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Post by NoelSmith on Nov 16, 2017 9:54:17 GMT
Model Cars Magazine subscribers deliveries appear to have been going out further over this last couple of years. My article about the 'Duel' rig that went to press in it in November 2015 remains unpaid for. I guess that they must be having some serious cash flow problems to resolve since Golden Bell Press closed their doors.
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Post by jwhalen on Nov 30, 2017 19:44:58 GMT
Hi Noel,
I have been in contact with the editor recently about writing articles for them. He is having problems getting advertisers to pay and is owed quite a bit of money. Currently he is unable to pay contributors. The magazines are certainly getting very few and far between - a shame because it can be a good publication, the last issue is certainly a good one.
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Post by NoelSmith on Dec 1, 2017 15:50:22 GMT
Hello Jim
I chased up my Duel article payment in February this year and yet again about a couple of weeks ago.
Nothing has been forthcoming at all. So I will certainly not be writing any more for MCM as I would like to see my $400.00 dollar invoice cleared. I guess that there may be other regular writers holding back who are also unpaid for their work.
Realistically, I doubt that I will ever get paid although their debt to me still stands.
Since their publisher,Golden Bell Publishing in Denver closed, MCM has been virtually run as a one man band by their editor in Hawaii taking on all the associated costs (and risks) involved.
Layout, printing and distribution will be running into thousands of dollars , so not sure if MCM can be sustained without a massive injection of cash, or a publishing company taking it on.
Looking at the small number of display advertisements in each magazine, the few hundreds of dollars owed to MCM by their advertisers will probably not equate to anywhere near the layout, production and distribution costs. Look at what our own IPMS magazine costs to produce and distribute to members to get some idea. Our magazine costs are well covered, but try to imagine putting out a commercial magazine that besides subscribers, relies on off the shelf sales in retail outlets, probably on sale or return basis.
It would be a shame if it went to the wall as it is a good auto modelling magazine. Model magazine publishing is unfortunately a fickle business to be in, and I have seen many titles come and go over the years.
I wish you well if you are considering risking writing for them under the current climate. My only bit of advice is look at the small print in the magazine with regard to submissions though before sending anything. If you know what you send will be a free submission to them, that is fine if you are putting it down to simply getting your name known and establishing yourself as a writer on the magazine circuit.
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 5, 2018 10:09:42 GMT
Hopefully MCM will survive into 2018. What form it will take, who knows? The 'Changes at MCM' thread has been removed from the General section of their forum. Perhaps there will be a new announcement made about how they will be moving forward.
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 26, 2018 9:19:29 GMT
Hi Jim
How has your subscription to MCM been? I have not received a copy since the one that started to run a series of chapters from the late Harry Pristovnik's book The Evolution of the Automobile in Scale. The last copy I had sent to me featured the first chapter of the book that was about horse drawn vehicles. I have a copy of the book, and it looks to me as though MCM may be short of new articles being submitted and using the book chapters as easy fill material. Hopefuly they are not on a downward spiral, but who knows?
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Post by NoelSmith on Feb 24, 2018 10:10:18 GMT
Still not been paid for my article that went to press in MCM's Nov 2015 copy. Unfortunately, having chased up my 400 dollar fee again during the latter part of 2017, I am getting the distinct impression that they have no intention of paying me at all. I guess that there must be a number of previous writers unpaid like myself who have stopped writing for them as well. My understanding is that now they are not paying for any new material submitted. At this rate their writer pool will shrink to the extent that they will struggle to get any material submitted at all. As a result it appears that they have been using extracts from the late Harry Prisovnik's book as fill material in recent editions. Looking on MCM's forum, subscriber deliveries going out further still apears to be a real issue. How long will it be before subscribers patience starts to wear thin, and the subscriber base starts to disappear when present subscriptions run their course? This year I fear may be a make or break year for MCM.
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Post by NoelSmith on Apr 30, 2018 8:45:38 GMT
Still not been paid for my Duel Rig article in Model Cars Magazine since November 2015. After all this time I have come to the conclusion that there is no intention on their part to pay my author's fee. Looking at the Model Cars Magazine forum it can be seen that their subscriber deliveries are still unacceptably late. So it looks to me as though MCM is still in a perilous state. As far as I know it is still being run as a one man band so cannot see how things will improve. I somehow feel that unfortunately we are looking at the drawn out demise of Model Cars Magazine as subscribers lose confidence and gradually stop renewing.
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Post by NoelSmith on Mar 10, 2019 8:23:21 GMT
Their forum is active, but Model Cars Mag seems to be hanging in by a thread. I guess it will eventually succumb as disappointed subscribers drop away.
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Post by NoelSmith on Apr 25, 2019 6:55:18 GMT
Nothing seems to have changed at all. Same old lame platitudes and excuses. Working hard! Getting it back on track etc. At the rate it is issued my guess is that a year subscription will last three judging by the slow production rate!
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Post by NoelSmith on Jun 24, 2019 16:39:41 GMT
Latest I heard was that they were begging people to take up life memberships to keep the magazine going. Cannot see how any of this will stop it going down the pan along with the trusting folks subscriptions.
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Post by NoelSmith on Feb 10, 2020 18:09:00 GMT
Last I heard was they got one copy out last year. If this is true, why bother at all.
The subscribers will not renew getting this level of service. Supposed to be 6 issues a year.
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Post by NoelSmith on Aug 14, 2020 8:38:25 GMT
Latest on the MCM website is that they have just appointed an associate editor named Larry Greenberg.
Not sure if this appointment will help get it back on track of not. Let's see!
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 26, 2023 8:40:11 GMT
It seems to be getting back on track under its new editorship.
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Post by NoelSmith on Nov 1, 2023 17:27:26 GMT
It has been getting back to a somewhat normal schedule again by recent appearances.
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Post by NoelSmith on Jan 9, 2024 12:10:37 GMT
Pleased to see Model Cars Magazine getting back on track.
Particularly as Scale Auto and Model Car Builder have both closed.
I have sent MCM photos of civilian vehicles in the competition taken at SMW 2023 to publicise IPMS UK. Whether they will use them or not I don't know.
Fortunately here in the UK we have Model Car Truck and Motorcycle Magazine that has morphed from the old Truck Model World when bought out by another publisher. It is quite a good magazine with well balanced articles.
I believe that there is a dedicated truck modelling magazine currently being published in the USA that I have not seen.
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