[SCA-AE] Pennsic Independent Subscriptions and information

[Rich G]

Forwarded at the request of the publisher.

Rich Goranson (Lord Stephan Calvert deGrey)
Amherst, NY, USA (Barony of the Rhydderich Hael, Æthelmearc)
Production Editor, Pennsic Independent



Greetings from Despotissa Heirusalem Crystoma, Publisher of The Pennsic 
Independent!


It is time once again for your favorite Pennsic newspaper to send out the 
message that we will be at War again this year. Along with that this year, 
we are asking for your help and advice.

Over the past three years, we've used sub first class mail to send out our 
mail-home subscriptions. With the newest postal rates and standards, first 
class is no longer even an option for us. PI is too
large and weighs too much to fit into the first class category and either 
has to be mailed in bulk (as we have been doing) or as Priority Mail.

Our problem: The bulk class mail has been less and less reliable. While the 
majority of our subscriptions do seem to get through, we've had more that 
have not each year. We are willing to take on this risk in order to keep 
costs down for our subscribers. To mail each piece via Priority Mail, we 
would have to charge $10 beyond the regular set price ($19 to mail in the 
US). I am currently charging $13 US for the class of mail we currently use 
in the US, and will continue to use that class at that price for this year.

However, I would like to know if it would be worthwhile for our mail 
subscribers to pay extra for better reliability. Please feel free to write 
to me at publisher at pennsicindependent.com with your views on this.

In the meantime, I encourage folks to purchase PDF subscriptions to ensure 
that you get your PI quickly. This service costs only $7 (compared to an $8 
onsite subscription). If you are unable to attend Pennsic, this also allows 
you to download the daily edition from home. The PDFs include
almost all of our photos in color. You can print a clean set at your leisure 
from home.

If you are coming to Pennsic, please remember to purchase your camp 
subscription for $8 so you get the news each day. You can redeem your 
tickets with any of our Urchins, at the front desk, or with any of the fine 
merchants who sell the Independent. You can also reserve a clean set to take 
home with you.

I am not discouraging you from purchasing mail sets. I do appreciate the 
patience that our subscribers have shown when their sets have been late or 
when I've needed to send them a new set.

Thank you all for your support of PI over the years and we look forward to 
hearing from you again this year! Visit us at www.pennsicindependent.com to 
subscribe and purchase your classifieds!

Heirusalem