Mark, thanks for your response! I'm glad to hear that you think the content of SQL Server Magazine is valuable enough that you'd pay even more for it.
:-) I don't know that enough of your fellow DBAs would agree with that (from what I've been told by our managers), but I'll definitely pass along your suggestion for doing a reader survey about sub. price to our circulation team. To give you some perspective on the dilemma that SQL Mag (and just about every other trade magazine--look what's happened to the size of Computerworld, for instance) faces, paper and mailing costs are skyrocketing-and have been for several years. Adding pages could increase our production and postage costs well beyond an amount that would produce an acceptable profit margin with a 30-40 % ad ratio, as SQL Mag currently has. Like any business, we have to earn enough profit--if for no other reason than to keep publishing the quality material that we do! I appreciate your feedback, and the editorial staff will consider your suggestions for more pages, publishing all the code, and larger font size.
Anne Grubb, Web site strategic editor, SQL Server Magazine

Anne2/13/2008 9:55:58 AM

Hi Anne,

I just read your article and my first reaction is why don't you raise the subscription price for the magazine ? You currently charging some $40 per year (not to mention discounts, promotions, etc). What for us, highly paid database professionals, 40 dollars is ? For most for us, it is equivalent of about 1/2 hour pay. I think you can easily increase it by 25-50%, and we database community will accept it with understanding.

As for me, I would love to see your magazine would have like 64 pages instead of currently 48, with all the code printed in paper edition as well slightly increased font size and perhaps fitting more articles which have been declined just because of printing space concerns, for paying subscription price accordingly.

And by keepping a ratio of 30-40% of advertisements you will actually get more revenue from this source as well because you will get some 5 extra pages for this.

If you think I am only one like this, you can conduct a survey for this topic, online or in paper edition. I think you will get 99% approval for this.

Have a happy New Year.

Mark Shvarts

Mark12/30/2007 6:41:50 PM