NEW LOOK FOR STAR

[Mick6161]

My first post on the forum, being a long time lurker, but I'd like to pass on my appreciation to all involved at The Star for all the work they put in to create such a good magazine.

Being on a tight budget I can never seem to make the plunge on a subscription, so order my copy each week from the web site, and my thanks then to Dave for his sterling work, and attention too - dispatching one of the Christmas issues to me in advance of my order so I still got the mag in time. Much appreciated.

 

I imagine the current situation has thrown a considerable spanner in the works regarding upcoming issues and content therein, especially the pre season special. 

So to Phil and all at the Star - thank you for all your hard work, it is much appreciated.

 

[Happy Hunter]

5 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

Of course we are concerned not least because Tesco and Sainsbury are our biggest selling outlets. This is probably the biggest challenge we have faced. 

We can only suggest ask those who purchase their weekly copy at either a newsagent or a supermarket to consider a subscription. There is also a significant saving too.

Tesco's and Sainsbury's are rushed off their feet. Punters need something to read whilst queuing to pay!

[noaksey]

7 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

Of course we are concerned not least because Tesco and Sainsbury are our biggest selling outlets. This is probably the biggest challenge we have faced. 

We can only suggest ask those who purchase their weekly copy at either a newsagent or a supermarket to consider a subscription. There is also a significant saving too.

A couple of Tesco's and a Sainsbury's that previously stocked it no longer seem to.

 

Has there been a reduction in stores taking it?

[wealdstone]

4 minutes ago, noaksey said:

A couple of Tesco's and a Sainsbury's that previously stocked it no longer seem to.

 

Has there been a reduction in stores taking it?

Although I get mine by subscription it is still available at my local Tesco.

[PHILIPRISING]

11 hours ago, noaksey said:

A couple of Tesco's and a Sainsbury's that previously stocked it no longer seem to.

 

Has there been a reduction in stores taking it?

NUMBER of sales at all branches are constantly reviewed by our distribution company - like all publications these days, they work on a sale or return basis. But if a branch isn't selling any or even enough of those stocked, Tesco will drop SS in favour of another magazine fighting for shelf space.

They are the rules which are tough for a minnow of a company like Pinegen, a small fish swimming in huge waters.

 

[noaksey]

2 hours ago, PHILIPRISING said:

NUMBER of sales at all branches are constantly reviewed by our distribution company - like all publications these days, they work on a sale or return basis. But if a branch isn't selling any or even enough of those stocked, Tesco will drop SS in favour of another magazine fighting for shelf space.

They are the rules which are tough for a minnow of a company like Pinegen, a small fish swimming in huge waters.

 

Thanks for clarifying 

We've lost Tesco and Sainsbury's in bishops stortford but thankfully Smith's at the railway station continues to stock it. Got mine this morning 

[PHILIPRISING]

On 3/14/2020 at 9:53 AM, Dickie Head said:

I’m amazed that this week’s Speedway Star has no mention of the Dirt Bike weekend at Kings Lynn and even more disappointing is the total lack of recognition given to the guys who cycled from Mildenhall to Kings Lynn in support of the late Danny Ayres. The Star have really themselves down and I hope they see fit to rectify these shortcomings this week.

TWO page spread this week

[TonyMac]

As someone with a lot of publishing experience, aware of what is involved when putting magazines through distributors and retailers such as WHS, I would strongly urge all readers who currently buy their weekly copy of Speedway Star from shops to switch to subscription ASAP.

I appreciate that for many it is a cash-flow issue and no-one can argue against that.

But if you CAN afford to pay upfront for a sub, then you would be very much helping Speedway Star and its staff by doing so.

What most readers don't appreciate (and Phil would be able to confirm exact per-centage figures in Pinegen's case) is that every publisher who makes its mag(s) available through the retail trade effectively concede around HALF of the cover price to the distributor/retailer. WHS now demand an upfront, non-refundable payment just to stock your title. That's 'dead money' the Star will never see.

It is for this reason that we (Retro Speedway) do not make either of our two magazines, Backtrack and Classic Speedway, available via high street retail outlets. The 'speculate to accumulate' mantra of a significantly increased print run wouldn't work and would very likely cause us to go bust due to the high volume of unsold returns the likes of WHS, Asda and Sainsbury's would chuck back at us..

While the publisher does, of course, incur postage costs in processing subscriptions, both the reader (customer) and the Star would still be better off.

And in such hugely challenging times for all small, niche publishers, isn't their survival the most important factor. If - heaven forbid - the Star had to fold, there would be no worthwhile publication of equal stature to replace it.

[PHILIPRISING]

19 minutes ago, TonyMac said:

As someone with a lot of publishing experience, aware of what is involved when putting magazines through distributors and retailers such as WHS, I would strongly urge all readers who currently buy their weekly copy of Speedway Star from shops to switch to subscription ASAP.

I appreciate that for many it is a cash-flow issue and no-one can argue against that.

But if you CAN afford to pay upfront for a sub, then you would be very much helping Speedway Star and its staff by doing so.

What most readers don't appreciate (and Phil would be able to confirm exact per-centage figures in Pinegen's case) is that every publisher who makes its mag(s) available through the retail trade effectively concede around HALF of the cover price to the distributor/retailer. WHS now demand an upfront, non-refundable payment just to stock your title. That's 'dead money' the Star will never see.

It is for this reason that we (Retro Speedway) do not make either of our two magazines, Backtrack and Classic Speedway, available via high street retail outlets. The 'speculate to accumulate' mantra of a significantly increased print run wouldn't work and would very likely cause us to go bust due to the high volume of unsold returns the likes of WHS, Asda and Sainsbury's would chuck back at us..

While the publisher does, of course, incur postage costs in processing subscriptions, both the reader (customer) and the Star would still be better off.

And in such hugely challenging times for all small, niche publishers, isn't their survival the most important factor. If - heaven forbid - the Star had to fold, there would be no worthwhile publication of equal stature to replace it.

THANKS Tony ... you are absolutely correct in what you say about the percentage of the charge that we actually receive.Around sixty per cent of current sales tre from newsagents, supermarkets, etc and will particularly vulnerable in the months ahead. 

A subscription ticks all the boxes... it is cheaper (£36 per 52 issues) and does not  require you to leave home. 

[iris123]

3 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

THANKS Tony ... you are absolutely correct in what you say about the percentage of the charge that we actually receive.Around sixty per cent of current sales tre from newsagents, supermarkets, etc and will particularly vulnerable in the months ahead. 

A subscription ticks all the boxes... it is cheaper (£36 per 52 issues) and does not  require you to leave home. 

Funny, as I did mention on another thread that the Star could be hit by the season delay and was told it wouldn’t by a couple of ‘experts’ as most sales are subscription

Edited March 21, 2020 by iris123

[Chris116]

1 minute ago, iris123 said:

Funny, as I did mention on another thread that the Star could be hit by the season delay and was told it wouldn’t by a couple of ‘experts’

Definition of "expert"

 

An "ex" is a has been and a "spert" is a drip under pressure.

 

Just watch any TV news channel for proof of this.

[RobMcCaffery]

12 minutes ago, PHILIPRISING said:

THANKS Tony ... you are absolutely correct in what you say about the percentage of the charge that we actually receive.Around sixty per cent of current sales tre from newsagents, supermarkets, etc and will particularly vulnerable in the months ahead. 

A subscription ticks all the boxes... it is cheaper (£36 per 52 issues) and does not  require you to leave home. 

Which gives you the greater return Philip, print or digital? I see both are only 1p different in price so I want to use the one that benefits you most.

 

 

[semion]

The season preview is the one edition I always look forward to and buy ( also a few others through the year). But is there any point in it this season.   
 

For me it’s a bit like buying a programme for this years Grand National.  Pointless exercise. 

[PHILIPRISING]

1 hour ago, semion said:

The season preview is the one edition I always look forward to and buy ( also a few others through the year). But is there any point in it this season.   
 

For me it’s a bit like buying a programme for this years Grand National.  Pointless exercise. 

WE have already announced that the pre-season bumper edition has been postponed until the actual start of the season. 

Rob... net income from print and digital subs is virtually the same. 

[Guest]

Phil - a passing thought: "in days long gone by" I wonder how Bob would have reacted to present day speedway happenings?

Edited March 22, 2020 by Guest

[RobMcCaffery]

On 3/21/2020 at 5:11 PM, PHILIPRISING said:

WE have already announced that the pre-season bumper edition has been postponed until the actual start of the season. 

Rob... net income from print and digital subs is virtually the same. 

Many thanks Philip. I found one major selling point in favour of the digital subscription was access to all back numbers since late 2013, 341 issues in total. Very useful for checking out the articles I've missed over the years, or parts of series like the D2 Riders Championship where I'd missed the odd part. 

For some this could be a very strong reason for subscribing, especially in restricted times. 

Hope you all pull through it. 

[PHILIPRISING]

1 minute ago, RobMcCaffery said:

Many thanks Philip. I found one major selling point in favour of the digital subscription was access to all back numbers since late 2013, 341 issues in total. Very useful for checking out the articles I've missed over the years, or parts of series like the D2 Riders Championship where I'd missed the odd part. 

For some this could be a very strong reason for subscribing, especially in restricted times. 

Hope you all pull through it. 

Thanks ... good point about the back issues

[martinmauger]

Sadly we likely won't be watching any live speedway for a while I'd encouage people to subsctibe to Speedway Star, and possibly also the excellent Retro Speedway publications of Classic Speedway and Backtrack.  Think the Retro Speedway mags are subscription only anyway, happy to be proved wrong there, but the Star sales will be massively hit by lack of track sales and now at supermarkets.  I began 'subbing The Star' by accident so sick was I of the mag 'being late' according to newagents and you know what, I wish I'd subscribed much earlier, it arrives crisp and early on Thursday mornrings and one saves on the cover price of £3.00, paying only £2.30 per issue, the price of some programmes.  A 3-monthly 'Star subscription of 13 issues is £30, a yearly sub to Backtrack (6 issues) is £25; both roughly the price of 2 meetings we won't be seeing anyway.   We are in self-lockdown and need something to occupy ourselves, are lacking in speedway so I reccomend helping out Phil Rising & Co at the Speedway Star and also Tony McDonald & his team at Retro Speedway, if only for the current difficult times til we can enjoy live speedway once more.  Stating the obvious disclaimer: I set up & pay for my own magazine subscriptions and posted the above only to express my own opinion. 

So, cheques in the post then Phil & Tony ? .... 

Edited March 25, 2020 by martinmauger
added encouragement & spelling

[waiheke1]

Tony: any chance of Retro speedway producing a digital version

Phillip: any chsnce of digitalizing the speedway star back catalogue?

[PHILIPRISING]

8 hours ago, martinmauger said:

Sadly we likely won't be watching any live speedway for a while I'd encouage people to subsctibe to Speedway Star, and possibly also the excellent Retro Speedway publications of Classic Speedway and Backtrack.  Think the Retro Speedway mags are subscription only anyway, happy to be proved wrong there, but the Star sales will be massively hit by lack of track sales and now at supermarkets.  I began 'subbing The Star' by accident so sick was I of the mag 'being late' according to newagents and you know what, I wish I'd subscribed much earlier, it arrives crisp and early on Thursday moenrings and one saves on the cover price of £3.00 paying only £2.30 per issue, the price of some programmes.  A 3-monthly 'Star subscription of 13 issues is £30, a yearly sub to Backtrack (6 issues) is £25; both roughly the price of 2 meetings we won't be seeing anyway.   We are in self-lockdown and need something to occupy ourselves, are lacking in speedway so I reccomend helping out Phil Rising & Co at the Speedway Star and also Tony McDonald & his team at Retro Speedway, if only for the current difficult times til we can enjoy live speedway once more.  Stating the obvious disclaimer: I set up & pay for my own magazine subscriptions and posted only to express my own opinion. 

So cheques in the post, then Phil & Tony ? .... 

THANKS for you comments. The next few weeks, even months, will be very difficult for us. Newsagents and supermarkets are still open, and SS available in many, but as you say far easier, and cheaper to have it delivered.