Dear I.E.,

I have been a subscriber to your CD Magazine for a couple of months now and I love it extremely! I have only one BIG complaint. I am very disappointed in the lack of packaging I receive every month with my CD. Prior to my subscription, I purchased your CD in my local software store. It came in a very attractive case with all of the information about the contents on the back. Now that I am a subscriber, I receive a plain CD in a shabby, cheap cardboard envelope with not even a sleeve to put into a jewel case! I feel somehow cheated! Why is this happening??? I really want those nice cases with my CD. Outside of that, I think you are definitely on the right track with this magazine.

S.C.
Eagan, MN

The bottom line is: economics. A big factor in selling reduced-cost subscriptions, for magazines, is that it shows a fixed readership. This is very appealing to people who like to buy advertising space in magazines, since those people are very interested in showing their ads to as many people as possible. Since IE doesn't rely heavily on ad income (yet!), we need to cut costs to make it worthwhile for us to sell subscriptions at half off the newsstand price. Yes, the flip case in which IE is sold in software stores IS the coolest CD packaging on the market (IMHO). Unfortunately, it both 1) just about doubles our production cost, and 2) would add mondo-expense to the postage cost of mailing out the disc. If we were to send out our subs in flip cases and charge what we're charging now . . . well, let's just say there aren't enough soup kitchens here in Rochester to support us all. We COULD offer increased-rate subs where you WOULD get the flip case, but seeing how many people bitch about paying $60 for a sub now, I don't think there would be enough interest to justify us doing it. Of course, I could be wrong. If you are a subscriber, and you'd consider paying more for your subscription if you could get it in a really cool flip case, send a postcard to my attention giving your name and saying "I'd pay more for my sub if I didn't get my disc in one of these crummy cardboard envelopes." If we get enough of them (and I'll be honest, it would take thousands), maybe the guys who make the business decisions here at IE will sit up and take notice.

T.K.