The May/June 2009 issue of Memory Makers is arriving in subscriber mailboxes.
The number of paid advertising pages is almost exactly the same as the previous issue, but the issue is 8 pages longer than the previous one. A bonus for subscribers? Not exactly. The company boosted their advertising page percentage in the issue up to around 40% (about what it needs to be in a financially healthy magazine) by inserting an 18 page section near the back of the magazine promoting their own “Book Shop” operation. (This ad section, ironically, includes promotion for several book titles from rival publisher CK Media.)
This is an interesting move on Memory Makers’ part. It provides two advantages for them. First, they don’t incur the costs of filling the empty advertising pages with content. Second, they may actually see some revenue from advertising the book club. But will it backfire? Although the “Book Shop” section only brings the advertising content of the magazine up to a healthy percentage, the fact that much of it is all grouped together in one place (and a huge increase – over double the number of pages – from the previous issue) may inadvertantly make the magazine feel advertising-heavy to readers, even when that isn’t really the case.
Memory Makers is arguably in the weakest position of the “mass market” scrapbooking magazines at the moment. Their advertising content percentage has been the smallest of any of the surviving scrapbook magazines (Creating Keepsakes, PaperCrafts and Scrapbooks Etc.) in the past several issues. The 2008 USPS circulation statements showed them having the smallest circulation of the 4 mass-market magazines. They need some help, like many magazines across all areas of publishing. Advertising their bookstore isn’t a permanent solution, but they may be contemplating a more radical one.
A few weeks ago, Memory Makers sent an email survey to its subscribers about the magazine. Many of the questions centered around readers’ shopping and online habits as they related to scrapbooking. Two questions in particular centered on whether readers were open to subscribing to Memory Makers as an e-publication, and asked how much they would be willing to pay for that subscription.
The general response seemed to be in the discussions I read on the topic, even from the hardcore internet users on internet scrapbook forums, that they weren’t interested in their scrapbook magazines being e-zines. There seems to be a definite preference among scrapbookers for their magazine-style content being on paper, and being portable, so that it can be hauled with them places and have pages torn out and filed for use later as inspiration. [Yes, I do realize the irony of writing that here on Scrapbook Update, which is essentially an e-zine.]
I can relate to this attachment to the paper form of a magazine for scrapbook content, especially for portability. As attached as I am to my iPhone and its absolutely gorgeous display, the thing is simply too small to view, say, a scrapbook page on in any detail. And with a paper magazine there is no waiting for graphics-heavy pages to download over a slow connection, or suddenly finding out that doctor’s office is in a building that has no cell signal at all.
So, where will Memory Makers go from here? Will the Book Shop section be a permanent feature of the magazine? Will the magazine go digital? There are a lot of possibilities for them – the same options that publishers all across the scrapbook industry and in other industries have been having to consider as advertising revenues fall for everyone. The only sure thing is that their current situation doesn’t seem like it can continue indefinitely.
Thanks for the update. I wondered how Memory Makers Magazine was doing. While I enjoy reading smaller publications online I do still prefer having an actual paper magazine or book to read.
Marcie
I was wondering about this magazine, it sure did seem awfully thin the last few months!
I kind of liked the bookshop in the last MM I got, though I didn’t buy anything I did spy a few I wouldn’t mind picking up. Seems a shame they missed an opportunity to ’show off’ the books (internatl shots, content list, etc) and just put a picture, a ten word blurb and a price for each one. I can get more info than that on Amazon, the book will probably be cheaper and the (international) shipping DEFINITELY will, and I won’t have to pay customs. Going to take more of ‘the same old’ marketing to get me to buy direct.
On the question of e-subs, no I wouldn’t be interested for the same reasons as already stated, and also because I am predominantly digi anyway and have a huge selection of free emags available to me. I buy paper mags because I like them to be paper mags, I don’t need more emags. And I wouldn’t pay for an emag at all. Cheap, I am
My subscription just expired. I’m not renewing any magazines right now, I’d rather pay a higher price at Barnes & Noble with my discount than lose money outright if they go under.
Hmmm. I had stopped subbing until they did there most recent revamp a couple of years ago as the magazine was feeling dull and uninspiring. The revamp brought me back and when my sub was ending a month ago, I resubbed for 2 years. (I think I paid $17) I hope my money was well spent!!! It was the first time I was able to get a 2 for 1 deal from them. They generally are on the pricier side when compared to Scrapbooks Etc. and CK, which I have been able to get 2 years for 1 for a while now.
As an aside, I did sub to Mary Englebriet’s Home Companion which was amazing and provided a variety of inpiration and then suddenly it stopped coming and I started receiving Martha Stewart Living until the end of my sub!!!!
BTW-I enjoyed your interview!!! Keep it coming!
I hear yah that a scrap page just doesn’t quite connect with me when viewing on the iPhone. I take scrap mags to bed and read a few pages before I turn off the light. I read them in the car. I’ve taken them to hockey games to read between periods. Not something I can do with an e-zine so no, I wouldn’t pay.
As for Scrapbook Update…I consider it more of a news source, something I check every few days (as I check many “news” type sources) so it’s in a different niche to me than a standard e-zine.
The Memory Makers bookclub is HORRIBLE. Horrid customer service. SOOO not worth the trouble. You couldn’t PAY ME to sign up for that again.
I would have no problem with an e-magazine. Less paper I have to recycle. No storage issues, either.
No e- subscription for me! For the same reason as others – I want to take it along – read it in bed, save a backlog for when we’re traveling – there’s always one in my bag for times I need to wait. And then, when they’re absolutely tattered, I cut them up and file the articles with others of the same type. I spend more than enough time on the computer every day – I don’t need to get my magazines there too.