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[Tug Fanatic]

My subscription copy dropped through the letterbox this morning, other than the name of the publisher nothing has changed (which is a relief).
I've only flicked through it so far, content seems as per usual. ......................

I am sure that the new issue, & probably the one following it, were largely set in stone before the ownership transfer. Any changes (& I hope that there are a few) will take longer to be obvious. If the changes involve commissioning articles etc the time scale may well be even longer.

[Mike S]

My latest subscription copy (May 2022) dropped onto the doormat this morning, with the editorial stating 'Just to reassure you, everything has been put into place for a seamless transition', here's hoping!


Again, not too sure about the feature on Virgin's latest 'adults only' cruise ship,  looks like a floating block of flats with a pointy end, the future of cruising eh?






Cheers,


Mike

[ChrisF]

Summed up nicely Colin.

Chris

[ChrisF]

Sorry to be gloomy about this, but to add to the comments on the declining model boats hobby and community the increasing cost of fuel and food will have an impact on those with limited income.

There seemed to be an increase in activity during Covid but levels have dropped again if posts on forums are anything to go by, though going into summer does have an affect as I for one do less building.

Chris

[phil_parker]

There are of course exceptions, Component Shop sponsoring the Blackpool Show is a shining example, but Coalville had to be dropped some years back.

Coalville is a good example of the model boating community shooting itself in the foot. Saturday saw lots of models on show because their owners had brought a boat for free entry. By Sunday, at least a third of these had gone home making the event look a bit empty. Not to worry, because, after a brief organisers speech at 2-pm, everyone packed up and went home.

The hall still had to be hired for 2 full days. The trade still paid for 2 days rent, accommodation and other costs. All for effectively 1 day of show.

To be honest, the attitude of the people in this hobby towards the show made me seriously reconsider if I wanted to be in it. Component Shop put their money and time where their mouth is, and were shafted by many model boaters only interested in themselves.

My worry is that Model Boats magazine will suffer in the same way. People want it on the shelves so they can leaf through it in Smiths, but buy a copy? Oh no. The Interweb is free and free is ALWAYS better.

[Circlip]

The leaf brigade were/are always present and always a fight to get to the shelves to grab a copy to buy , the way to combat is to seal the mags. Too costly? Subscription copies come this way but no good for the impulse buyer. Chances are that anyone 'leafing' will be into the hobby and considering whether to invest/waste on the latest offering.


  Regards  Ian.

[Tug Fanatic]

..................... People want it on the shelves so they can leaf through it in Smiths, but buy a copy? Oh no. The Interweb is free and free is ALWAYS better.

I agree that price is important but I am not quite as cynical as you about people buying the magazine. I see the problem as more one of content. The hobby can be divided into section - sail, static, steam, racing, numerous scale interests tugs, pleasure, warships etc etc. I am interested in some sections but not others. In any given issue there might, or might not, be articles that reflect my interest. Why should I buy a magazine that does not have any articles that I am fussed about reading? How do I know if there are any interesting articles without thumbing through it in Smiths? I never buy magazines in sealed packets as I have so little idea of the content.

I am playing Devil's advocate here as I have a digital subscription which I might well not renew as I would like to get the free plans (yes I have a collection of them) but digital subscribers don't get them. In there last year there have been 3 plans that I have purchased a magazine to get. Instead I might well thumb the magazine in Smiths & buy it if I am interested. It isn't going to work if you rely on people buying a magazine that has little content that interests them so that it will be published next month when there might be.

My general view is that the magazine has been steadily dumbed down over many years and has become more coffee table . Lots of pictures, fewer words, big page margins, many articles assume no previous knowledge etc.

I am hoping that Mortons can improve things.

 

[phil_parker]

My general view is that the magazine has been steadily dumbed down over many years and has become more coffee table . Lots of pictures, fewer words, big page margins, many articles assume no previous knowledge etc.

I am hoping that Mortons can improve things.

If you get your wish, it will go the way of Model Shipwright magazine...
No-one is going to produce a text-heavy highbrow magazine, because all the research shows that people won't actually buy it. They do like big pictures, and the beginner end of the market is where most modellers actually are. More to the point, if we want more boat modellers, we need more beginners.

[JimG]

You are comparing two very different magazines here. Model Shipwright was a specialist publication that catered for a narrow range of modellers. As such it was never available in newsagents but only in specialist outlets. I have a good number of issues although unfortunately not all but these were bought when I was on holiday visiting London, specifically Greenwich. I used to regularly visit the Maritime museum and always dropped into Maritime models in Greenwich and would leave with one or two years issues at a time. The shop is now gone and there were very few other walk in sources. Even the museum once had a large book shop with a good range of specialist books. the last time I was there there were few books and mostly tourist trinkets. The museum itself has been progressively dumbed down and has little interest for me now. The last copies I bought were at one of the Festivals of the Sea at Portsmouth where there was a specialist bookseller. The problem is that to sell magazines seem to have to be aimed at a mid Primary school reading age with more photos than text.
Jim

[phil_parker]

That's my point - Model Shipwright and Model Boats are very different publications aimed at very different markets. Suggestions that MB should turn into MS because it is "better" are simply wrong. MB is a commercial magazine which needs to appeal to the widest market possible.

Is it a problem that magazine aims to be "popular"? I'd argue that this is a good thing. Commercially, it certainly makes sense, and since (as far as I am aware) MS doesn't exist in paper form now, the market would seem to have decided.

[Tug Fanatic]

Phil
You don't give me great hope for a magazine that I want to buy on a regular basis.

[phil_parker]

Phil
You don't give me great hope for a magazine that I want to buy on a regular basis.

The decision for the publishers is, do they turn MB into the highbrow, very focused title that you "might" buy after perusing the pages in Smiths.

Or a more populist title that a larger number of people WILL buy.

[Colin Bishop]

I'm afraid that, as Phil says, the publishers are in it to make a profit and will cater for the most popular areas of the hobby as they perceive it rather than niche interests.

I think the last three issues in particular have contained a good spread of material and the Editor can only run what contributors are willing to write about which puts constraints on the content.

Paul Fresney was unable to persuade certain sections of the hobby to write for the magazine as the participants were not interested in doing so. As for the photos, yes, there are a lot and many are quite big but, as said above, that is typical of the magazine market generally. Paul did once remark to me that most readers only seem to be intereted in the pictures!

When you look at a lot of those old issues from the 50s & 60s it was the other way round. The magazines were text dense with poor monochrome photos. However it was also very evident that the readership as a whole in those days had a much higher level of technical expertise, skills and education. If you wanted something then you usually had to make it yourself whereas now the norm is to buy what you think you need and then come on to a forum like this and ask how to put or connect it all together!

Yes, there are still a good number of expert boat modellers around but not enough to carry a national publication on their own.

Colin

[phil_parker]

Paul Fresney was unable to persuade certain sections of the hobby to write for the magazine as the participants were not interested in doing so. As for the photos, yes, there are a lot and many are quite big but, as said above, that is typical of the magazine market generally. Paul did once remark to me that most readers only seem to be intereted in the pictures!

When you look at a lot of those old issues from the 50s & 60s it was the other way round. The magazines were text dense with poor monochrome photos.

Years ago, it was harder to take good quality photos. Nowadays, many of us carry mobile phones with cameras that can do the job, but then you needed a quality camera and the skills to use it. Even in the 1990s, I remember the trepidation awaiting the return of photos from the processors to see if there would be enough to enable me to illustrate the article I was writing. Sometimes, you filled in with words because the picture wasn't up to spec!

Reproduction was also tough. I once chatted to a famous editor of Railway Modeller's son and he recalled how excited his dad was when they were able to use a colour photo, and how much work it took to get this on the page! I've always wondered what editors back then would have done if they enjoyed the luxury of quality images and easy printing we do now.

[Stan]

Hi guys I have watched your comments with interest on the future of the magazine. We have a new publisher for the magazine so instead of casting doubt about its future lets give it 12 months to see how things work out. I terms of content published in the magazine it must cover cross section of subjects. If you feel that your subject is not been covered then submit an article on your subject to editor for publication. New beginners and juniors to the hobby are in decline you can dress this up any way you wish but it is a fact.  The truth of the matter at the end of the day is you either support the magazine or like others it will descend into history.  You may not like these comments but they are true.


Stan.

[Tug Fanatic]

I would observe that long term modellers are the subscribers that make the best return for the publishers whilst many of the skill challenged and short concentration potential readers that are the target audience might buy a couple of magazines and then move on the the next "thing".

I do know that publishers need to make a profit and that they use their best judgement to gauge what customers will buy. My choice is simply whether, or not, to buy it. Lets hope that Mortons make the buying decision easy.

[Stan]

Well I  have made my decision very simple will continue to subscribe.   We are now on page two of what is becoming a very boring subject   how much longer are we going to go on flogging this subject?   Time to be put to bed. .


Stan.   

[GG]

Ah.... lots of varied comments but.....


How many have made the effort to contact the editor/publishers with their thoughts?


I am reminded of the story of a TV executive who gave a talk about his job.  At the end he made the usual request for any questions.  Immediately someone asked why there were so many poor programs on TV?


His answer was to ask how many in the audience had ever contacted a TV company to complain?  The response was just what you might expect, no one had ever complained (probably accompanied with "it wouldn't do any good" and "they would just ignore me" muttered under peoples breath).


He then explained that every comment, good or bad, was noted and logged, then forwarded to the section responsible for that program.  These details were also sent to the senior management.  Now it was nothing unusual for a program to receive a few complaints, you cannot please everybody especially those who seem to delight in being offended.  So, to have several complaints was not regarded as serious, but eyebrows started to rise if a few tens of complaints came in.  Should it become scores then awkward questions started to be asked and hundreds moved things into the brown trouser zone!


The reason, which ought to known by anyone trying sell something, is that so few people bother to complain about things.  So that each single complaint might represent hundreds, maybe thousands of people who were unhappy....


So, if not happy with anything to do with the Model Boats magazine, then complain.  They should not ignore it, especially if it's one of many, if they do then you can always take your money elsewhere.


Glynn Guest   

[phil_parker]

So, if not happy with anything to do with the Model Boats magazine, then complain.  They should not ignore it, especially if it's one of many, if they do then you can always take your money elsewhere.

Having been on the end of a few of these e-mails, I'd suggest that it helps if the comments are constructive and polite. Hurling abuse at someone trying to do their job (it happens) won't change anything.

More to the point, just saying "I don't like the magazine" doesn't help either. Explain what you don't like and why. Suggestions as to things you do like are even more welcome. You might even be asked to contribute, and if you offer to do so as part of the contact, then the chances are you'll be welcomed.

[RST]

...Hi TheLongBuild.  Every Tesco I go to for ages now hasn't had any.  I contacted Colin abut the magazine status but apologised, on checking at the counter afterwards it's "apparently" been completely dropped from Tesco products unless of course it's different north of the border?  I notice also since new year that Tesco have reduced "hobby" publications down to just a few paltry offerings unless maybe if you are a quizzer or knitter. (All the TV c**p/ junk magazines still seem there). So I don't know if that's Tesco policy or state of the hobby industry but Tesco around me are drastically different now from a few years ago (they seem not good for very much now).  I haven't seen any MB in WH smiths for donkeys but I must admit I haven't been near one the last couple of months.




...Hi Colin, yes I thought that.  I was just intrigued when I saw the comment the other day.  There's conversations in reply about it since, but no link / question where the source came from?  I wonder what the "new model boats mag site" is and how to read what they said they did on it?


No worries,


Rich

...Hmm, someone at my local Tesco customer services was telling me porkie pies a few weeks back.  I've been in Falkirk area for last few weeks and last week Tesco Redding had Modelboats, I was back in there the other night when I heard it was last months edition, and lo and behold it was freshly stocked with this months magazine so I've got 2 magazines to read now.  Happy days!

160miles each way is a bit of a trek for a magazine though so I hope one of the 5 Tescos in our 10mile radius from home up in Inverness start stocking them again like they used to.

Rich

[Rob47]

I see Morton Publishing have bought Model Boats, good luck with that, tied to them at moment by contract for my next book HMS Bristol, keep slipping the date, covid, lack of staff, I will get right onto this.  So not to impressed at moment, also my paayment from them will be a nice little earner. if it ever bears fruit.


Bob

[Rob47]

Yes, I posted the press release on the MB website, I heard about it yesterday. Present Editor and Designer have transferred to Mortons Media.

https://www.modelboats.co.uk/news/article/model-boats-may-2022/27687

Hopefully good that someone is willing to invest in the magazine, a bigger company by the look of it. Not sure what will happen about the forum at this stage.

Colin

Colin
Will reserve judgement, they are my current publishers and have done nothing but lead me on a wild goose chase, we will publish on this date then cancel, still not been paid as cant deliver the manuscript.  Of all the books and publishers i have had this one leves me less than confident.


Bob