API Digital subscription $69 for 1yr?! WTF?!
- Thread starter Cloudy_
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What do you think it's worth?
I think the digital version price should at least reflect the fact that the publisher is not paying for printing and postage costs. I'm guessing that would be worth more than $20 per year.
Well I couldn't imagine it would be much harder than clicking 'save as PDF' instead of 'print'.
I'm sure it will become apparent when they realise sales are diminishing, most houses in Australia will have a tablet of some kind, and it costs them the same to produce and distribute 1 pdf to 100m pdfs.
The magazine is choc full of ads anyway, so I'm sure they're making plenty...
$20 a year is fair and reasonable.
I'm sure it will become apparent when they realise sales are diminishing, most houses in Australia will have a tablet of some kind, and it costs them the same to produce and distribute 1 pdf to 100m pdfs.
The magazine is choc full of ads anyway, so I'm sure they're making plenty...
$20 a year is fair and reasonable.
They still have the same staff, the same office/warehouse whatever. Same insurances probably. Same everything. Its just the fact instead of sending to the printer that probably is only charging them small amounts per one to print anyway based on volume they are making it digital and getting it all ready. Sure maybe $20 a year for 1 person's printing costs is light but I wouldn't expect it being much more than that and at the end of the day they are trying to stay in business and keep a few people's jobs in tact.
Disclaimer - I work for one of API's competitor magazines, Smart Property Investment.
Agreed with this. Not sure how they figure out the costs for our magazine and digital etc exactly, but hardly any of the cost of putting the mag together is actually reflected in the print price ESPECIALLY when it's a subscription, which is already discounted immensely on the cover price (in most instances).
We frequently sell subscriptions for less than it costs to actually put the mag together because it's subsidised with advertising and that keeps it going. The charge to the consumer is largely to #1 ensure people WANT it (so many people pick up free or very cheap mags/papers and barely read them, which means the readership commitment is low making the magazine undesirable to advertisers. Sales are also trackable and countable.) and #2 provide a bit of relief for the many overheads.
Magazines are expensive to put together - I can guarantee that each article put together represents many days of research, interviewing, staring at statistics and writing, editing, laying out, photographing and on and on. Print cost/distribution, while costly, is really one of the minor outlays in the greater scheme of things. Also, digital magazines often, as in our case, have a designer who works solely on that issue that is familiar with digital products and can require separate software, licensing etc for images and other hardware. There are separate costs.
But, personally, I can understand where you're coming from. I tend to pay an extra 20 - 40 bucks and have the print version sent to me unless there are extra features/usability in the digital format.
I have made a point of not subscribing to anything digital or on line that interests me in a magazine subscription.I still look forward to reading a hard copy,and think in a small way supporting jobs in Australia for Australians.I rarely ever buy online either,preferring the shop front experience,may sound like old times,but i sometimes wonder what the future will hold for the kids of today looking for employment.
I have really enjoyed the Digital version of the Kiteboarding magazine - it has a whole heap of extras - such as videos/how tos etc - that dont quite come across in the same way as in print.
In saying that - this particular magazine is FREE - it would go through the same rigour etc as any other magazine - however their business model somehow doesnt rely on $ subscriptions.
In saying that - this particular magazine is FREE - it would go through the same rigour etc as any other magazine - however their business model somehow doesnt rely on $ subscriptions.
The models I know of that don't require advertising dollars are generally through either 1) company funding - This is similar to some papers (e.g. Strathfield Scene) that are funded by the council. Or 2) totally funded by advertisers (often this is where the topic has a really big audience with expensive tastes, or big numbers with low overheads e.g. mX - small paper, low on content, big on ads and PR-generated stories).
Hrmm, good points Jenn on costings - I'd be interested to know the % of expenses incurred for creation (writers, designers etc) and production (print and distribution).
On the whole though our magazines are ludicrously more expensive than in the US. Why do printed magazines cost $10-$15 here when similar ones are $2-$3 over there? I wonder I this is like apple charging Australians more for software/iTunes purchases etc?
On the whole though our magazines are ludicrously more expensive than in the US. Why do printed magazines cost $10-$15 here when similar ones are $2-$3 over there? I wonder I this is like apple charging Australians more for software/iTunes purchases etc?
Many factors imo, although this is speaking more from a general business POV instead of a magazine one.
- Incredibly spread out population Vs the US where just NY state alone has a similar population as the entire country here so those magazines have to be sent a long way and to many stores
- VERY high local transport costs - eg it costs 3 times the same amount to transport a 20' FCL from Brisbane to Tokyo as it is Melbourne to Brisbane
- High wages at every level
- Im sure the fact that the economy is really robust compared to the US is a factor too
I think (as a Brit!) that magazines are overpriced in Australia generally, but I think that it may be because the market is smaller (fewer distribution houses/printers etc) making it less competitive. Also, other magazines set the precedent. If you're a newcomer you tend to price similar to your competitors or (and maybe this is something we believe in publishing but isn't true...) your content is seen as less "valuable" and less "prestigious" than theirs.
Maybe we overthink this...
Really though, putting SPI at airports and into main newsagents etc is ludicrously expensive, but where many of the sales come from.
Currently, we haven't put our mag on the shelves in Woolies etc (as API does)... it's an expensive exercise and they are wary of newcomers, I think.
The other expensive part of property mags is all that data in the back (vacancy rates, rp data, etc). Took a lot of negotiating to get that in there on the part of my bosses, and it's pricey to have the rights to publish it.
Another disclaimer... I'm not on the distribution side of the job so this is just what I've picked up from chatting with other people. I might be wrong!
Personally, I think there's an opportunity to do something different here and give a better deal on the digital platform. Maybe even a buy one get one free type deal or a better subscription deal such as buy one year subscription and we'll sign you up for two? Our digital product is really only just in its early stages and there are some exciting things we're planning to do with it
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Actually that's not correct. It can cost anywhere from $0.03 - $3.50 per EDM/email to send out dependent on whether they're personalised, which software they use to deploy the monthly email, what data source they're using to get the addresses/names, whether the process is automated or somewhat manual, whether the PDF is attached in the email or partially embedded in the HTML or hosted on an external environment to which the receiver needs to click through to download.
If you skip the monthly email to let your subscribers know of the latest edition and wait for them to log/click onto your website to download the latest version, you're potentially losing the amount of views that the ads get and therefore reduce that value, so even without considering the cost of production and distribution, you have the supply/demand to consider and perceived value.
Price is set by demand not cost of production
the problem with buying jobs is that it drags down our national productivity performance - we need to be able to compete in a global economy
Disagree with this.Why does Australia need to compete on the world stage.simple....in reality we dont!
Wow I never knew there was so much involved - I guess I just think in my work if I want to send an email to 1,000 employees I just highlight the cells in a spreadsheet and paste into BCC. One more click to add a PDF, type a quick generic message and bingo!
It is quite complicated. Think about those letters that you get from politicians etc that are personalised to your name and address. There is a special program which scans the electoral roll, prints your name, files it into an envelope with your address and sends it off. People pay big bucks for it.
What planet do you live on? We are a massive nation with very low population, for many people/companies/manufacturers they simply have to compete on the world stage in order to survive, the local market is too small
What reality is it that we don't have to compete on the worls stage?
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