May K-Factor

Sun Jun 27 14:50:45 AKDT 2004

Perhaps we are trying to be too slick.

I don't know how many copies that annual cost of $39,600 covers but if the
number is 1000, then the cost is $39.60 per year per client. 39.60/12 =
$3.30 per issue. Subtract $0.80 for US postage and the per issue cost comes
to $2.50. The April Issue had 28 pages so the per page cost was $2.50/28 =
0.0892..., rounds up to 9 cents a page.
IF you print that at Office Depot rates in 100's quantities, take a nickle
for printing. That leaves 4 cents each to assemble, put a label on it and
get it in a mail box.

I do a couple hundred newsletters a month of 10 pages each and it looks to
me like these guys are doing alright except for the mailing problem. I would
expect them to make their money by being more efficient with their volume of
operation.

HOWEVER, the total cost for US First Class Postage is $0.80 for 3 ounces,
and the April K-Factor weighed 2.5 ounces. If the bulk mailing was free,
First Class should only raise the costs $0.80 per issue, $9.60 per year, or
$9,600 per year. After doing the arithmetic I can see the wisdom of NOT
going to the additional expense of First Class Postage.

On the other hand, it is hard for me to see why the production should be so
late. If the newsletter is published on schedule with a real deadline on the
net the news and advertising will be current. My club & church newsletters
go on time with whatever I have at the deadline. If it ain't on time, it is
not news, it is history.

I have heard the argument that the internet copy detracts from membership
because it is way too easy to share a copy. That is proably true, but if we
are losing a little on each legitimate copy why would we want sell more?

The internet provides us with a means to produce a timely newsletter. There
are some who choose not to participate in the electronic copy. At this time
we are allowing those individuals to assure we all have equally poor news
delivery.

I think it important to rethink the newsletter and its role in our
organization. It is not a revenue generator.

As Will Rogers said: "You have a choice, you can deal with things as they
are or you can deal with them as they are not."

John Ferrell
http://DixieNC.US

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Derek Koopowitz" <derekkoopowitz at earthlink.net>
To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 11:42 AM
Subject: RE: May K-Factor

> Paul,
>
> I live in California and got my May issue last week... And I'm the editor
of
> the K-Factor.  What is up with the postal service in this place?  You'd
> think that as the editor I'd get special attention from the USPS but I
> don't.  Darn.  :)
>
> Here's the problem with your suggestion... And I'm now wearing the hat of
> the NSRCA Treasurer.  Mailing the K-Factor to our Canadian friends 1st
class
> would be prohibitively expensive for us.  Back in 2001 bulk mailing rates
> were $1.25 per issue to Canada and 1st class was $2.40 - now it costs us
> more than that per issue, unfortunately.  BTW, we have 25 Canadian members
> now and dues is $40 per member... If you figure that mailing the K-Factor
> 1st class is going to cost us at least $2.50 per issue (I'm not sure of
the
> exact cost) then 12 issues times $2.50 is $30 per year.  That doesn't give
> us much room to actually use the remaining $10 to include production of
the
> K-Factor into the mix.
>
> Now, if advertisers paid for the bulk of the K-Factor then I would have no
> problem mailing it out 1st class to everyone - but they don't.  Currently
> the NSRCA operates at a loss - period - this year we are projected to lose
> $5400.  Our budget alone for the K-Factor is $39,600 which includes
> production, setup and postage - our projected advertising income is only
> $20,000 and last year we only brought in $14,939 in advertising income.
So
> you can see a HUGE difference - the bulk of the dues income goes toward
the
> K-Factor production.
>
> If anyone has some good ideas to speed delivery and/or increase
advertising
> income - I'm all ears.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]
On
> Behalf Of Paul Brine
> Sent: Sunday, June 27, 2004 7:56 AM
> To: discussion at nsrca.org
> Subject: Re: May K-Factor
>
> John:
>
> Still nothing here yet as of June 27th.
>
> May I make a suggestion.  Go back to what works.  First class mail in an
> envelop.  For the 15 or so Canadian members the cost would be mininal and
> may help to prevent further membership erosion.  As I recall back in
> 1999-2000 there were about 50 Canadian members.
>
> When I first joined NSRCA in 1999 Canadian (and other international
members
> too?) received their issues via first class mail in an envelop.  Based on
> postmark delivery was 1-2 weeks.
>
> Dues presumably reflected the cost.  As I recall it was even advertised on
> the membership application form.
>
> K-factor goes on vaction - enter new publisher.
>
> With the new publisher we still got the K-Factor via first class mail in
an
> envelop with a delivery time of 1-2 weeks.  At some point in the relay
> mailing was started, still in an envelop.  This added another 2-3 weeks to
> the delivery time.  With this the K-Factor now arrives the month following
> the issue date.
>
> Enter another new publisher (yourself)
>
> Relay mailing is still in place.  Issue is no longer in an envelop.
Issues
> are now an average of a month and a half late or more.
>
> I know the K-Factor is now available on-line.  However, I am still on
> dial-up and downloading is not an option.  I am also not inclined to burn
> off ink-jet cartridges to print it out.
>
> All of these changes happened without any published announcement from
NSRCA
> about them.
>
> It gets harder and harder to justify membership and promote NSRCA when the
> major benefit for the non-US based members is the magazine and it gets
later
> and later.
>
> You can imagine the conversation.
>
> "You get this really good monthly magazine about pattern"
>
> "Can I see the latest issue"
>
> "Well, all I have is March"
>
> "But this is the end of June ...."
>
> Paul
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: John Avery <javery at nxs.net>
> To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
> Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 3:26 PM
> Subject: RE: May K-Factor
>
>
> > The reason for the Canadian delay is most likely due to the change in
> > mailing times. Earlier this week the new postal system in my local
> > post office (new and different computer system) gave me an estimated
> > 5-10 weeks (that is not a typo) for the issue I mail to get to the
> > Canadian person who remails them direct. For the May issue I had to
> > airmail the Canadian to avoid that delay. I suspect the US Post Office
> > has undergone some delivery time changes with their pricing structure,
> > for the Canadian used to be 10 to 12 days....not weeks.
> >
> > As I said in an earlier email, they may have changed the bulk delivery
> > schedule as well. I could possibly change that to a quicker cycle as
> > well with some work and some luck. I would have to get the K Factor
> > approved by the post office as a monthly magazine or periodical to get
> > the better rates and faster delivery times.
> >
> > I will talk to the NSRCA board after getting price estimates for
> > mailing the issues direct versus mailing them bulk. Then the board can
> > decide what route to take.
> >
> > John Avery
> > Avery Publishing
> > PO Box 282
> > Vonore TN 37885
> > 1-865-856-0480
> > www.averypublishing.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: discussion-request at nsrca.org
> > [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org]
> > On Behalf Of pbrine at uoguelph.ca
> > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 1:21 PM
> > To: discussion at nsrca.org
> > Subject: Re: May K-Factor
> >
> > You're still part of the the USA.  You only have to deal with USPS.
> >
> > We have the "priviledge" of having our KFactor shipped in bulk to
> > someone here who then remails them individually through Canada Post.
> >
> > Way back when we had them mailed directly to us it used to take a week
> > or so to get here based on the postmarks.  The new and improved method
> > adds 2-3 weeks or more to the process.  This is measuring by the posts
> > on the mailing list.
> >
> > As I said April is still early by recent standards as it's not the mid
> > of June yet.
> >
> > Paul
> >
> > Quoting Michael Laggis <fishgod at pobox.mtaonline.net>:
> >
> > > Got mine in Alaska.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > > Michael Laggis
> > > AKA Moose Boy
> > > NSRCA 3618
> > > http://www.alaskarc.org
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: <pbrine at uoguelph.ca>
> > > To: <discussion at nsrca.org>
> > > Sent: Friday, June 04, 2004 4:48 AM
> > > Subject: Re: May K-Factor
> > >
> > >
> > > > Has anyone north of the border gotten April yet?
> > > >
> > > > Only a little over a month late.  That makes it still early.
> > > >
> > > > Not everyone is in a position to download the issues.
> > > >
> > > > Paul
> > > >
> > > > Quoting Ed Hartley <roho2 at rcpattern.com>:
> > > >
> > > > > Is now on line.
> > > > >
> > > > > Ed H.
> > > > > =====================================
> > > > > # To be removed from this list, go to
> > > http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> > > > > and follow the instructions.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > =====================================
> > > > # To be removed from this list, go to
> > http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> > > > and follow the instructions.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > > =====================================
> > > # To be removed from this list, go to
> > http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> > > and follow the instructions.
> > >
> >
> >
> > =====================================
> > # To be removed from this list, go to
> > http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> > and follow the instructions.
> >
> >
> > =====================================
> > # To be removed from this list, go to
> > http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> > and follow the instructions.
>
>
> =====================================
> # To be removed from this list, go to http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> and follow the instructions.
>
>
>
> =====================================
> # To be removed from this list, go to http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
> and follow the instructions.
>

=====================================
# To be removed from this list, go to http://www.nsrca.org/discussionA.htm
and follow the instructions.