Love the Magazine, Love Rachael, It's the subscription offers that the problem
927565
As the title states, I love the magazine, and I love Rachael Ray - she's just great!

My problem is with the publishers and all the confusing information.
1.  One year equals 12 months!
Wrong!  One year is, ah ? 10 months!
When the magazine first came out, the offer was 1 FREE issue (11 issues total) for the rate of $18.00 - (The quoted Cover Price - $39.90 for 10 issues - what a DEAL!)

I received my "Summary of Account", and that Summary statement shows the cover price of $43.89 - WOW, my savings just went from 55% to 58%!

Today, I received my December/January 2007 Issue, and another renewal offer.  They're offering me a great deal to renew about 10 months early!  For 2 years (not 24 months of issues) for 20 issues, I get to pay them $29.98.  Another 24 months puts me into 2009, or there abouts - My current subscription ends in October 2007.

Also today, in the mail, I received a separate offer (different return box number). I can give a "one year (10 issues)" gift subscription at an "adjusted rate" for $18.00.

Okay, so, should I give myself a gift for additional 10 issues at $18.00, or sign up for 20 issues for $29.98?? - I'm confused. The $29.98 deal sounds pretty good.

NOT! - Neither Offer.  The idea that I'm going to renew and pay, (in other words, let them be my bank) my subscription about 1 year in advance is not gonna happen.  I quit Reader's Digest, and maybe I'll be quitting Consumer's Report because they were/are always telling me I need to renew when I don't.

At least these offers aren't telling me my subscription is about to expire, - yet.

Guess this sort of marketing works or else they wouldn't do it.  I just wish we'd be given their best offer and be done with it - crazy marketing.  Just makes me wonder - really - how low can they go to get me back after I quit renewing because of all their antics.

Oh, LOVE THE MAGAZINE!
944300
The is the only magazine that treats writing as a career and a passion as opposed to a hobby. It's important, useful, and consistently interesting. The short articles on the ins and outs of writing (and what trips people up in pursuit of publication) are always useful, and their calendar is accurate, thorough, and detailed. In some issues they've covered controversies pertaining to different contests and publishing companies, and this is really vital. With so many literary magazines, contests, and publishers, anything that can help you weed out the bad ones is a tremendous asset.

Here's the downside: I've been following this magazine for over ten years, and I no longer buy it. Why? They produce the same issues over and over (and over) again. Every year has an MFA issue, a small publishers issue, a literary agent issue. It's tiring. The MFA issue in particular is about as useless as my MFA degree. It's become a formula, and I really, REALLY want them to change it up to address the modern publishing world, and all the ways it is rapidly changing -- from epublishing, to self publishing, to maintaining a strong online presence. If they changed the format enough that I'd find myself incapable of predicting the contents of the next month's issue, I'd subscribe again.
4160773
I've been subscribing to InStyle since they came into publication and love their magazine. I will not give up on the print edition of this mag. I still have to have the print edition to drool over their pages and hungrily devour their articles. Its part of my R&R routine.
4034527
Since the new app was released, hasn't worked correctly. Can't see the "what to watch this week" which my favorite part. Once it is fixed, I'll update my rating. But for now, not happy.

Updated 7/22/14: They fixed the issue & I'm a happy girl! I really do love this magazine & the info it offers
4271868
This used to be a pretty good magazine but as of 2015 the publisher decided to go from 6 issues a year to only 4 for the same price of six. The last year on my subscription just started and I was told that I would have two fewer issues which means instead of 4 issues I will be getting only 2. How nice of them. I should be getting the last 2 issues this year and the first 2 issues next year but the end date on my subscription was set to this year so I will only get the last 2 issues. I feel like I am getting ripped off, getting only 2 issues instead of 4, especially when I last renewed my subscription they were still putting out 6 issues a year, so in reality I am losing 4 issues. Save your money and get Communication Arts instead. At least at the time of this writing they were still doing 6 issues a year.
2150609
Great magazine, great price...but I had no idea it would take 3 months for the 1st issue to arrive. It was a birthday gift for my dad, but now he has to wait 1/4 of a year to start receiving it!!? Just get the subscription directly from the magazine
1817823
I subscribed to the print version of this magazine for several years, then stopped because of clutter. I almost subscribed to the Kindle Fire version because I do like the look of it and the back issues can be kept in the Cloud, but the print subscription is less than the KF subscription price. I should note that subscription prices are set by publishers, not Amazon. This is happening with books as well, but that's another story. Anyway, love the magazine, but the price disparity has made me choose not to buy either of the subscriptions or the off the rack copy. There is really no reason for the KF  subscription to be higher. Something to think about before you subscribe.
202939
In recent years Smithsonian has become an annoyingly trendy, ultra-p.c. general-interest magazine that's like NPR in print, with the relentless liberal slant that goes with it.  But there's normally an article or two worth reading, and since the organization is a nonprofit, the subscriptions it offers are pleasantly low-cost.

HOWEVER, consider: When you subscribe for "11 issues," you are NOT going to receve a year's worth of the magazine.  The small print on my subscription card reads "Smithsonian is usually published eleven times a year."  Note the word "times" instead of "issues."  It publishes one issue over the summer -- July/August -- but you are charged for TWO issues. ("Combined issues ... count as two issues," the small print reads.)  So be warned:  If you subscribe to Smithsonian for "11 issues," you are actually going to receive only 10 individual copies of the magazine -- NOT a full year.  (This little discovery is the result of an extended conversation with a starchy rep at the magazine's subscription department.)
4216419
I really like the magazine, but if the Kindle subscription is to be the same price, then it has to be of exactly the same utility. Even on my brand new DX many of the images (charts for instance) are low res and hence somewhat grainy.  Perhaps I am missing a setting or shortcut to enlarge the graphics, but I don't think so. I will stick with it for a few weeks and see if the quality improves and the price comes down. I don't believe that Economist marketing people have thought through this. I believe that while some subscriptions might move from print to Kindle, that there will be many more subscriptions to balance it. I for one have been an occasional reader always meaning to subscribe, and buying a Kindle finally made me buy one. However, I am not convinced I will stick with it at this price.

One other disappointment is that having purchased a subscription at the same price as a print subscription I went to the Economist web site thinking that I would now be able to access the "Premium Content". This however, appears to be valid only for Print subscribers; there is no way to access this as a Kindle subscriber. At half the price I would be 'somewhat' OK with this, but at the same price as the print edition, I do not find this acceptable :-(
731138
Do not subscribe to this publication through Amazon. If you don't read your issues immediately, they are automatically deleted off your device after a couple of months, and if your subscription is no longer active, you will no longer have access to the back issues you paid for. Amazon customer service was profoundly unhelpful about this issue and assured me that it was working as intended.

From now on, I will stick to buying magazines through Weightless Books, where I can download the publication in the format of my choice and save it locally.
54797
Great price for a great magazine BUT...I wish the huge Time-Life company would go to the same technology Rolling Stone and others use where you can double tap the article and another box pops up with a larger version of the article which is much easier to read than just enlarging the print manually which still remains small but readable. But the price was right for the digital subscription so I am satisfied with a little straining to read it.
1373988
I signed up for a subscription in July, when the June, July, AND August editions of Women's Health had already hit newsstands, so I am very frustrated and dissapointed that they sent me not one, but TWO magazines that had been on newsstands for over a month. This means that instead of getting all 12 magazines, I'll be receiving 10 of them; the first two I had already read a month ago. Beware when subscribing!!
3664648
I love Tennis Magazine, but I seem to be having trouble with missed issues.  I know they only put out 8 issues per year, but I renewed my subscription on Aug. 29th.  It is now Sept. 30, and I still have not received the next issue.  Surely one got skipped.  That should mean an extra issue, since I paid for a year... we'll see.
3657425
I enjoy this magazine and it has a lot of great articles. My only complaint - I hate auto renewal. My suggestion - try the magazine...but watch out for that auto renewal.
4348439
BUYER BEWARE if you sign up  keep an eye on your subscription labels, they start taking away months. I have had this happen twice now and they argue with me and tell me I am wrong. I know what I paid for and had to fight to get all the issues I paid for. I will never order or buy this magazine again.
4472224
I purchased a 2 year subscription to this magazine last July through a deal website (groupon, livingsocial, crowdsavings, etc.).  I think the articles are well written and I even enjoy the write ups in the beer review section.  What I don't like is it is close to going on 10 months and I have only ever received 2 issues.  I contacted the magazine late last year to inquire about why I had not received the fall/autumn issue.  They ensured me that I will get all 8 of my issues that I paid for, but they didn't have time to create a fall issue.  They didn't say it was behind, they just said I will get a winter issue, which showed up at the beginning of January.  Overall the magazine is written well with good content, when you can read it.  I didn't think by signing up for 8 issues, it would wind up being a 4 year subscription.  Oh well, I'll keep waiting BC mag.
1194803
I love Lapham's Quarterly, and the prices for used on Amazon including shipping are usually half that of ordering back issues directly.  A great magazine for literary fans without limitless free time for cutting through the avant waste of most journals. Beware, however, this particular issue on Death is quite gruesome at times (It is all about death, both natural and unnatural.) I would recommend starting with other, lighter issues. Cheers.