Actually, if the magazine can get you to sign up as a paid subscriber (defined by Audit Bureau of Circulations as at least half of their "regular" subscription price, whatever that is), they will gladly take that half price on the hopes that you will renew at a higher rate.
And the magazine has to maintain a certain "rate base" of subscribers to satisfy their advertisers, so in some cases they will be willing to take even less than that 50% rate. They put an expire date on their offer not because the rate is necessarily going to go up, but because they know that putting that date on there will make it more likely that you will respond reasonably quickly if you're attracted by the offer. In many cases, they will give you an even lower-cost subscription offer if you don't bite on this one. Your subscription cost probably pays for less than half of their cost to produce and deliver the 12 magazines they will send you. They make their money on advertising, not on subscription fees. Not that any of that should keep you from subscribing if you want the magazine; that's just the way it works. Dan >Allan; > >The prices of most magazines are pretty arbitrary, including Macworld. >I just received an offer for a professional discount subscription price >of $19.95 for one year/ 12 issues. It also includes two free CD-ROMS >of "clip art, computer games, fonts, utilities, and other top-rated >applications". >The offer is valid through 2/17/03. So, the prices you're getting >apparently are rising as they feel you are hooked. I'm planning to >return the offer with my check. You may be able to get a similar deal >if you contact them. > >Mike | The next meeting of the Louisville Computer Society will | be January 28. The LCS Web page is <http://www.kymac.org>.
