbing. Certainly the full width layout is more appealing than the two columns. Hope this helps.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
I like the idea of the less expensive hardbound editions. It probably makes things simpler from the publishing side – no need to worry about softcover and hardcover binding issue. And the hardcovers are great!
Whether it is called a ‘magazine’ or ‘quarterly anthology’ won’t affect me much, but I like the 2-column format. I read enough full width magazines and books. The 2 column format is a nice change.
Just don’t change away from the digest-size! Perfect for a carry-around read!
September 19th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
I may be alone here, but I like the 2-columns amd and have been enjoying the current format a great deal. I also do not think that I could afford the hardcover price. And what is the advantage of not calling it a magazine? So my suggestion is to let things stay as they are. Do you need to do the monster issues? Surely you can avoid them at no cost!