Subscribing to Fine Woodworking Magaizine [Archive]

View Full Version : Subscribing to Fine Woodworking Magaizine

derekcohen

27th February 2004, 10:17 PM

Phil Jennings

27th February 2004, 10:45 PM

Hi Derek,
I took out a 3yr subscription a couple of years ago and in the end I phoned them up as at that stage I did not want to put my credit card details over the internet. They were quick and helpful.
The cost was much cheaper than buying locally. Speedwise it turns up in the post but I don't try and compare when it hits the newsagent.
The only problem I've had is that someone in the local post office has opened it 2 or 3 times, despite my complaints. It cannot happen by accident as they come in tough plastic bags.

Go for it!
Phil
:)

27th February 2004, 10:52 PM

My grandfather used to have a "proxy" subscribtion to Popular Mechanics with his local newsagent. He paid them in advance for the magazine, and they always had a copy for him.

Talk to a newsagent and see what they say. Someone will be happy to take your money!!

bitingmidge

27th February 2004, 11:08 PM

I have subscribed to Fine Woodworking for three and a bit years. Took out a three year subscription by credit card on the web site, and have recently renewed it.

I have bought other things throught Taunton press and found the service to be exemplary. When problems occurred with a delivery, they replaced the order by air mail, no questions asked.

Whenever I have emailed them I have had a machine answer immediately, and a human follow up within 24 hours.

I can't believe we are talking about the same company!

Surface mail still puts the magazine in your hands well before the newsagents, and I have had one not turn up, two back issues stolen from the package. All three were replaced as I said above, instantly with no questions asked.

Can't recommend them highly enough.

Cheers,

P

seriph1

27th February 2004, 11:11 PM

Just a comment for what its worth:

Even though I am yet to find a newsagent who gives reasonable service in the keep-it-aside-and-let-me-know-area, I now get This Old House Magazine locally each month as this particular magazine worked out cheaper than becoming an international subscriber.

All my others(5) I get direct, due to greatly reduced price for doing so - even with international mailing costs.

no help at all of course with respct of FWW, just though it might encourage you to explore all options

:)

I just tried the site and was able to get through to the credit card info using my Aussie address

http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/subscribeform_fw_inter.asp

this was where I basically began from, if it helps.

good luck

seriph1

27th February 2004, 11:14 PM

apologies for not answering your shipping question:

I doubt that I get my magazines before the newsagents, but I have so many still to read through to catch up that I dont care.....I feel its fair to assume it takes longer though, seeing that they are sent direct from the primary US distributor via mail as opposed to G+G who get each issue Airfreighted in as it is available over there.

derekcohen

27th February 2004, 11:58 PM

Steve

One of the factors that contributed to making my mind up to subscribe was the fact that the local delivery is just soooo slow. The workshop and tools edition has only just arrived in the local newsagents yet has been out for some time (months?) in the USA. Subscribers were discussing in on the forum here around Christmas. I thought that I might have missed it (since sometimes editions are not delivered at all to my newsagent), So I ordered it in from the local suppliers. 6 weeks later it had still not arrived and they could not guarrentee that it would ever do so. So I cancelled and ordered a copy from the USA via the internet. It arrived within 10 days. One week later the copy I had cancelled turned up in the newsagent (8 weeks after I originally ordered it). And two weeks later this edition was now in stock and on sale in all the newsagents! So you still that that ordering direct from the USA will be slower than local deliveries?

Regards from Perth

Derek

Sprog

28th February 2004, 01:50 AM

Make sure you are on the International subscriptions page.
Enter your name and address.
Ignore the State field.
Enter Province/region, Postcode, Country and email address.

Click Proceed.

derekcohen

28th February 2004, 03:36 AM

Sprog

I tried again, and the form filled out correctly this time (no "Washington"). I'm not sure why - I did as you suggested, but I thought that I had done this before.

Reading the info on shipping for the umpteenth time, my impression is that they do not offer anything faster than "standard rates". So I just went this route.

We will see. At least I know that I will get the mag and no longer need to fear missing out.

Regards from Perth

Derek

derekcohen

28th February 2004, 04:15 AM

Shortly after my last post here I received two emails from Taunton Press, the second of which I have reprinted below since it contains information regarding shipping costs.

"Thank you for your inquiry. We apologize for the delayed response. This is to confirm that we were having web site problems that have since been fixed. If you wish to resubmit your FWW order please try again; if you have more problems please let us know. Standard surface mail to Australia takes approximately 10-12 weeks top arrive.International Air Mail takes
approximately 3 to 4 weeks to arrive and the cost is $9.70 extra per issue.Please respond with email history (this email attached) if you have any further questions. Thank you for your interest in Taunton Press publications.
Sincerely,
Priscilla Hennessey
Customer Service"

Regards from Perth

Derek

seriph1

28th February 2004, 10:05 AM

then tell me why oh Taunton Press, that my books or DVDS from Amazon take less than 2 weeks to arrive via normal mail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!??????????????

If I buy an item from the States or Canada via airmail it is here is 3 to 4 days!

it's a mystery

:)

Driver

28th February 2004, 01:07 PM

Derek

I subscribe to Fine Woodworking, Popular Woodworking and the Woodworkers Journal (all US-based). All three subscriptions placed directly with the US publishers.

I've had no problems with FWW or WJ. The only problem I've encountered is a spell with PW when two editions didn't arrive. The nuisance value of this was compounded by the fact that they sent me a couple of subscription renewal requests at about the same time and those got through OK.

(During the ensuing email exchanges with PW's staff, I was asked three times to check that my postal address details were correct: " . . . sometimes an apartment number can be transposed . . " Explaining to them carefully that the postal details for their subscription renewals were identical to those for the address labels on their magazine mailings, I was my usual (polite) self until the third time it happened. When I became less than polite, I finally got some action: duplicate copies of the missing editions).

To get back to your original question: Fine Woodworking normally arrives within 3/4 weeks of the US release date - by surface mail. If you allow another three weeks for the extra distance from Woodvale to Rossmoyne, you should be right - mate!

Regards

Col

craigb

1st March 2004, 09:10 AM

Derek,

I have only just started subscribing to FWW, and received my second issue last Friday. This is the issue that is currently on sale in the US, and as Driver says, was issued there aout 3 weeks ago.

One thing that was annoying though was the amount of time that I had to wait for the first issue to arrive. It took over two months from the date of subsrciption.

Craig

IanW

5th March 2004, 10:49 AM

Derek - I'm coming in late to this discussion, so what I have to say has mostly been said. I subscribed to FWW since soon after it began in 1976, and finally quit about a year ago. I quit because they were going round the mulberry bush for the third time, and I felt like I wasn't going to get a lot more out of it this time round - e.g. by the time you get to the forty-somethinked article on cutting dovetails, there isn't a lot left to say that hasn't ben said many times before. However, I am more than grateful for what I got out of FWW over the years I subscribed - it was largely responsible for taking me from 'handyman' woodbutcher to someone with much higher aspirations - still got a long way to go to be half as good as I'd like, but I can fool some of the people some of the time, now. Taunton were always good to deal with, and I only had one issue go astray in nearly 20 years, which was promptly replaced. Speed of delivery was NOT a feature, however, and unless they have altered their methods, you will get your issue a couple of days before they appear on the stands of (metropolitan Brisbane) newsagents. When I whinged about this many tears ago, a nice person at Taunton told me it was because they bulk-mail to Australia, and the delays were mostly after the magazines reach Aust. Take that FWIW. The undoubted advantage of subscribing was the BIG reduction in price - I gag when I see what one costs on the newsstands!
So the only WW mag I subscribe to now is Aust. Wood Rev. For a mag with a pretty tiny audience, they do a pretty good job. At least you get some local news. The construction articles are a cut above 'handyman' stuff, even if they aren't quite as ambitious as (some) FWW articles. They are perhaps a bit more relevant to our culture and lifestyle, and feature locally-available woods. I'd like to see more high-quality furniture and in-depth articles in AWR, and have promised myself to have a go at a few myself, once the necessity for holding down my day job diminishes a bit(in not so many years, now!).
Cheers,
IW

seriph1

5th March 2004, 04:24 PM

nice, balanced post about the magazines and a bloody good point about AWR at least having local relevance....for what it's worth, the attached pic was on the cover of a 1991(?) FWW and is why I picked up the tools - I will always be grateful for that.

- if you get a chance, put some of your work in the woodworking photos section so all can see...

:)

success

Interwood

10th January 2005, 01:35 AM

Can anyone help me please. I am chasing a copy of an article from issue number 167 of Fine Woodworking magazine. The article is titled - "Roll Away Workshop". It was about 4 or 5 pages from memory, in the middle of the mag.

I have some leave coming up and was planning on trying out some of the rolling cabinet ideas - but now I can't find the magazine. :o

Interwood

seriph1

10th January 2005, 06:38 AM

dont have that issue, sorry ..... might be best to start a thread on this one if you get no response for a few days.

have fun!

Losos

10th January 2005, 07:57 AM

Derek

FWIW I can confirm that in Europe (CZ anyway) FWW arrives about 2 - 3 weeks after US publication date. I ordered mine by using the subscribe card in the magazine & went for the three year deal as the best value. Have had no problems what so ever, 'tho the first issue was about 4 weeks in comming,

Those of you who have been wondering about the delay in the mag. appearing on the newstands should be grateful you live in Australia. When I lived in England there was (and probably still is) a dispute between various distributors and the magazine publishers. The net result was that the poor dumb paying public were being totally messed around and generally ignored to the extent that magazines that one might expect to arrive within days of publication sometimes arrived weeks or months latter and sometimes not at all.

Slavo

10th January 2005, 09:45 AM

Interwood, you can go to the FWW website and order back issues.

Richardwoodhead

10th January 2005, 10:37 AM

Have been subscribing to FWW and Aust Wood Review for years without problems. I agree with IanW's comments re Aust Wood Review and FWW. I find myself more eager to read the latest AWR than FWW. It somehow feels more "in tune" with the wood, particularly Australian species, than FWW - which focuses heavily on process, techniques, etc. So that the end product screams "craft" more than "wood".

Something to consider regarding FWW is they offer a CD containing "all the best of our first 156 issues" for $150 - or $125 to FWW subscribers. The add I'm looking at says to order by calling 866 452 51800 and mention code M180007.

numbat

14th January 2005, 01:23 PM

HappyHammer

14th January 2005, 01:34 PM

Have you had a stab at making it Steve?

numbat

14th January 2005, 02:43 PM

Have you had a stab at making it Steve?
No - just did a google and found it. I would think that getting the right castors/wheels would be crucial.

I am hoping to get my permanent workshop under my new extended terrace (see home renovations thread).

Cheers

Shannon Nash

1st July 2005, 03:04 PM

Gudday Derek,

I found a subscription slip/tag in a library copy of finewoodworking. You get about three subscription tags per issue. The rpice is 104.95 per 3 year subscription and that includes postage. (ends up about $7AUD per issue) I have replaced damaged copies and those not delivered without out a problem.

Have been very happy and am just about to resubscribe for next three years (hoping Aussie $ stays high until I do.)

Cheers
Shannon

Graham Sands

1st July 2005, 06:13 PM

I subscribed on Tuesday without problem, hoping that I get the next (Oct) issue, maybe, mabe not?

Cloisters News in Perth have just got the June issue, they got "Tools & Shops" three or four months late.

AWR seem to have improved a lot in recent issues, definitely the two best mags!

derekcohen

1st July 2005, 06:30 PM

Have been very happy and am just about to resubscribe for next three years (hoping Aussie $ stays high until I do.)

Hi Shannon

Thanks for the thought, but you may notice that I posted my message 1 1/2 years ago! I have been subscribing since, and getting mags well in advance of the newsagents.

I would like to subscribe to Popular Woodworking, which is a better magazine now. Looking into this.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Paul B

1st July 2005, 09:03 PM

Ok, so I'm coming in here pretty late but FWIW...

The bloke next door is a postie, I was talking to him a couple of years ago about getting stuff shipped from the US and whether to go air mail or surface mail. He said that all smallish postal articles come via air mail whether you pay for it or not, so he always asked for surface mail. I've done the same since then and can't see a difference between the two.

craigb

1st July 2005, 09:26 PM

The time difference of receiving the first issue from signing up was around 6 - 8 weeks.

From then on however, I believe that I receive the mag on, or very near to the day it's released on the US news stands.

Auld Bassoon

1st July 2005, 09:43 PM

About 10 days ago I decided that I would like to subscribe to FWW magazine through the USA parent company. Not only would it be so much cheaper this way (particularly with the stronger Aussie $), but the delivery would be faster (getting it from the local newsagent is a hit-and-miss affair. Sometimes it comes, sometimes it doesn't).

So I emailed FWW requesting information about shipping charges. Specifically, what is the difference between airmail and surface mail costs (I really don't want the latter, which is the standard offer). Also, when I attempted to use the online registration form it kept putting my address as "Washington" no matter what I did (no, I did not abbreviate Western Australia to WA), so I did not submit a request for subscription through this channel. Another reason why I contacted FWW direct.

I have emailed them 3 times now over the course of the past 10 days - NO reply in all this time.

What is the experience of those of you who have subscribed (and how did you do it?)? And what can you tell me about shipping rates/speed ?

Frustrated regards from Perth

DerekHi Derek,

After having read\the review of WW@H on thisBB I subscribed, and have just today received the first DVD. Chris DeHut does a pretty reasonable job of presenting the electronic magazine, and I'm very happy with it.

Also, I've just subscribed to FWW, and no problems at all, viz:
Thank you for your purchase

Dear Steve,
Please print this page for your records.

<TABLE class=tblThankYou cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 width=716 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH width=130>Order Number</TH><TD width=582>335864</TD></TR><TR><TH>Order Date</TH><TD>07/01/2005</TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH>Item</TH><TH> </TH><TH>Description</TH><TH> </TH><TH>Qty</TH><TH> </TH><TH>Unit Price</TH><TH> </TH><TH>Total</TH></TR><TR><TD> </TD><TH> </TH><TD>Fine Woodworking - 1 Year</TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD align=middle>$ 34.95</TD><TD> </TD><TD align=middle>$ 34.95</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Billing summary</TH><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Order total:</TD><TD>$ 34.95</TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Billing address</TH><TD>STEVE E BISSON

AUSTRALIA

0417 xxx xxx
</TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Shipping address</TH><TD>STEVE E BISSON

</TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Payment method</TH><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD>Credit Card:</TD><TD>Visa</TD></TR><TR><TD>Card Number:</TD><TD>************3581</TD></TR><TR><TD>Expires:</TD><TD>10/2005</TD></TR><TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Shipping method</TH><TD>Standard Delivery</TD></TR><TR class=dottedbr><TD colSpan=2> </TD></TR><TR><TH>Email address</TH><TD>[email protected]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

<SCRIPT language=JavaScript type=text/javascript></SCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion.js"></SCRIPT><IFRAME name=google_conversion_frame marginWidth=0 marginHeight=0 src="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/1069837656/?random=1120214436422&value=1&label=Purchase&hl=en&gl=US&fmt=1&bg=FFFFFF" frameBorder=0 width=300 scrolling=no height=13 allowTransparency>https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/1069837656/?random=1120214436422&value=1&label=Purchase&hl=en&gl=US&fmt=1&bg=FFFFFF&iframe=0</IFRAME><NOSCRIPT>https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/conversion/1069837656/?value=1.0&label=Purchase&script=0</NOSCRIPT><SCRIPT language=JavaScript></SCRIPT>

(I've deleted my address for the obvious reasons)

Cheers!
Steve B

craigb

1st July 2005, 09:51 PM

Can I perhaps clarify here?

Derek's original request for info dates from January 2004

I think it's safe to say that he's figured it out by now. :rolleyes:

Auld Bassoon

1st July 2005, 09:55 PM

Can I perhaps clarify here?

Derek's original request for info dates from January 2004

I think it's safe to say that he's figured it out by now. :rolleyes:
Duh!

I *really* should look at the dates of the posts. What a Du^&Ars*http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/images/icons/icon11.gif

boban

2nd July 2005, 12:29 AM

Hi Shannon

Thanks for the thought, but you may notice that I posted my message 1 1/2 years ago! I have been subscribing since, and getting mags well in advance of the newsagents.

I would like to subscribe to Popular Woodworking, which is a better magazine now. Looking into this.

Regards from Perth

Derek
I did this about a week ago. They are doing two year subscriptions for about $35 US.

ryanarcher

2nd July 2005, 07:19 AM

for what it's worth, I just signed up for a free issue of Woodwork magazine: http://www.woodwork-mag.com/index.html

they say the free issue offer is for us residents only, but i bet if anyone from OZ called they'd make something happen.

the consencus from those i've talked to is that it's way better than FWW, but only available by subscription.