May K-Factor

pbrine at uoguelph.ca pbrine at uoguelph.ca
Wed Jun 30 05:52:14 AKDT 2004 

I emailed Maureen at the same time I posted the original note to the list.  

Paul

Quoting Derek Koopowitz <derekkoopowitz at earthlink.net>:

> Paul,
> 
> If you don't have April... That IS a problem.  I'm not sure why you don't
> but I would contact Maureen Dunphy and let her know.  How many other
> Canadian members don't have their April issue?
> 
> Bottom line... We're working on the problem and hope to have it addressed
> soon.  BTW, setup stays constant - it is the printing that changes
> dramatically when pages/totals change.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: discussion-request at nsrca.org [mailto:discussion-request at nsrca.org] On
> Behalf Of pbrine at uoguelph.ca
> Sent: Tuesday, June 29, 2004 6:54 PM
> To: discussion at nsrca.org
> Subject: RE: May K-Factor
> 
> Derek:
> 
> You missed my point: I STILL DON'T HAVE APRIL YET, NEVERMIND MAY AND IT'S
> NOW THE END OF JUNE.
> 
> Membership numbers were as published in the February issue.
> 
> As you noted the major product NSRCA has to attract new members and hold
> existing members is the K-Factor.  Without this magazine on a timely basis
> the problem will get worse.  I expect it will get harder to sell advertising
> as well. If I were an advertizer I would not want to spend money to
> advertise in a publication that is a month or more late.
> 
> with regards to the mailing cost. Unfortunately I didn't keep any envelops
> from the direct mailing days.  I don't recall seeing the postage being more
> than about $1.25.
> 
> Currently NSRCA is spending about $0.65US plus whatever shipping to Canada
> is costing to mail the Canadian issues.
> 
> An eversion is not an option due to download time on dailup.  Not everyone
> has highspeed.
> 
> As far as saving money by going electronic goes my experience is that the
> most of the cost of printing a publication is in the setup.  Changing the
> number of copies unless the change is very large does not change the total
> cost significantly.  As an example for a recent small print run at work
> changing number of copies from 200 to 500 only changed the total cost by
> about $200.  
> Most of the cost is in the set up.
>  
> Paul
> Quoting Derek Koopowitz <derekkoopowitz at earthlink.net>:
> 
> > 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.
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