F&SF Forum » Topic: Fictionwise subscriptions gone?

F&SF Forum » Topic: Fictionwise subscriptions gone? http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ F&SF Forum » Topic: Fictionwise subscriptions gone? en Tue, 21 May 2013 21:28:24 +0000 Toast on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-14529 Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:43:13 +0000 Toast 14529@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ If you mark your issues to "keep" and you have an Amazon subscription none of your back issues will be deleted. If you don't mark them as such you can only keep 7 issues... that applies to all Amazon magazine subscriptions. I read FSF on a Kindle and a iPad. You can also remove the DRM and read them on a Kindle for Mac however you loose the table of contents... kiki on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13900 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 23:18:55 +0000 kiki 13900@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Gordon, you can't get FSF on Kindle for PC, only on a Kindle or Kindle for Android/Ios. Kevin C., yes you can copy issues to a PC, but you can't read them on a different device than the one you originally downloaded to, so there's no point - the DRM is device specific. The exception to that is if you've used a device from which the ebook DRM can be removed, in which case, you will be able to read them on a new device. When you're current device dies, you will be able to download the rolling last 7 issues (which are stored in the cloud like your Amazon books), but will lose the rest of the issues back to the start of your subscription. The only single issues available for sale is the current issue, which they treat the same as the subscription - only the last 7 you purchase will be kept in the the cloud; also, the 2 issues in the fictionwise gap, which are ebooks, so are treated the same as all other ebooks. This is the way magazine subscriptions work at Amazon, they're designed for periodicals you don't want to keep, not for science fiction magazines you do want to keep. I've had an email from Amazon confirming this, thanking me for my feedback and saying they've passed my query on to their technical team but nothing will be changing in the near future. Since the Amazon subscription doesn't provide the service I want (ability to keep all subscribed issued without cracking DRM (which I can't even do because I went Android)), I'm about to cancel it. The only options available if you want to retain access to FSF issues are a paper subscription, Amazon with DRM removed or get it from a library. Kevin C. on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13892 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:23:16 +0000 Kevin C. 13892@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Normally the Kindle will allow only seven issues of the same periodical on the device. It is supposed to display an exclamation point by the periodical name prior to deletion. However, you can mark the periodical "Keep," and the Kindle will not delete it. Previous issues are stored under "Periodicals: Back Issues." I also normally back-up my Kindle to my computer on the off chance that Murphy's Law comes into play. This is easy to do through the USB cable. Just make a folder on the computer and copy the items from the Kindle. It can be transferred from the computer back to the Kindle the same way. Amazon also keeps a record of your purchases, and you can download them again if you happen to delete them. However, there's the issue of more than one device having access to the same purchases, which can be problematic. I normally back-up purchases I don't think are age appropriate, and delete them from Amazon. Unfortunately, if something happens to your back-up, then you'd have to buy the publication again. I don't know for certain that the Kindle apps will allow you to read magazine on non-Kindle devices. It should, and that's that Kindle claims over on Apple apps store, but I've not used it. FWIW, if that cheap Android tablet I had my eye on hadn't sold out, I intended to load the Kindle and Nook apps and have the best of both worlds. Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13890 Tue, 19 Jun 2012 13:43:38 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 13890@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Thanks for your posts, kiki and Liz D. Concerning the electronic storage of back issues, that's entirely up to Amazon but FYI, I think you can store as many issues as you wish if you buy them individually as back issues. It's a function of how Amazon treats magazines. Liz D., your post succinctly makes several points that I've been raising about electronic publishing in general (even before F&SF struck a deal with Amazon). But yes, the short answer is that electronic F&SF will be with Amazon exclusively for the coming future. I don't know ereaders well but does the Kindle for PC app allow you to read F&SF on something other than a Kindle? ---Gordon V.G. kiki on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13852 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:00:03 +0000 kiki 13852@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ pdurrant, I don't have a problem removing DRM so that I can keep backups of issues I've paid for (I have no intention of distributing them - this is purely so that I'll have access to the issues when my android tablet dies, which eventually it will). Unfortunately, the tools don't work for Kindle for Android. LizD on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13851 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 10:50:20 +0000 LizD 13851@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Well, I have had a subscription for the paper version for more than 10 years now (closer to 20 now I think!) but I will not be renewing. I own 2 ereaders but neither is a kindle so I can't have an esubscription and I resent having to pay almost double the price for the paper magazine. I have read through this entire thread and it seems that Amazon will continue to have a monopoly for F&SF. If this situation should change no doubt someone will post the news on mobileread.com ;) pdurrant on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13849 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 09:07:46 +0000 pdurrant 13849@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Thanks rturner - I can see May/June at that link. It must have been a temporary glitch that I (& Gordon) saw. As for keeping back issues - the DRM is indeed the problem here, as even though you can keep backup copies yourself, they will only work on the device they were originally downloaded for. Of course, if you know about Apprentice Alf, and don't mind using the tools, DRM is no longer a problem. kiki on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-13841 Mon, 18 Jun 2012 08:25:37 +0000 kiki 13841@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ I was a Fictionwise subscriber for 5 years before the change to Amazon, and up until now I've been happy with the Amazon FSF subscription. I've just discovered a problem with Kindle magazine subscriptions - they only keep the current issue plus 6 back issues. FSF hasn't reached that limit yet because it's bi-monthly, but I've lost 3 issues each of Asimov's and Analog (which I changed over to at Amazon at the same time as FSF). It is possible to manually keep older issues but you have to do it before they're deleted (which is where I got caught, because I hadn't realised what was going on), and they're only kept on the device you've got the subsciption set to. The DRM is device specific, so you can't backup the files to a PC and copy to a new device when your old one dies. You can change your subscription to a new device, but you can only get the last 7 issues, not older ones that you had paid for. The magazine subscription seems to work differently from other ebooks, which you can redownload to other devices whenever you want (which I was able to do with Mar-April 2011 and May-June 2011 which were purchased as ebooks). I can understand how getting rid of old issues might be what you want for other periodicals, but it doesn't make much sense for science fiction magazines (which I at least like to re-read). I complained to Amazon, and they gave me a refund for the issues I'd lost and said they'd look into how to keep back issues. For me it's not about the money but access to the back issues when my device dies - I want a way to be able to transfer all issues purchased to a new device. I know one way to solve this would be a paper subscription, but I don't have the room (and that doesn't get around fire etc.). I still have my 5 years of Fictionwise issues, through several PC rebuilds, all I needed to do was back them up. I hope FSF can work with Amazon to make all issues of a subscription available to be re-downloaded as necessary (no device lasts forever). Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-12238 Sat, 28 Apr 2012 01:42:46 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 12238@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ That link gives me an error message. rturner on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-12234 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:03:17 +0000 rturner 12234@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ I checked what the status of the May/June 2011 issue was and amazon says it is live. It's URL is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC</a>. Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=4#post-12230 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:55:36 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 12230@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ pdurrant, we'll have to look into it. If the May/June 2011 issue has been removed, it wasn't by our design. ---Gordno V.G. pdurrant on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-12229 Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:44:08 +0000 pdurrant 12229@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ I was considering filling in the hole in my collection - the March/April and May/June issues of F&SF - despite the high cost. The March/April has changed its ASIN (now <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005KJLRQW/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005KJLRQW/</a> ) and the May/June issue seems to be missing altogether! Will we see the ebook version of the May/June 2011 issue available again in the future? ET on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-10625 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:31:30 +0000 ET 10625@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ So, how did the move to Amazon work for you so far? I didn't know about all this. Might have noticed the issues were missing from Fictionwise but didn't pay that much attention since I don't regularly buy them. I did buy a couple of Analog and Asimov's issues last year, and I'm ashamed I didn't notice F&SF gone. But I just now went to Amazon and subscribed to the free digest. My only Kindle reading platform is my Android phone, which is not convenient for reading (I tried), but I can't resist free. :) (By the way Amazon asked me for my credit card even though it's a free sub.) Frankly I'm pretty much against e-books these days, or e-anything. I was an early adopter and have books in Mobipocket format which died when Amazon bought it, and then B&N bought Fictionwise and most high profile books became US only. I hate how electronic versions create borders which don't exist for physical media. In many cases I can't buy books or music or video in electronic format that I can order from abroad in physical format. Enough ranting. I'll be looking forward to reading the F&SF digest on my phone. Kevin C. on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-10563 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:56:04 +0000 Kevin C. 10563@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ arrowhena wrote, four months ago: The Amazon Kindle does not actually follow the normal standard of XML. Not all formatting Tags are allowed. But on top of that, font in the Kindle will behave in unexpected ways. I recently faced the same issues in formatting a book I wrote for the kids for their Kindle as a Christmas present. It's sort of an odd mix between old and new HTML, with both depreciated tag attributes and a little CSS. Not coding in the font is a good way to go, since the Kindle only recognizes two, IIRC, and the reader can resize it to their heart's content. I used a percentage of the base font in a style definition in the header for my chapter headings, and that seemed to work well. I also found that Mobipocket Creator and Calibre processed the code differently. It could be that Amazon's widget has its own quirks in processing HTML. Kevin C. on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-10562 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:43:50 +0000 Kevin C. 10562@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ This gets into the issue of how long we want to save a periodical. Ebooks change the parameters a bit since they only take up space on storage medium (which is why I went to an e-reader recently), plus, for some books it's decidedly cheaper. Still - and I say this without offense to any periodical - the odds that I'll save them all for the rest of my life is very low, indeed. That said, I'll merely note that the EPub format doesn't automatically mean DRM free, either. I suspect the magazines over on Barnes & Noble have DRM as well. To tell the truth, the drop in ereader prices this year has caused me to begrudgingly accept DRM as a necessary evil. No, I can't guarantee you'll be able to open any electronic document fifty years from now, not even straight ASCI. Nor can I guarantee that the DRM from Amazon or Barnes & Noble will allow you to read the same magazine you enjoyed this month even one year from now. If you intend to archive your magazines, paper is still the best bet for at least three to five decades. Timffl on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-10561 Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:01:23 +0000 Timffl 10561@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ A year on from my Fictionwise subscription ending and F&SF moving to the kindle, I'm a lost subscriber with a Kobo bookreader. I subscribed in total for around 18 years, via newsagent order, direct print subscription and then finally via electronic subscription for 8 years, reading first on a Palm pilot then PC and now a Kobo. The multi-format flexibility of Fictionwise worked really well for me, I haven't used my Palm Pilot for 5 years but I can still redownload those magazines in formats that didn't exist in 2003 when the subscription started. I hope the Kindle deal works out well for F&SF, but I hope the small print includes a guarantee that anyone who buys the magazine now will be supported by Amazon bookreaders in 50 years time. I've got my books in PDF and EPUB formats from Fictionwise, much safer for the long run. pdurrant on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9430 Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:19:31 +0000 pdurrant 9430@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ I'm pleased to see the March/April 2011 ( <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KJLRQW/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KJLRQW/</a> ) and the May/June 2011 ( <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC/</a> ) issues (which were the ones missed in the transition) now available. But I'm a little shocked at the price. In the UK, they come to £5.27 each, which means that they're over 2.5 times as expensive as buying the issues through a subscription. Are all the new issues of the magazine going to appear as separate items once the next bimonthly edition arrives? BlueTyson on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9145 Thu, 15 Sep 2011 09:25:04 +0000 BlueTyson 9145@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ A couple of questions If I understand this correctly :- You can get a subscription for $12 a year? which is only usable actually on a Kindle device and never anywhere else - or buy a current issue similarly at $2.99 if you just want them ad hoc. Or, pay $7.50 and get a single issue that you actually can read on a computer, at least via Kindle for PC etc. Are these DRMed like garden variety commercial books? If they are, that is 50c more an issue than the start of the year for a considerably inferior product in usability terms? I do have a Kindle, but never use it for short stories. The PDA gets that job on the rare times I might want to do it while mobile. I don't leave magazines on them either. Do the magazines via the subscription go into the Kindle amazon archive and become redownloadable if you delete them, like books do? I am guessing that the standard more expensive buy an issue version gets treated like a book and stays around for good like any book purchases? Trying to work out if it possible to keep doing what I was in the past, and not lose 23 Robert Reed short stories for good if I left a device in the range of an overenthusiastic dog's tail by mistake. Or lose it, gets stolen, the magazine issues are autodeleted or whatever. 7.50 is still going to be cheaper than the dead tree version here if I can use them (and also happy to pay more for lack of DRM), although with only 6 issues a year presumably a decent chunk of that nasty overseas postage has gone. Don't really feel inclined to risk subscriptions physically with collapsing post offices, either (or yet another spousal complaint about magazines lying around, despite the few I have being seriously outnumbered!) There's a free version sub with the book reviews etc. I see, so I'll sign up for that. It will at least replace the really useful 'New issue delivered' email from Fictionwise that used to happen to some degree, as don't use Kindle internet every day. Thanks, bt Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9137 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:12:52 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 9137@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ And here's the July/Aug 2011 issue if you missed it previously: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4IBCY" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L4IBCY</a> Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9134 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:46 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 9134@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ By the way, I forgot to mention that the March/April 2011 issue is now available: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KJLRQW" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KJLRQW</a> That issue got caught in limbo as we switched from Fictionwise to Amazon. Readers who missed it previously can catch up now. ---Gordon V.G. Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9133 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:58:43 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 9133@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Thanks, Stasw. Our deal with Amazon looks like it's a good deal for us ... and for Amazon, I think. stasw on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9120 Fri, 09 Sep 2011 07:59:07 +0000 stasw 9120@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ After all the fear and loathing in earlier posts I was relieved to see that the Kindle version supports iPhone etc. Have just bought the 'extended' Sept/Oct and am generally impressed with the readability. Won't say more as pdurrant did a nice job on the technicalities. Will stay with my print subscription for now, and would probably be more ready to shift if I had an iPad or similar device. I appreciate the concerns about DRM but I really trust that this is a good deal for the magazine. And I just have to say that, as dorky as it might sound, as a 52 year old there is a still a thrill in the idea that I was able to magic a copy of the magazine onto my phone out of thin air. THIN AIR PEOPLE! rturner on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9015 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:29:51 +0000 rturner 9015@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ This also works for those who hate typing: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HFL0UC</a> KarlBunker on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9009 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:13:39 +0000 KarlBunker 9009@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ I just noticed the following on the Amazon page for the freebie edition: Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #3 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store) #1 in Kindle Store > Kindle Magazines & Journals > Arts & Entertainment Nice! Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-9008 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 19:06:59 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 9008@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ The May/June 2011 issue of F&SF is now available for the Kindle: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magazine-Fantasy-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B005HFL0UC/" rel="nofollow">http://www.amazon.com/Magazine-Fantasy-Science-Fiction-ebook/dp/B005HFL0UC/</a> We expect to have the Mar/Apr 2011 issue up soon. arowhena on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-8953 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 02:24:32 +0000 arowhena 8953@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ HA! Very nice Gordon. I wonder what those two would make of F&SF. LukeJackson on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-8950 Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:01:27 +0000 LukeJackson 8950@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ That's quite a find there, Gordon. It's almost enough to make me believe that porn stars read novels. :) Gordon Van Gelder on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-8929 Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:17:39 +0000 Gordon Van Gelder 8929@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ Actually, I think Robert Reed's name on the cover of F&SF sells more copies than Kayden Kross's name would, but I'd be very happy if she'd discuss an issue of F&SF on a book show: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC9DtgP69CE&feature=share" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC9DtgP69CE&feature=share</a> LukeJackson on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-8928 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:47:57 +0000 LukeJackson 8928@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ You want to increase circulation rates, just stick in a glossy Kayden Kross pictorial. Betcha having Kayden Kross' name on the cover will sell more copies than Robert Reed's. ByronBailey on "Fictionwise subscriptions gone?" http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/topic.php?id=833&page=3#post-8927 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 23:30:22 +0000 ByronBailey 8927@http://www.sfsite.com/fsf/blog/forum/ $12.00 for a year's description does seem like an unbelievably good deal to me. Too bad I'm not in a position to take advantage of it.