Need another magazine – recommendations?
emaxxman
| Posted in General Discussion on
I’m not sure if this is appropriate for here or not. If it’s not, feel free to delete this; I understand.
I LOVE Fine Homebuilding! I also subscribe to Fine Gardening. Not really into Fine Woodworking…at least not yet. I’m more into home renovation at this point. I personally like to read home renovation books and magazines just like a lot of people like to read novels.
I need a magazine recommendation to compliment Fine Homebuilding. The problem is that I read thru it in just a few days and then left waiting 2 months for the next issue. I’d like to have something else to read in between.
So what other home renovation/building mags are you guys reading?
Replies
Journal of Light Construction
and it comes monthly
and it has a forum, too. But BT has more wierdos. And I mean that in a good way.
"and it has a forum, too. But BT has more wierdos. And I mean that in a good way.""they" don't tolerate non-pro's there very well
bobl Volo, non valeo
Baloney detecter
Remodeling, Qualified Remodelor, Walls and Ceilings, Environmental Design and Construction, Mother Jones.
A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
aside from what shep said, this old house is interesting but i think addressed more to the homeowner type vs a contractor but i still like it and it keeps my wife from taking my fine homebuilding.
I used to be a subscriber to This Old House. To me it was a "look at the kind of house a gazillion dollars can get you but we're not going to show you how to build it yourself."
I agree completely with your assessment of "this old house" magazine. Its basically a magazine for designers not do-ers. I'm not a pro, but I'm renovating our house myself with DW and I outgrew "this old house"
magazine PDQ. Does anyone else think Tauton's magazines are absurdly overpriced? I agree they are quality for the most part, but $37 for 8 issues is kind of high.
Old House Journal is vastly superior to "This $Old$ House". It has sources for useful items and the articles can at least get you pointed in the right direction, though I wish they were a bit more detailed and covered more of the "what if you find XYZ" angles.
From a quality perspective, I think it is a good value. However, I do think the price is high given all the advertising. I know there was a discussion on how advertising is done and therefore justification for the cost. Personally, I would gladly pay another $30 a year for it to come out 10 times a year plus the 2 special issues.
Bob, if you go to http://www.magazinepricesearch.com that Shoemaker recommends, it looks like you can get 8 issues of FHB for $24.75.
Edited 10/25/2005 1:11 pm ET by gtmtnbiker
Jugz, D-Cup, Hustler, Penthouse, can I say things like that on here?
You beat me to it.
Long term its got to be more. When FHB renews it, I imagine its at the regular price. But $25 is a much more reasonable number. Thanks.
So what's the catch to those super low magazine prices? Are they just introductory prices for new readers? My wife's Martha Stewart Living would be 25% of what we currently pay. If it's too good to be true...you know the rest.
I think ad fees are based on subscription rates - the more subscribers they have, the more they can charge per ad (and the more ads they can run). So they can sell the mag at break-even (just the cost to print and ship) to drive up their subscription rate.
I once heard that this is why the original Life magazine went under - they nearly gave away the mag to get a high subscription rate, but when ad revenue fell off a little they couldn't pay to print the magazine.
I got TOH several years ago at a very low intro rate, never renewed it, but it keeps coming. Not a bad deal! But I agree with a lot of the other posters - JLC is my second favorite (to FHB).
That's called "rate base" in the industry, and you're more or less right. The industry takes it seriously, and most magazines submit to an annual voluntary audit of their circulation by an independent agency. However, Taunton never discounts subscriptions to maintain its rate base, because doing so wouldn't be fair to those of you paying full freight. I'm not sure how you can get those subs at those prices. By the way, unlike most publishers, the major source of Taunton's revenue is from magazine sales, not ad revenue.Andy Engel
Senior editor, Fine Woodworking magazine
Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.
Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value. --Robert M. Pirsig
None of this matters in geological time.
You might want to look around here
http://www.magazinepricesearch.com/index.html
with the prices there you might be able to try a few
I'd second Shep's recommendation for Journal of Light Construction. Inspired House is also not bad, but more interior design than construction.
I subscribe to Reason (libertarian), Secular Humanism, Inc., Playboy, Fine Homebuilding, National Review, SolidSurface and Journal of Light Construction.
One day the Fine Homebuilding and Playboy arrived simultaneously. I hate to admit it, but I opend the Fine Homebuilding first. Must be gettin' old.
There are many free builder / remodeler magazines avaliable in connection with the National Association of Homebuilders. You do not need to be a member of the NAHB to receive the professional trade publications.
Subscibe to Professional Builder (free) online at:
http://www.housingzone.com/subscribe
Get hooked up with these people and they will undoubtedly send you additional offers for Professional Remodeler or others. You may find that you can sign up for others at the Professional Builder site. I think I get about 6 professional trades magazines / all free. Publisher is at http://www.reedbusiness.com
Advertiser pay the cost for mags to get their names and product information to the ones who use them most.
a big second on the JLC subscription ...
used to be a closer tie ... with FHb usually winning by a hair ...
nowadays ... if I could only keep one ... I'd keep the JLC.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Look over on the left for "FHB magazine issues for sale "
Those older ones took a lot longer to read.
Joe H