CompuServe Messages

Mitch– If you're seeing statements printed in the pages of the magazine, they're not from BPA or ABC…they're the distribution information required by the U.S. Postal Service in the annual "statement of ownership." They do provide, for the most recent issue and the average of the past six or 12 issues, data on how many copies were distributed via mail, via newsstand, etc. However, you should know that it's acceptable to use estimated newsstand sell-through rates in these statements. Also, people who request subscriptions but never pay may receive 0, 1, 2, 3, or more issues of the magazine before being cut off, at the publisher's option. These folks count as paid circulation in statements of ownership…sometimes. So the bottom line is that the statement of ownership can be misleading too. Computer Shopper and PC Laptop sell most of their copies on the newsstand, I'm pretty sure. At one time Computer Language sold about 20% of its copies off the racks, I believe. Windows Tech Journal will be about 22% newsstand, at least at first. The closer a magazine is to a buyer's guide, the more likely it is to be a newsstand book. WinTech will probably stabilize at a higher percentage of newsstand sales than CL, for instance, because Windows programming is about tools as much as it is about techniques. JDH There is 1 Reply.