Unfortunately Model Cars Magazine's subscriber's deliveries appear to have been going further out over this last 2 years or so.
My article about the 'Duel' Rig that went to press two years ago in November 2015 still remains unpaid for.
I guess that they must be having some serious cash flow problems since Golden Bell Publishers closed their doors.
Further to my last post, I have been chasing up my Duel Rig article authors fee from MCM that has still not been paid after TWO YEARS! It went to print in November 2015. Got a fairly negative response, so not hopeful of getting any payment although the debt to me still stands. I will certainly not be making any further contributions until I get paid for the last one. Do not know what is happening with MCM. I guess that they are struggling to survive, not having the strength of a publishing company behind them any more. It appears that as a commercial magazine now being run as a one man band, must carry thousands of dollars in costs for design, layout, printing and distribution, both directly to subscribers, and what goes out to retail outlets possibly on a sale or return basis.
Will it survive? Who knows? If article writers, the lifeblood of the magazine, do not get paid it must only exacerbate the situation. Am I the only author awaiting payment, or are there more out there?
Last edited by Bugatti Fan; 12-06-17 at 05:50 AM.
Hello Noel,
Its so sad! I subscribe to them, and was willing to accept they're delivery schedule, with a little humor, but in truth its a certain sign of a business
that is failed / failing.
Scale Auto Enthusiast, has been getting thinnerand thinner
I'm especially sensitive to the LOH, (local hobby shops), disappearing throughout the states. The trend had been, that an area that had a
healthy hobby shop(s) was an ideal location for a "Chain Hobby Shop"(a franchise usually), to move into, and undermine the existing shop(s)
(which were usually a family owned business); and now the chain franchises are having a hard time competing with online sales!
That's why I'm here!
-I'm sorry you have been used! -Or so it seems, -Don
Last edited by MODEL A MODEL; 12-06-17 at 11:23 AM.
-craftsmanship is a lifelong project of
self-construction and self determination
Hi Don
At the moment I do feel used by MCM as I have had no indication from them as to when my article will be paid for, despite chasing it up. Do not know if they are just stringing this out deliberately or not but the indications do not appear to be good. My last chase up asked them to please clear my invoice by the end of 2017. But as I said......Not hopeful, but who knows?
If they close, I guess that there will also be a number of other unpaid authors out of pocket like myself so far. Let's see?
Anyone else out there unpaid by MCM?
Getting on to a subject you broached.....Local hobby shops. Same thing happened over here in the UK back in the 80's and 90's. A company named Beatties started buying up local hobby shops like there was no tomorrow. Local shop owners with the expertise went, and we were left with indifferent shop assistants that did not know the difference between an Airfix kit and a barbie doll. They overstretched like the Roman empire and went tits up in the late 90's. Another chain named Model Zone owned by Amerang also met a similar fate in the late noughties.
Hi Noel,
A similar situation existed here, specifically here in Southern California, by name, CHALLENGE PUBLICATIONS, they printed Scale Modeler, and actually quite a few magazines. Aviation and nautical themes, as well as several modeling ones. -I used to manage a great hobby shop, and we sold 129 different magazine titles related to the modeling subjects that we sold. -AND- Challenge Pub. was a sore point with many modelers who had submitted articles and maybe then were paid once,(sometimes not), and then to see they're article edited (poorly sometimes) and reprinted every few years! again and again! Whenever a customer had missed an article, he had only to wait, and it would probably reappear eventually. -I do not know how they finally faired, but they had been the only avenue for so many for too long!
Fine Scale Modeler, published by Kalmback Publishing, was a very welcomed title when they first arrived, and my shop was selling over a hundred of they're magazine every issue, back in the eighties and nineties. But, they have been looking a little thin lately?
The hobby magazines of the UK, and Japan, seem to have faired far better than they're American cousins. -I do not know how the hobby of model making will continue? I'm sure it will, but brick and mortar shops may not be in our future? -It is very hard to compete in the new markets, in global markets, and with direct to customer, online sales.
-Don
Last edited by MODEL A MODEL; 12-07-17 at 12:16 PM.
-craftsmanship is a lifelong project of
self-construction and self determination
Hi Don
A couple of general modelling magazines are going OK over here in the UK. Airfix Scale Modelworld and Tamiya
Getting back to Model Cars Magazine, if authors remain unpaid like me after two years their articles will dry up. Also, if their subscriber deliveries keep going out, eventually they will not bother. It will be interesting to see if they survive 2018 unless they quickly get their act together.
Still owed my authors fee to Model Cars Magazine for my Duel Rig article that went to press in November 2015. I get the distinct impression that as they are run from Hawaii and I live in the UK, I feel that they are taking advantage of my difficulty in pressing for payment from here to either stall or not pay me at all. There must be many others who have written for them and not got paid. Latest that I heard via a would be contributor friend of mine was that they are not paying for articles any more. OK if any one just wants to write for glory I guess. I noticed that they have started to use sections of the late Harry Pristovnik's book ' The Evolution of the Automobile In Scale' in the magazine. Maybe they are using it as fill material if articles are drying up?
Their subscriber delivery schedule appears to have gone out and still suffering from late pubication of each issue. Their subscribers have been very patient up to now, but how long before the patience wears a bit thin and they start to give up on it by not renewing?
We will just have to see what 2018 brings. Let's just say that I am not hopeful of ever getting paid looking at their current situation.
Hello Noel,
I received my latest issue of MODEL CARS today!
It's #205, and since my subscription is good to #223, I figure that I'll be getting them for another two years or so!
In the "Editor's Corner" they, (he), is asking for authors to try contacting them and to be patient. It is briefly mentioned that there have been problems.
. . . -hope this is good news!
-Don
-craftsmanship is a lifelong project of
self-construction and self determination
Hi Don, I think that you may be a little more optimistic than me about MCM. The last copy I got had the first instalment of sections from Harry Pristovnik's book. I have not received any since. I guess that I have been removed from their contributor mailing list since I started to chase up my 2 year overdue article payment. I have been unsuccessful despite numerous chases having been made. Not sure at this juncture whether MCM has any intention of paying me for my Duel article in the November 2015 copy. We will see? The fact that the editor is now asking for past contributors to contact him suggests that perhaps material is drying up? As for asking them to be patient, in my case after over 2 years, may not sit well with other past contributors. If other writers expect to be paid and do not write for free simply to satisfy their own ego then maybe there will be problems in obtaining material. New writers need to be aware that any unsolicited submissions will be treated as a freebie by the magazine. Look at the small print in the banner head column and read the terms and conditions before submitting any thing on spec. My advice is to contact the editor to find out if they would like to commission your article first and foremost and find out what they will pay. Latest I heard is that MCM are currently not paying for any submissions whether commissioned or not, so any would be writer needs to contact them to confirm if this is indeed their current policy.
Last edited by Bugatti Fan; 03-07-18 at 05:43 AM.
Hi Don, Still remain unpaid for my Duel article that went to press in Model Cars Magazine in November 2015. I guess that they have no intention of paying me, what with me being in England and their CEO Editor half the world away in Hawaii. I have been hearing from other disgruntled ex MCM writers who like me have not been paid and also not writing for them any more. If they lose most if not all their regular writers like this, it will be a recipe for disaster and will possibly be the catalyst only to hasten the demise of MCM. The last magazine I received had the first chapter extracted from the late Harry Pristovnik's book the Evolution of the Automobile in Scale. Maybe they are having to use this as 'fill' material if articles are getting scarce. Who knows? As far as I know their subscriber deliveries are still way behind schedule, so I can see this being a major financial headache if subscribers give up on MCM and start to drop away! Maybe the writing is on the wall and we are beginning to see the end of the road for Model Cars Magazine?
Hello Noel!
Yes, I'm sorry but I agree, it does not look like you will ever get paid for your work. I hope it was a labor of love, and not a revenue you needed? I am myself often looking for side jobs to help pay the rent, and it really hurts when our efforts aren't compensated for!
If you want to write about models and model making? please do not give up. Maybe try some other magazines? Rodders Journal, has printed articles about "Hot Rod" models. AACA's magazine just did a few pages on a built to order Pocher Mercedes, and VINTAGE AUTOMOBILE has done a few articles over the years. Maybe some of the club or "society" magazines? CAVALINO (Ferrari), and THE STAR (Mercedes), have both printed articles about models and modelers.
Unfortunately MCM, I thought, was/is the better written. Their articles in general were more interesting, and the magazine was making an attempt at discussing the recent trends in the hobby. Scale Auto Enthusiast, used to be an exciting magazine! But have become quit thin these last few years. I guess that the ability for anyone, and everyone to "publish" online has severely drained the talent pool.
Sorry my friend!
-Don
-craftsmanship is a lifelong project of
self-construction and self determination
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