McSweeney’s has moved on… why haven’t you?
The gossip website Gawker has called Dave Eggers to task for a notice that was recently sent to lifetime subscribers of his quarterly McSweeney’s magazine. It seems that, after only a few years of publication, Eggers is already trying to get those subscribers – who kindly paid a one-time-only $100 subscription fee to the magazine in its early days in order to help with start-up costs – to voluntarily transition to a normal yearly subscription. The notice reads, in part:
We know that many years ago, you lifetimers gave us $100 for an everlasting subscription and helped us through our infancy. We can’t tell you how much we appreciated that. Now that we’ve somehow kept this thing going for twenty-two issues, we thought that we’d check in with you and see if we could maybe, you know, move on.
Assuming that all those lifetime subscribers didn’t already, you know, move on from the ickily twee McSweeney’s long ago, this could become an interesting test of reader loyalty. To what extent are people willing to underwrite the publication of their favorite periodicals? And how many people would pay for something they love when they can get it for free?
“And how many people would pay for something they love when they can get it for free?”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but they’ve paid for it already, no? It’s hardly getting something for free…
But it’s optional, right? It seems fair and reasonable–I don’t know. What’s the fuss?
Oh, come on. Give them a break. If you were distributed by PGW, wouldn’t you be a little nervous about cash flow right now?
mcswys may have already found a solution: i know a couple of lifetime subscribers who mysteriously stopped getting copies