Journal Jitters

What did you think of the latest Journal?
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Tony Summerfield
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Journal Jitters

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Apart from the editorial I have just completed the next 84-page Journal and I thought this was perhaps a good moment to do a 'State of the Nation' post. Admittedly, as it hasn't even gone to the printers yet, I won't be sending it out for another three or four weeks, but as things stand right now I will be sending out the smallest number of copies since July 2005, it will also be the smallest print run since that date. Between a quarter and a third of our members now come from overseas - since the beginning of August we have welcomed 15 new members, but only five are from the UK, none from Europe, which leaves the other 10 from worldwide and 8 of these are from Australia. All overseas Journals are sent out at a loss.

With the drastic increase in postal charges out of the £20 subscription I am left with £4.75 to cover three Journals to Australia. The position in Europe is even worse as a £15 subscription leaves me with £4.35. To add to the problem, of those who were sent resubscription forms with Journal 54 under 50% have actually resubscribed.

A sign of the times I guess, but the future of the Journal is beginning to look troubled.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Lucky Star »

Tony Summerfield wrote: All overseas Journals are sent out at a loss.
Raise the price. Most regular members have said that they would be prepared to pay a bit extra anyway. You cannot continue to make a loss. Presumably you have to cover it personally?

Would it be rude to enquire exactly how many subscribers we have at the moment? And how many we need to break even or to make it worthwhile to continue producing the Journal? I only ask as I am wondering how near to the exit we are now.

I suppose it is a sign of the times but it is really heartbreaking to see the Journal sinking. Judging by the scarcity of back copies and the fact that they sell on ebay it is clear that they are very desirable and will one day be collector's items. I have no solution to offer I'm afraid. The only thing I can suggest is that costs be cut somehow. If the number of pages were reduced to, say, 50 or 60, surely that would cut printing costs. And as the package would weigh less would it not lower the postage rates as well?
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Fiona1986 »

I agree with LS on the idea of cost cutting, if it's possible. I also wonder if it would make a difference on the subscribe page if you outline the cost of the membership separately from the cost of the postage to the three areas. I think people might be more willing to pay a bit more if they saw that the higher price was purely down to the postage.

I do feel sorry for our overseas members that it costs them so much due to postage but at the same time I'm not sure it's quite fair on the UK members to be paying more for the actual membership than they do. On saying that, I would still subscribe were the UK costs £11 or £12. I wonder which is more feasible - putting up the overseas and Europe prices to reflect the postage and potentially losing members, or continuing to send them at an increasing loss?
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Tony Summerfield
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Tony Summerfield »

Not rude at all, John, as of today we have 330 paid up members for Journal 55 and almost 100 of these are overseas members. I am reducing the cost of each issue by reducing the print run at present, but obviously there are other ways I could reduce the cost, such as fewer pages and no colour centre, but at present I am unwilling to do this. To me this new Journal looks very nice - but I'm biased!

We have just about broken even on Journal 54 (when I first sent it out it was making a small loss) as there is a small profit (pence not pounds!) in UK subs thanks to £1.17 postage and you will realise that this is subsidising the overseas losses. I am unwilling to raise the subscription prices as I think we might end up losing more than we would gain - even now some feel that the UK £10 is too much and they stop subscribing, and we lost a lot of members when I hugely increased the overseas subs about two years ago - unfortunately Royal Mail made even huger price rises!
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Katharine »

Oh dear, it's a difficult one. I'd be happy to pay more for my journal if that's to cover printing and postage costs. I'd even be happy if there was a little bit of profit left for Tony, as 'time is money' and I'm sure he puts a lot of time into organising the Journal. On the other hand, while I sympathise with overseas members having to pay such high postage costs, I'm not keen on the idea of having to subsidise them. I often see items in the USA or Australia on E-Bay that I would like to buy, but can't afford the postage - no one subsidises me.

Ultimately of course that decision rests with Tony, I don't expect a detailed breakdown of what my subscription fee covers, so if he wants to use some of it to offset higher postage costs elsewhere, then it's up to him. At the end of the day, the Journal is extremely good value for money.

It's a shame that there isn't more interest in the UK. I often mention to people who say they like Enid Blyton, that I'm a member of the society, but sadly they never show any desire to find out more. I don't know how else we can get the word out there.

I can't understand why people might think £10 is too much. It's the price of about 2 boxes of hair dye, or one packet of cigarettes, or a couple of alcoholic drinks? Even a bar of chocolate is about 60p these days. The Journal works out at 83p a week, that's not a lot to put aside, even for people on the tightest of budgets. I suppose it's down to prioritising. I'd rather do without the chocolate myself and have the Journal - lasts longer for a start, and much healthier for me too. :D

Oops, that should be 83p a month, which is even cheaper. It's actually 19p a week. I challenge anyone to have an hour or two's fun for less than 19p week. :wink:
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Daisy »

I find it amazing that anyone should think the £10 we pay here in the UK for the Journal is too much. I know there are many, like me, who think it is amazing value. I have been a member of other book clubs who produce a three times a year journal for the same price - but they are black and white only, and more significantly have as few as 48 pages. This does vary a bit, but the 84 pages we get is way above any comparable literary production. As the cost to overseas members has increased I see no reason why ours in this country should not do so too.
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Post by Eddie Muir »

As I've said on previous occasions, I'd be more than happy to pay extra for the superb Journal. It would still be great value at double the price.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Anita Bensoussane »

Katharine wrote:...while I sympathise with overseas members having to pay such high postage costs, I'm not keen on the idea of having to subsidise them.
I don't mind the idea of subsidising overseas members a little. They make up almost a third of the readership, and it's in everyone's interests to keep the readership as high as possible - otherwise there may come a time when it's not worthwhile printing the Journal at all.

It is a pity that there isn't more interest in the UK as you say, Katharine. I suppose a lot of people are happy just to read the books and aren't bothered about knowing the background to them or learning more about the author and her writing.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Katharine »

I'm sorry if I've come across as rather mean, it's just been an expensive week what with school trips, fund raisers at school, fees for hobbies etc.

I agree that it would be a shame if the Journal was no longer financially viable. I'd quite happily pay £4 or £5 for each Journal. I suppose I'd just rather not know that £1 of that might be subsidising an overseas member, just left in ignorance to assume that was how much it cost to produce it.
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Post by pete9012S »

Is using the Royal Mail the only option?
Are there any cheaper ways of delivering the Journal?
On ebay the postage costs to send items varies enormously depending on the courier used?
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Julie2owlsdene »

I think it's very sad. Has Enid's popularity decreased? Is she no longer the author everyone wants to remember, or read, and get their children to read.

We no longer have an Enid Blyton Day to look forward too. Are we now not going to have a Journal either.

I understand it's a sign of the times, and that costs on everything are rising. For me, I wouldn't mind the Journal subscrition being increased. Also maybe the overseas postage should now be increased too, as I expect it is far more to post overseas now, then when the first Journal was posted overseas.

So I'm all for putting up the postage abroad, and rising the subscription if possible. :)

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Post by Kate Mary »

It is very sad that interest in the Journal seems to be waning. I wonder why? I had a look to see what similar societies subscription rates are:
The Friends of the Chalet School charge: £10.00 for UK, £12.00 for Europe and Aus $30.00 for Australia.
The Malcolm Saville Society: £15.00 UK, £17.50 EUR and £21.00 ROW
The Followers of Rupert: £28.00 for full UK membership but there are two lesser levels of membership.
I wonder what the Followers of Rupert are doing that we're not; probably Enid Blyton is not considered 'cool' and Rupert is. It would be a great shame if the Journal ceased publication. Anyway the EBS website is better than all of the above societies websites including the Friends of Rupert one.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Tony Summerfield »

In reply to Daisy's post above I have recently seen a copy of another author magazine (I hate the word fanzine!). Like the Journal there are three issues a year, but unlike the Journal it had 52 pages in black and white and the subscription is £14 a year. It had 10 illustrations compared to over 100 in Journal 54 (I like my pics and hate the way they have been removed from a number of recent Blyton paperbacks). Before someone suggests it, this magazine also had an 'e' version that people could receive by email, with some of the illustrations in colour and a slightly cheaper sub. This sub had just two members receiving it, so it would appear that most like me prefer a printed magazine.

And yes, Katharine, I have always looked at it costing 20p a week for UK subscribers, but even this proves too expensive for some!

I have no intention of putting the UK subscription up, Julie, or for that matter closing the Journal in the near future, but you are right in saying that the interest is not so great in Blyton now. You have only got to look at the forums for this, we have had 166 new registrations this year up to the end of September (although most of these haven't even posted!), but this compares with 428 in 2012 over the same period, and 357 in 2013. We are going down rapidly.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Moonraker »

Julie wrote: I wouldn't mind the Journal subscrition being increased. Also maybe the overseas postage should now be increased too
That might well be true, but if people aren't resubscribing now in large numbers, a price hike will certainly put them off. I would pay £20 for a year's worth, but if you and I paid the extra, Julie, but a further 20 didn't, it would still probably make a loss.

I think many people subscribe, seeing it is an Enid Blyton publication, for their children. When they find out it is for nostalgic adults, they are disappointed and don't resubscribe.
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Re: Journal Jitters

Post by Poppy »

I would definitely pay more to receive the Journal.
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