Kit car magazine, UK

[Simon]

OK, first off I must say I work in the media, so I know what a hard time some publishers/editors have with mags, it's not always a license to print money.
However I have bitten my lip long enough with Kit car magazine!
I have just come back from WH Smiths after paying £5.99 (yes really) for the "Christmas special edition" I wouldn't usually pay almost six quid for a magazine, but the promise on the front of "Cobra and GT40 Special" (my two favourite cars, means I bought it.
Upon opening the wrapping (it came with a "free" catalogue from GPR motorsport???? so no chance to look first) I was gutted to find the whole bloody GT40 write up is just reprinted from the magazine earlier this year, not only that, but the "buyers guide" is also a reprint.
To say I am angry is an understatement, As far as I am concerned this is just lazy journalism and ripping off the consumer into the bargain. To think that I paid six quid for this cr*p makes me really bloody angry. If anyone wants to see the xmas edition, just look through your old mags, you'll see pretty much everything there.
I've been a supporter of kit car magazines in general for many many years, this however was the last straw, they will NEVER be getting another penny of mine and I would urge anybody looking for a decent read to stay away.
There you go, rant over.

Simon

Earlier on this year there was another reprint in one of the mags, in the text it spoke of something like "looking forward to 2005"! theres no excuse for lazyness like that!

 

[David Morton]

Thanks Simon.
I won't be buying it.

 

[Brett James-McCall]

Simon totally agree, I have been conned inthe same way. I am also VERY ANNOYED that they have managed to only focus on what has been there historically and do not give a true representation of avalaibility. I do not hold anything against Tornado, CAV, or MDA, as I doth my cap to them for being in business and producing good kits with good parts.

However, beign the former editor of the GT40 Enthusiasts Club and also the type of person I am... not doing a bit of research and telling people there are other choices such as RCR and SouthernGT is just bad form in my book; or could I be a cynic and say that remarkably the correlation of manufactureers to those advertised is 1:1 i.e. no advert no write up...

Brett

 

[John Lowe]

Well said all. Most magazines are influenced to some degree by who pays for the adverts. I must say that Kit Car mags in general are just about the worst I've found for bending over backwards in order not to offend the paymaster. I occasionally weaken and scan read one in the Newsagents in the hope of finding something researched properly..............haven't bought one for at least 5 years.

I guess the problem they face is that forums like ours are always going to have a large number of guys who really know what they are about. Just about everything I needed to know to make an informed decision is either in here somewhere or provides appropriate links.

6 quid......I hope you have sent off a v. stiff email

John

 

[Keith]

Having worked in that industry for many years I'm afraid that there's nothing impartial about many magazines. If there's a healthy circulation with a good cover price, you stand more chance of an unbiased read, however, the only circulation data you can trust is the ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation) stamp inside on the contents page. All other publisher claims as to circulation are, quite frankly, rubbish. If the mag is at 75% ad based you can bet they only print a couple of thousand copies whatever they claim. If their money doesn't principally come from consumers, then it has to come from advertisers.

The GT40 section you are referring to, sounds very much like an "Advertorial" in which the advertisers "buy" editorial space by purchasing full colour page ads.

I'm not being specific to Kit Car Magazine or even suggesting that this is how they work, but this is the business approach of many publications in many fields which become nothing more than brochures for the companies that advertise.

They are totally driven by advertisers, nothing more or less. The way to tell how a magazine is structured is to see if it allows any criticism in editorial, of any products or services reveiwed. There are really clever ways to trick the reader such as damning with faint praise etc.

I never ever buy any of these type of mags..just pick them up in a train or dentists waiting room!

Sorry to wax on, but i spent 25 years as a contributing editor for a series of trade mags, and they were all bollocks. In the end, the owners sold the titles for millions, and that's all they were, titles. The galley slaves of course, got jack shit.

 

[Dave]

I think the last Kit Car mag I got cost me $14.95 and we are about 2 months behind aswell. I look forward to the mag , I also used to get Which Kit or what ever it was called but have not seen it in months.
I used to get a good laugh at all the bickering from the rival mags.
I don't like the price but enjoy the mag so I'll cop the high price and
be happy I have the mag at all.

 

[Jerry E]

Hi,

I gave up bothering to buy the magazines as there were no decent articles, just the two editors slagging each other off, wineing about a cobra kit that one of the editors supposedly had something to do with, and who had the biggest publication, even thou they double printed all the adverts and crap like that.... they didn't mention though that it came to a good old punch in the face at one of the shows though!

One of the mags has been taken over thankfully, but still will not buy either.


Jerry

 

[Steve]

I really do think internet has all but replaced the need for these mags......

at best they are out of date (try buying anything from the classifieds), biased, and full of advertisements, (and you still are asked to pay through the nose for them)

At worst they are a platform for editor rants.....

Makes me glad there are people on this and other forums who spend personal time (both by contribution and by managing the forums) enabling us newbies access to the info we would otherwise be obliged to get via the ragmags....... I certainly would not have ended up with a southern IF I had relied on the mags for independent opinion or information

Thanks