In the magazine biz, there are two customers of utmost importance: Your subscribers, and your newsstand buyers. Subscribers who pay an annual fee for home delivery help a publisher’s “rate base,” or the guaranteed number of readers they can provide advertisers, as well as deliver a predictable revenue stream. But newsstand buyers, who pay more per issue, tell the publisher how buzzworthy any particular issue is, but don’t guarantee their loyalty every month. So why is Genre stiffing subscribers while feeding the newsstand? Update: The magazine responds.
A Genre subscriber tells Queerty he didn’t receive December’s issue — the one with Broadway hottie Nick Adams — but did see it on newsstands. So he called Genre‘s subscription line, and was told they didn’t even send it out to subscribers. “The woman I talked to said there was some problem with the printer and they were trying to find out from the Genre folks if the magazine would ever ship to subscribers or if we’d be credited.”
And it seems this subscriber is as cynical as we: “But given all the issues with publications these days, I’m wondering if the problem was Genre didn’t pay the printer to print the subscriber issues. Or is the magazine about to fold?”
We’ve got a message out to Genre‘s editor Neal Boulton. We’ll let you know what we hear. But if you subscribe to Genre, tell us: Are your issues missing from the mailbox?
Update: Boulton writes in:
I actually did hear from a few of my www.Bastardlife.com readers that their Genre subscription copies did not arrive. I am in contact with our new printer to figure out why this might have happened–apparently there were a few blocks of zip codes that did not receive their latest issue.
We are working with our subscription team to hand-stamp and mail out a copy of the last issue to any subscriber that calls in with a subscription issue. It might be as simple as re-printing the issues and sending out to the entire mailing list, a costly alternative that is being explored. I would ask any Jossip or Queerty followers who are also Genre subscribers who might have been impacted by this situation to contact me personally at [email protected] and I will forward their request to our fulfillment house.
In addition, we will be extending all subscriber’s subscriptions two months for any inconvenience experienced as a result of not having their issue delivered in a timely manner. We are also taking steps to avoid this kind of thing from happening in the future, and thank our readers for their patience.
To be honest we were caught napping on this one–and fortunately our dedicated readers who look to us each month for a full slate of information on fitness, fashion and fun have let themselves be heard. They have a right to be annoyed and fortunately, we have taken a proactive stance. Judging from our high sell through and success on the newsstand, Genre is very much in demand–so I plan to keep supplying that demand.
gabe
Didn’t get mine, either. I think the last one I received was that awful “travel” issue with the horrible cover.
Brandon
I am a subscriber and have also not recieved Decembers issue or any thereafter for that matter.
I did just move recently and thought it was only a back up due to change of address.
But now this has raised some questions.
Thanks
Jasonk
I got mine at Borders.
ChukPuck
I got mine in the mail in Los Angeles
gayday
I’ve been a subscriber for quite some time and got my copy.
Iwantmuscle
I received mine in Brooklyn. Never had a problem.
Eric
I know for a fact that the Jan/Feb issue was cancelled. I received the December issue. I wonder if it is going under? It would be sad since there are so few magazines like this for the gay community. I can only read the depressing OUT and Advocate so much.
RyanP
I got my December with the hottie from Chorus Line in it – those arms. He is better looking than the star. I called customer service and they said Jan-March our now going to be one issues. Winter or Spring or something like that – one issue. Eric – out was transparent this month. LOL.
Mike
Never got mine in Houston.
GraceT
My brother in Houston did not get his but I got mine in Tampa — but the plastic wrapping looked a bit beat-up.
PATRICK
I got the December issue just three weeks ago, the one with the guy with the scarf, yes. I did not get another one since that.
Tommy
I got mine in W.Holloywwod. I just saw the issue issue on the stand here next to the coffee shop. Maybe it missed those cities in the middle of the states – the RED states – LOL
Qjersey
To tell you the truth, I hadn’t noticed. Genre hasn’t been, “oh it just got here” reading in weeks. I’ll have to check the pile in my apt. LOL.
But I will add this: I was getting phone calls regularly from telemarketers who wanted to know if I wanted to renew my subscription to “JENRA” magazine (couldn’t even pronounce it). I fell for it twice…one year apart…and wound up with an 8 year subscription.
I emailed Genre and asked if there were selling their subscription database and they denied it. So how else would a telemarketer know I have a subscription?
Boulton has turned Genre into toilet reading. The articles are superficial and short and the mag is filled with nothing but GQ-lite editorials. I can flip through the entire magazine while on the morning toilet and find nothing I want to read in depth later. LOL.
BoyToy
I got mine and liked it. I’ll take GQ-lite over the cheese in Instinct. I love Out, too. I just like Genre now because it feels like a real magazine…and I met Bolton and he’s hot and flirty and fun.
Spud
Same here, subscribed but no December issue. I’m in one of the five official red states left in the country, so Tommy might be right!
JackRabbit
Too bad Domino or Men’s Vogue didn’t have as much concern for its readers.
MidTowner
Astoria in the house – got my issue.
kwrbear
Just called subscriber services…thanx to your article I now found out I’ve missed TWO issues (December & January) here in Palm Springs. The person at subscriber services thinks the Feb. & March issue is combined–she said she would extend my subscription.
Losangelessur
Hey Bear – my friend worked at Genre and I asked him what was up. He said Dec was the guy with the scarf, did you get that? Jan-March are going to be a winter combined fashion issue or something- you only really missed one issue. Email the editor and he will mail you one I think that is what he said.
UnderYou
I advertise in Genre and was told that Jan/Feb will be part of the Fashion issue coming out in March. It made sense given the economy and saved me $$$ on advertising. I am lucky I am still open given the George Bush screw up!
kwrbear
@Losangelessur: No, I didn’t get the Dec. issue (pictured in this article). The woman at Subscriber Services that I reference in today’s call was non-comittal about being about to send a replacement issue and thus extended my subscription 2 issues. She had no idea that the Jan. thru March issues were being combined as now mentioned.
TBSJR
Never got my issue here in Hartford. I have called customer service twice once at the end of December and again in mid January and both times was told it would be mailed in two weeks. The reason for the hold up was new mailing company. Here it is the end of Jan and still no Dec issue. I finally brought it myself at Borders weeks ago. This is not the first time I have not received an issue. It has always hit in the newstands here in CT before I would get it at home. Their service and there magazine sucks.
alex
What a load of BS from Boulton. He already knows that thousands of his subscribers didn’t get what they paid for; yet, he puts the onus on us? We have to contact him to get the magazine?
Here in Ft Lauderdale, it seemed that Genre had no problem delivering hundreds of the December issue to all the local gay bars. So, screw the subscribers that paid but give it away to anyone drunk.
Me
I’m surprised anyone still buys it. Every single gay magazine can be read while sipping coffee at Border’s/Barnes and Noble, and by the time you piss it out an hour later, you’ve forgotten what you even read. It’s just that trite.
Jayson
I had not gotten mine and called the main office and they mailed me a copy. Mine finally arrived and I have two now. Alex, do you want me to send you one?
RJ
I e-mailed Boulton after this post appeared. Still never got my copy. Just tried to e-mail him again and my e-mail bounced back. Did he get fired?
brian
I did not get mine in Houston – noticed it was my last issue so I will just let it go. Given this news and their response to you guys (lame) , I will NOT be re-subscribing. If I really want an issue, I will buy it at the newstand (if they survive).
I have to say that I love my INSTINCT magazine these days. Those guys are a good example of being on the ball, and getting better over the years -while my view on my Genre and (quite sadly) my Advocate is that they have become PITIFUL, and about as thin as a Sunday newspaper circular.