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Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 177
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 7:43 pm: | 
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OK, I need some advice here, and I'm hoping that there are some people here who could help me out.
I think I've got the editorial aspects of making a magazine reasonably under control, but the getting it out to people is giving me major headaches.
I've just been following the old method of charging the same for subscribers in the US and Canada and adding an extra $5 per year for readers overseas... except in my trips to the post office this week that doesn't seem to make any sense for what I actually get charged.
For one thing, shipping to Canada costs more than shipping within the U.S. Apparently just as much as shipping overseas, unless the post office is botching things up for me. So having those subscriptions costs the same doesn't make a lot of sense, as far as I can tell.
And the $5 extra for overseas doesn't come close to reflecting the difference in postage costs. If I ship by airmail, I pay around $4 more just for one issue (not including the hassle of having to fill out all the customs forms), so that $5 extra that is paid doesn't really help. If I send by surface mail, not only do they say it takes about a month to get there (yeah, I can't imagine mail by boat is too speedy), but I'm still paying about $2.50 more per issue than U.S. subscribers. That $5 is gone in two issues out of the four that get sent out.
Does anyone have any suggestions on this? Is there some special class of shipping the post office isn't telling me about that's cheaper somehow? I may be able to have European copies printed out off a UK press and mailed from that country, but I'm not sure if that ends up saving any money over the long run either.
So, yeah, my apologies to everyone, but from trying to deal with all of this I still have about 20% of the issues to be mailed out. And even some of the ones already in the mail will have a nice leisurely trip to get to their destinations.
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Holger Haase
Sergeant
Username: Holger
Post Number: 34
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 4:16 am: |
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A couple of thoughts from my side:
*Surface mail - despite the name - also comes via plane. Nothing to do with slow boats, though you may be fooled to believe that. Difference to normal airmail is that normal airmail goes out no matter how many letters there are in the airmail container. Surface mail only goes out when the shipping container is full. I was once surprised when a surface mail I received from the States (I live in Ireland) took less time than regular airmail. Well, it was Christmas, so containers filled up fast. There were other times when it took me two months or more (!) to receive packages, so it can be very slow.
*Don't you have something like a book mail option in the States? I think I read about it somewhere.
*I know it's a drag, but why not once calculate the proper postage for all the main countries you're sending these to as opposed to giving a general $5 hike?
*Give your subscribers options: If they want to save on postage fees let them opt for surface mail, but make it pretty clear that they may have to wait a while!
*As for mail to Canada costing more than shipping to US: Isn't Canada an independent country? ;-)
Anyway, just some food for thought.
All the best
Holger |
John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 215
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 6:47 pm: |
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Hi Dan,
I am afraid that I don't know much about the US postal system, but here in the UK, the Royal Mail have something called the printed paper rate, which is used for postage of newspapers and magazines.
Their charging system for international deliveries is split into two rates (a) europe (b) world wide.
Prices increase on weight but for 100 grammes the chage is 85p europe and £1.25p. worldwide.
Perhaps the US system has something similar?
Best Regards
John Savage |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 183
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 6:05 am: |
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Thanks for the advice. Gave me some things to think about.
I did do the book rate -- media mail -- for U.S. subscribers, and that seems to be making it in under a week or so, which isn't bad. Of course at other times it may not be that fast.
Giving subscribers a more accurate set of shipping costs and even providing options to choose from the different types is a good idea. I'm sure there are some people who wouldn't mind paying extra for air mail and others who don't mind a little bit of a wait.
Mostly though I think one huge step up would be printing and mailing the issues that go to the UK in the UK itself. One of the plusses of this particular printing company is that they can do special order small print runs, and they do have a press in the UK, so that might work out. And that would get rid of most of the really annoying customs forms I had to fill out. Do you end up getting taxed? If so, how much? Do you still get taxed if it comes from within the UK?
And of course the other thing is if I get them printed up earlier and mailed out, even if they take a little while to get there it could still be there in plenty of time for the month of the cover date. That was my original plan this time around but I had a couple of unexpected delays.
I think I'll get this sorted out. I'll pour over my shipping receipts and ask some questions of the printer and the post office and see what I can do.
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 186
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 8:06 pm: |
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OK, and just to toss this in here... It sounds like some of the issues I sent "surface mail" to the UK are already showing up, which is pretty quick. They've beaten some issues I sent out on earlier days as air mail or within the US.
Whacky.
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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John Savage
Inspector
Username: Johnsavage
Post Number: 217
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 4:23 pm: |
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Hi Dan,
Regarding tax, we have in the UK something called VAT (value added tax). If the printer were to send his invoice to a UK address he would almost certainly have to add VAT which is curently at 17.5%. However if he is sending the bill to USA he may not have to do this if the item is for export.
Not being a tax expert I can give no definite answer, but perhaps you should check this out with the printer?.
Best Regards
John Savage |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 309
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 5:43 pm: |
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This time around I'm going to have my printing company run off the copies going to the UK off their UK-based press and then have someone there mail them out.
So what that means is I'm looking for people in the UK who want to subscribe/resubscribe to Ripper Notes by check in British pounds (£20 by my conversion) to contact me. That way you don't have to convert money at a loss just for me to convert it back at more loss.
If you're interested, contact me by email on the link on my name below or via the RipperNotes.com web site. I think that'll help things out quite considerably. It should be faster and more convenient for everyone.
Of course now that I'm getting subscriptions in Italy, Australia, the Middle East and elsewhere I have to figure out the most efficient ways to handle those too...
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Thomas C. Wescott
Inspector
Username: Tom_wescott
Post Number: 211
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:14 pm: |
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The Middle East is reading Ripper Notes? Great, now we're giving them even MORE ideas! 
Yours truly,
Tom Wescott |
Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 364
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2004 - 10:00 am: |
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For those keeping track, we did have all the European copies of the October 2004 Ripper Notes issue printed up on a UK press and shipped out from there. I think it worked out pretty well, all things considered with it being the first time we tried to do that.
That means we'll probably continue to do that with future issues. Because of that, once again, anyone who is interested in subscribing or renewing by checque or money order in British pounds should email me (click my name in the signature) to find out how to do so. (But of course the normal options, like paying by credit card on the www.rippernotes.com website, will still work.)
(Message edited by dannorder on November 17, 2004)
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Legion
Inspector
Username: Crix0r
Post Number: 346
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 23, 2004 - 2:13 pm: |
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Hello Dan -
Might I offer up the suggestion of getting a secure server and putting up the pages in PDF form? If formatted properly (and locked down securely of course) it would be an ideal solution. You can charge the same for your magazine and not have to charge for shipping. Or even have the hassle of shipping anywhere. You can have two versions of your mag: A PDF, fully printable version or the good ol' fashion version that cost more.
Just a suggestion of course. I might be able to help if it's something you want to look into.
I'll see you at the next secret squirrel meeting. Don't forget the password and secret handshake :P
Legion
"Our name is legion, for we are many"
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Dan Norder
Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 409
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Friday, December 03, 2004 - 2:07 am: |
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Hi Legion,
There are a number of reasons I'm not really interested in pursuing that idea right now.
While I can lock the PDFs down on a server, once someone buys one there'd be no way to stop them from just copying the file endlessly and sending it out. Granted, I would hope the people who would stoop to such piracy aren't the types who would be a copy in the first place, but I still don't want to risk it.
Second, while I send the magazine to the printers in PDF format, it is set up in a way that would not be all that easy to read on screen. It's already a lot of work to put the things together, and I think the extra work of formatting a for sale PDF version and putting up a website to handle that aspect would likely be more trouble than it's worth at this point.
Legion is a new name for you. It's kind of creepy, but then I guess that's what you were going for.
Dan Norder, editor, Ripper Notes
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Leanne Perry
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 1863
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 7:18 pm: |
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G'day,
My boyfriend just offered to pay for a years subscription to 'Ripper Notes' for me as a Christmas gift, starting with the issue I contributed to.
Unfortunatedly I have lost the address in England I was told to post the British pounds to, as my father has had to take everything off this computer and put it back on.
Could you please remind me Dan?
LEANNE PERRY |
Dan Norder
Chief Inspector
Username: Dannorder
Post Number: 964
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 7:54 pm: |
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Hi Leanne,
Updated subscription prices and addresses can always be found at:
www.RipperNotes.com/subscribe.html
Right now it's in $40 US / US$45 (or £25) in Canada or UK / US$50 (or £28) elsewhere... So in your case you can send payment of 28 British pounds to:
Jennifer Pegg
Ripper Notes subscriptions
81 Rowan Street
Leicester LE3 9GP
UK
And that should get you all taken care of.
If you have any other questions just let Jenni or myself know.
Dan Norder, Editor
Ripper Notes: The International Journal for Ripper Studies
 Profile  Email  Dissertations  Website
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Leanne Perry
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 1864
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 8:33 pm: |
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G'day Dan,
28 British pounds = $65.80 Australian. I'll go to 'Thomas Cooke' and change the cash then post it to Jennifer in a secure envelope, because it adds too much to the cost to send a bank-cheque or postal-money order. Then I'll hand the receipt to my boyfriend.
LEANNE |
Leanne Perry
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Leanne
Post Number: 1865
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 1:18 am: |
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G'day Dan,
I just had to buy 30 pounds, (28 pounds plus insurance), which cost me $72.57 Australian, then I had to pay $7.50 Commission making the total $80.07 Australian. WOW!
It's on it's way to Jennifer in a cardboard C.D.\photograph postpak!
LEANNE
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Jennifer Pegg
Assistant Commissioner
Username: Jdpegg
Post Number: 2968
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 4:46 am: |
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Hi Leanne,
I'll look out for it.
Jenni
"You know I'm not gonna diss you on the Internet
Cause my momma taught me better than that."
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Scott Nelson
Inspector
Username: Snelson
Post Number: 155
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 10:57 am: |
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I sure hope its worth it in the long-run, Leanne. Only time will tell and you are the judge. |
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