An important announcement regarding the past, present and future of your favourite 8-bit magazine:
From this issue, EUG #51, magazine subscriptions are to be raised by £0.30 per issue. This applies to both UK and European subscriptions (although not those to the rest of the world). The new prices for EUG magazines (including back issues) are now as follows:
| Members of the U.K. | £1.30 per issue/disk |
| Members of the European Community | £1.80 per issue/disk |
| Members of other countries | £2.00 per issue/disk |
Current subscriptions are not affected by the price increase but any subscriptions or orders received after 1st June 2000 need to reflect these higher prices.
Why Are The Prices Higher?
As noted on EUG's web site, EUG is changing. It has gained many new readers and is in a very healthy state. But submissions, be they cheats, articles, utilities, demos and even letters, are very few. If you've been with EUG from the start, you will know this is a problem that has dogged the magazine since the first issue.
Previous editors have tried to solve this in a number of ways:
- by accepting text unrelated to the BBC or Electron computers,
- by constantly begging for submissions in each section, and
- by delaying publication until submissions arrived.
These methods have proved successful in some respects - EUG is still thriving almost ten years from its first issue! - but have tended to make the magazine's distribution irregular.
EUG is now marketted as a professional, monthly magazine for 8-bit computers and collectors. As a result, its readership now stands at over 100 and it has built up a strong reputation on the BBC-based 8-bit web sites as the bona fide BBC disk format magazine, being completely up-to-date with the latest happenings on the scene whilst incorporating brand new games and hardware projects.
But, with this improved readership and circulation, there is an even greater need for submissions. It is with this need in mind that prices have been raised and the rules regarding EUG rewritten.
From this issue onward, any reader contributing toward the new issue of EUG will receive that issue completely free. Which means taking the time to devise a short utility or write a short review will be rewarded; a measure long since overdue. Many members have felt that contributing to EUG was a thankless task. Not any more. Under this new system, such readers who do contribute will reap a small benefit and those that are happy simply viewing the disk will receive a more varied slice of opinions on the 8-bit scene for their money.
Hopefully this measure will also allow for EUG to continue with a regular distribution on the 1st of each month. The price increase means contributors and readers alike get more from the Electron User Group.
What About Multiple Submissions?
One of the immediate questions potential and existing contributors to EUG will have regarding this initiative will be, "Suppose I submit two articles on the same disk. Are these treated as one submission or two?" They are treated as two. Which means such a contribution would gain TWO free issues of EUG.
The same applies to games, utilities, demos and other programs. Note though that only substantially improved material from magazines or books will be classified as such a submission. Any straight transfers of Electron User listings will not qualify. Improved versions of any existing programs will be considered on merit (at the discretion of the Editor).
What Happens If My Submission Is Not Used?
EUG is still a magazine to communicate ideas. The Editor will only on rare occasions reject a submission outright (although the right is reserved to make alterations to code if necessary). If a submission is received but not included through lack of disk space (or arrival after the deadline for the upcoming issue) then the contributor will still receive the next issue free but will need to either submit something more or pay to receive the following one.
If I submit, do I receive my original disk back?
Yes. You will receive the original disk plus a disk with the new EUG magazine on it.
In finalising this article, note that current subscriptions are not affected in any way. So if you have just paid a yearly subscription at £12.00, you will receive twelve issues. Send in a submission too, of course, and you will receive an extra issue free.
Dave E, EUG #51