NSS News available through Amazon.com

[Wayne Harrison]

Saw this mentioned on the US Caver's Forum. Apparently anyone can buy a NSS News subscription (at an increased cost) through Amazon.com:

Nss News C-w Journal Of Caves & Karst Studies [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]

Price: $53.65 ($3.83/issue)
Issues: 14 issues/12 months

Product Details

Format: Magazine
Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
Publisher: Natl Speleological Soc Inc
ASIN: B00006KQRB
Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,173 in Magazines (See Top Sellers in Magazines) Yesterday: #8,167 in Magazines

For magazine orders, your name and mailing address will be shared with the appropriate publisher.

This magazine subscription is provided by Magazine Express, Inc.

Editorial Reviews
From the Publisher
The NSS News is a monthly publication of the National Speleological Society. Feature articles typically include cave exploration, cave conservation, cave history, or cave science. Regular columns include Technology (reviews and discussion of cave gear, high-tech and otherwise), In the Media (summaries of cave-related articles in the popular press), Underground Update (summaries of information in Grotto and Regional publications), Spelean Spotlight (interviews with prominent cavers), International Exploration, News and Notes, Society News, and Safety and Techniques.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 4?v=glance

[Cheryl Jones]

I've asked NSS OVP Tom Rea about this and he's as surprised as we are. He is checking into it. (And seeing if we've had a recent spike in subscriptions!)

I wonder if because the NSS offers its books for sale through Amazon they were able to somehow pick up on the availability of subscriptions off our Web site.

It was interesting to see that the popularity rating of 8,176 places the News (and Journal?) subscription in the same range as the likes of Contemporary Spine Surgery, Journal of Ambulatory Care Management, Missouri Journal of Mathematical Scientists, and International Water Power & Dam Construction.

Somehow we managed to beat out the Australian & New Zealand Wine Industry Journal! But rank below Polygraph magazine and Florida Police Advisor Go figure.

Cheryl

[Wayne Harrison]

I'm wondering why someone would go to the trouble of subscribing at this more expensive level through a third party. All anyone who wants the NSS News has to do is join the NSS and subscribe for $36, right? I don't see on the NSS application that you have to even be a caver to join the NSS.

[lookingaround]

Nss News C-w Journal Of Caves & Karst Studies [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]

Price: $53.65 ($3.83/issue)
Issues: 14 issues/12 months

This is also available at Amazon cheaper than a membership:

Nss News [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]
Price: $33.65 Read more ($2.80/issue)
Issues: 12 issues/12 months
This magazine subscription is provided by Magazine Express, Inc.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... 8&v=glance

I wonder if this is bad for the NSS? Assuming that they don't get a Members Manual or Journal issues, are we better off financially if somebody just buys a subscription from Amazon?

[Wayne Harrison]

That second price is cheaper than a subscription to:

Embalmer [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]


Price: $52.90 ($13.22/issue)
Issues: 4 issues/12 months

Ordering it as a gift? Give your recipient a personalized Embalmer gift card!

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,148 in Magazines

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 41-3261644

[Cheryl Jones]

This is also available at Amazon cheaper than a membership:

Nss News [MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION]
Price: $33.65 Read more ($2.80/issue)

I wonder if this is bad for the NSS? Assuming that they don't get a Members Manual or Journal issues, are we better off financially if somebody just buys a subscription from Amazon?

Anyone may now subscribe to the NSS News and/or the Journal for $23 each through the NSS Web site. (Subscription does not include the NSS Members Manual) http://www.caves.org/pub/ The Journal in particular is of interest to scientists who are not necessarily cavers, and to libraries. In addition, subscriptions to either pub are sometimes preferred over membership by those folks living overseas.

I don't believe the NSS would make any money if a subscription is sold via Amazon. The additional price is their profit for providing the service to people who don't look any further for a way to subscribe.

Cheryl

[Phil Winkler]

The NSS has a variety of Membership categories that are not really members. These categories mainly address the NEWS and BULLETIN subscriptions. They are a source of income. Here are the numbers fairly recently:

Complimentary: 15
Exchange: 63
News & Bulletin: 14
News: 25
Bulletin: 52

[hewhocaves]

Hey... contemporary spine surgery is great. especially the comics page and the recipies.

maybe we should be looking at this from the glass half full point of view. three bucks and change is quite a a bargain for something that can't be gotten over the counter. What if we cut out the middle man and sell non-member subscriptions for $6- to $7- a magazine, ourselves? I know I was shocked when i walked in barnes and nobles and found out that scientific american was $6.95 or something like that. Lots of the smaller magazines are pushing towards ten dollars an issue.

[Cheryl Jones]

Our rank is slipping! Today we're #8,210. We're still above the Ohio Beverage Journal, however.

[Cheryl Jones]

EVP Tom Rea reports that Amazon evidently picked up the info on the subscriptions on their own. Maybe they have subscription-finding web trolling software!

He figures that since anyone may subscribe now anyway, and there might be someone out there who'll pay the extra bucks without doing a bit of research and who otherwise would not have found the NSS, then what the heck -- let Amazon list the subscriptions. (The NSS only receives the normal subscription price.) Stephanie reports that there has been no rush on subscriptions sold through Amazon!

Cheryl