Necessities
EDITORIAL
In our December 1984 editorial, we needed to appeal to you, our subscribers, for donations to guarantee the New Oxford Review’s continuing financial integrity. We cautioned that if the response was not adequate we might have to raise our subscription rates.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. The Postal Service instituted a substantial increase in postal rates — increases which are especially burdensome for serious magazines like the NOR. Moreover, our mailing house and printing costs also went up at the beginning of the year.
While response to our December editorial was heartening, it did not meet our expectations. On the other hand, we were further heartened by the fact that memberships in New Oxford Review Associates doubled since last year.
A closer look at our subscription rates in relation to those of comparable periodicals revealed that our subscription rates are woefully underpriced, and that it was too much to expect to make up the continuing difference between income and costs simply with editorial appeals for donations.
All things considered, then, we reluctantly realize that the burden of financing the NOR must be shared more evenly by increasing our subscription rates. Nevertheless, we will continue our unusual practice of offering lower one-year rates for students, the unemployed, and retired persons. Also on the brighter side, we can all be pleased that it has been over three years since we have had to raise our rates.
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