Growing circulation for a publication is good. Right?

August 28, 2000 - Editorial content, along with ad revenue, is the backbone of any publishing effort. Circulation is one of the defining measures of success. So shouldn't a writer be ecstatic to publish their work in a magazine showing continual readership growth?

Not if one of the main contributing factors to growing circulation is potential readers lured into subscription purchases for the wrong reason. One not-so-up-front ploy is to imply that you would have a better chance to win prizes offered by a publisher if you buy magazine subscriptions. The key word here is "better."

Is this any way to boost circulation? Not according to the Consumer Protection Division (CPD) of the Washington Attorney General's Office, who is demanding clear and straightforward sweepstakes details on contest entry forms.

In what can only be described as a recent rash of settlement payoffs, several publishers have recently been taken to task on their sweepstakes. Included are Time Inc., paying out $4.9 million to customers in 48 states and the District of Columbia, and Publisher's Clearing House, with a $18 Million settlement to 24 states and the District of Columbia.

"If we find what we consider deceptive advertising practices, we will certainly take action," noted Chris Javis, a CPD spokesperson.

What does all of this mean to the writer? For one, you can't always trust the numbers.

But maybe more importantly, the subscriber who feels they have been taken advantage of may never return to a particular publication. The worse case scenario is that they learn to distrust media even more. With decreasing circulation comes lessened ad revenue which eventually affects the available funds to pay for editorial contributions.

And there goes the bread and butter. It just doesn't seem to be a win-win proposition in the long run, does it?