Imaginefx

I am a regular U.S. reader of other Future Publishing art titles, and was overjoyed to see the first title on the newsstand of this fantastic magazine.

ImagineFX explores the digital science fiction, fantasy and anime genres through letters, interviews, portfolio expositions and fantastic tutorials. All issues also include pull-out artwork by the featured artist, as well as a companion DVD featuring files for the tutorials, artwork and software. Within the magazines pages one will find a wide assortment of styles and artists, including everything from tutorials by noted conceptual artist Ryan Church to explorations of gothic art by several fantastic artists which all serve to expand your creativity and help you along your own creative path.

On the minus side, most of us U.S. readers will be put off by the per-issue pricetag. But for those living in the U.K. (lucky!) or those U.S. readers willing and able to part with the money, this magazine is not to be missed!

This is a brilliant magazine!

I cannot stress enough just how helpful and user friendly this magazine is, with step-by-step tutorials, Q&A section, book and programme recommendations and beautiful art show casings. It covers a little bit of everything and comes with a DVD containing Demo's, art tutorials, Photo's and fonts and more. It's a magazine written for artists by artists and as a result I found my work improving greatly just from reading and practicing the tutorials in this magazine.

Buy Imaginefx Now

First, this is a great magazine.

Second, you're much better off buying a single issue and getting a subscription from the card inserts or even going to the ImagineFX site and ordering from there. Even with our lousy exchange price it's better than $178. Really bad price here.

Read Best Reviews of Imaginefx Here

Imagine FX is by far the most detailed magazine that I have seen that is completely loyal and devoted to Scifi and Fantasy Digital Art. Whether your a technician or an admirer, this book oozez with talent and technique. The magazine is not a pro's only book and they take a hands on approach to helping amateurs. None of the writers seem full of themselves. They all know they are in a liquid world of a digital medium where everyone learns from everyone. I highly recommend this magazine. It's more than average price tag is worth every penny, especially when every magazine comes packaged with a disc choc-full of demos, tutorials, photoshop brushes and source art. There is no other experience that comes near the likes of Imagine FX.

Want Imaginefx Discount?

Rather this has more to do with the quality of the service I have received with Magazine Express, who is the company that distributes this magazine for amazon.

I do not at all recommend anyone subscribe to this magazine through Amazon, you are better off going straight through ImagineFX and subscribing via their website. This service is a whole lot of hassle and heart ache for nothing.

Long story follows:

My last months issue came very late about 2 weeks late, and I called and harassed Amazon and they were very nice and helpful. Magazine Express however took their sweet time and I got my magazine almost a week later (which by now was 3/4 into the month) and the magazine was damaged and missing the disc. So i complained yet again to Amazon employees, who were wonderful and not at fault here, and they said they would do their best to help me. I didn't receive word back from Magazine Express or Amazon until the 30th (which at that point I had already bought the magazine to enjoy), and I even bought the special edition because I wasn't sure I was even getting that. So yesterday (January 3rd!!!) I get both magazines, the december issue and the special edition, and not only are they not actual Imagine FX subscription magazines, with the big cover, they're regular store bought ones.

I call today to find out why I have received them when I asked on the 30th after so long that I didn't want the december issue and I wanted to be credited back my money for the month, since I already bought it after waiting so long. The guy tells me over the phone that "Oh the issues for that month come in at the end of the month". That is not true since i had received all of my first 3 months almost a week early, and also what's the point of having a subscription if I'm just going to get my issue super late and I could just go out and buy it at the store in the beginning of the month to enjoy it for that month.

This is madness!

Just go and get your subscription through ImagineFX website, that is what I am going to do when this subscription runs out.

I have yet to receive my January issue. I guess I get to enjoy it at the end of the month.

Hali : the International Journal of Oriental Carptes and Tex

This magazine is downright gorgeous and you will find that sometimes the ads themselves to be almost as interesting as the articles.

Hali spares no expense in the high quality color photos of textiles shown in both the advertisements and the articles.

The primary focus of the magazine is on antique rugs and sometimes some of the oldest types, such as classical carpets, are spotlighted. The articles can sometimes be uneven in quality some being written by the leading experts in their fields on some occasions while on other occasions being written by aspiring scholars. From time to time you will run into articles that are actually tailored to sell the author's own rug (!) but those are few and far between. Most of the articles are high quality and some of them actually add to what we already know about the field of rug history. In that way Hali is like a book on oriental rugs that is constantly updated. Many times we will see in the magazine rugs that have been newly discovered that add to our knowledge of the history and aesthetics of the oriental carpet.

The magazine gives good insight to the novice collector about both the rugs and the hobby whereas for the hard-core collector and dealer of antique textiles it is a must have.

Included in the magazine a reviews of rug shows as well as an auction section spotlighting rugs from recent rug auctions and the prices they fetched. If you are a rug collector you will find that information extremely important.

And you will learn that as with many antiques there are collecting trends and with those trends prices can and do fluctuate. This is important information not only for the rug buyer but for anyone that has an heirloom to sell.

You will also learn of something about the personalities of the worldwide rug community by reading this magazine.

If you can't afford to collect antique rugs but enjoy their beauty having a subscription to Hali is the next best thing to collecting rugs. I strongly recommend it for anyone who has just been bitten by the "rug bug" to get themselves a subscription to Hali first before you start going on a rug buying spree.

I also recommend this magazine for antique dealers for although antique dealers can price a variety of antiques very well they sometimes have a blind spot when it comes to oriental rugs. Anyone that has a good sized antique business should be subscribing to this magazine.

The novice will learn from this magazine that their are certain rugs that even though are in such horrible shape that they are just a part of a rug and one that is worn and full of holes (although these cases are few and far between) can command astronomical prices.

One should not be too concerned of the price of the subscription. The magazine itself is highly collectable and in a few years you might find yourself selling your old issues and actually making money.

Highly recommended

Jim Connell "Hallstatt Prince"

Writer's Digest (1-year)

If you are a new writer, this is one publication well worth the investment.

I started out, back in my college years, reading back issues in the library. then I got my own subscription, and that probably dates back to maybe 1978-79. I may have missed a year here or there, but I've enjoyed Writer's Digest (WD) for 20 plus years. Becoming a writer can be a daunting process with plenty of moments when you are ready to give up.

If you're a subscriber to WD, then every month you get fresh ideas, techniques, tips and inspiration as well as plenty of leads on fresh markets where you can send your freelance writing, both fiction and non-fiction. It helped me to develop to confidence, skills and motivation to go on to sell articles to local Philly publications, then OMNI, Success, Family Health, the National Enquirer (medical and science, no gossip) and eventually, even wrote a cover article for.... you guessed it... Writer's Digest.

Okay, so I have some bias. But it was this publication that gave me so much motivation. If you are getting started, or want to give a gift to someone who has shown potential or interest in being a Writer, this is a great publication.

I don't think that most experienced writers will have read this far into this review because they all know about Writer's Digest. Yes they do have plenty of advertising. That's usually a sign of a strong publication. The one thing I'd like to see more of is openness to more freelance contributions, since recently, they've moved towards depending for a larger percentage of their content being provided by regular columnists. Since freelancing is so much a part of the entry process for writers, it would make sense for a publication for writers to walk the talk and support freelancers. On the other hand, WD has been around a long time and any business has a right to try out different strategies for success. I imagine the columnist approach allows for a more reliable and homogeneous content.

Writer's Digest puts out a lot of great resources for writers. The magazine ain't one of them, however.

For starters about half of the magazine is ads mostly for other Writer's Digest products. One you get past paying $19.95 a year for what's essentially a brochure, you'll notice that most of the articles don't apply to you. Most writers stick to one genre, yet the magazine focuses on all aspects of writing fiction, poetry, business writing, editing, non-fiction, etc. If you're working on a biography of J. Edgar Hoover, do you need to look at an article on poetry in the stlye of ee cummings? I'll take "no" for $600, Alex.

So, now you're down to about 10 pages that might be relevant. Well, let's start chipping away at that:

The letters about grammar questions are a waste: if you have a question about affect versus effect, would you write to a magazine and wait a month or two or would you pick up your style guide and have an answer in less time than it took for you to read this sentence? Thought so. (Furthermore the idea that someone would write to a magazine with a question like that is so incredulous one has to wonder if the questions aren't just submitted by staff members in an attempt to fill space, like I used to do when I was the news editor at my college paper.)

Writer's Digest does review software and other technology that might be useful to writers. My favorite was when it reviewed Microsoft Word. Thanks I'm sure most readers had no idea about the monopolistic word-processing program. To be fair, some of the reviews are useful, although you can get better information just by looking up the product on Amazon.com and reading the reviews there.

If you're going to Writer's Digest for market information, you'd be better served elsewhere: the annual Writer's Market publication has all the markets and is more thorough, whilst the Writer's Market website has all that information and is up-to-date. Your money would be better spent on those two products.

About the only articles I have found useful are the profiles on authors and how they have succeeded. There you have it: two or three pages an issue that are useful.

If you're trying to get your work published, Writer's Digest has several other products that are a better investment than its magazine: go with the annual Writer's Market book, the website, and pick up a style manual of your choosing (Chicago is the best). Don't waste your money on this magazine.

Buy Writer's Digest (1-year) Now

Years ago, WD was required reading. That was before the big "everyone in the world should write a book" fad. WD, likely in an attempt to cash in on that fad (and stay alive in the internet era) has switched formats. Most articles are only a few pages long, and are fluff at that. Half of the magazine is either white space or filled with oversized clip art. My advice--pick up something useful (like StoryView by Screenplay Systems, NovelPro by NovelCode or BookWriter by Yaddu Digital [no I'm not affiliated with any of these groups]).

Read Best Reviews of Writer's Digest (1-year) Here

The main target audience of Writer's Digest appears to be freelance writers. Most of the authors are freelance magazine article writers who have finally `made it', and that is what they write about. There are a few short articles about writing (usually written by the same people each month), but that is not the main focus of the magazine. A large portion of the articles are about technical topics related to publishing, and not writing. This magazine is not for people who want to learn about writing; it's more for people who want to learn about how to sell their writing. The advertisements in the back of the magazine are so shady that Writer's Digest actually has to put a disclaimer on each page (think results are not typical in the lose 100 pounds in ten minutes infomercial), and I now get `if you can write a letter like this one, you could make a million dollars a year' junk mail as well. The best part is the writing calendar with writing prompts for each day. This is a great resource for writing exercises and generating story ideas. However, it can be accessed for free from their website.

Want Writer's Digest (1-year) Discount?

I subscribed to this magazine first in high school, and I adored it. I mean, adored. I looked forward to nothing like its arrival. I even won one of their monthly contests, once.

That was then, this is now. They dropped it to bimonthly with no fanfare that I ever saw, and the price is still identical. But the big thing is that Writer's Digest is now one big shill for the "self-publishing" industry, with the better part of the ads for shady operations happy to take several thousand dollars of your money to put your name on the cover. And the magazine itself has shifted accordingly. Articles continually laud self-publishing as a wonderful option and talk about it like it's a writer's dream... never mind that many of the publishers they take money from have never had a commercially successful author and never will.

The joys of the past are gone. The monthly contests now have no prizes, that I've been able to see. The neat little articles on intellectual property accompanied by ads admonishing us that Xerox and Rollerblade are proper nouns are gone. The interviews are now insipid and most of the articles read like they were hacked together in an afternoon with information that could be easily found online.

Skip Writer's Digest. Go find your RSS reader of choice, subscribe to some good blogs--Writer Beware, A Newbie's Guide to Publishing, some of the agent blogs. You'll get far better information with far fewer ads, and for free.

Save 58% Off

Bible Expositor and Illuminator

This was purchased for my mother and it seems to keep her busy. It arrived well ahead of schedule and she was very glad that see didn't miss an issue.

I have received my 1st 2010 edition of the "BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR," SPRING QUARTER

I have used the magazine for a number of years. My brother who was a minister(now deceased) instructed me to use the BIBLE EXPOSITOR AND ILLUMINATOR along with my Sunday School Commentary. I have been delighted that he gave such an insightful teaching tool. Amazon was prompt with my order. Thanks for the opportunity. I am a home-bound, disabled senior citizen and having my reading materials mailed to me is very important. God Bless and have a safe and spirit filled Lent Season.

Sincerely,

Lizzie Guess-Goldwire,

RESEARCH HISTORIAN

Buy Bible Expositor and Illuminator Now

Mopar Actions

Been a subscriber for years. If you want the best tech and resto advice, you read this. Yeah, it only comes 6 months of the year and monkeys could proofread and edit better. But, when you need to work on your Mopar, when you need to modify, upgrade or restore, this is the resource.

If the sound of a HEMI makes you tingle, then this magazine is for you.

Buy Mopar Actions Now

Weak coverage on the later model front wheel drive Mopars. Guess Mopar Action forgets that these are the cars that kept Chrysler from going bankrupt. Kinda gets old seeing the same old $100,000 'Cudas and Challengers.

Read Best Reviews of Mopar Actions Here

I have yet to recieve the first issue of my paid subscription. I would like to say,'great magazine',but I have not recieved one yet. I still waiting 1/24/2007

Want Mopar Actions Discount?

I'm sure I'm not the only one to notice but I still have to let you know about the reverse picture on page 60 of the April 2004 issue. The picture of the electronics on the floor board of the 62 Plymouth is a mirror image of the real thing. After starring at the photo for a minute or two trying to read the letters on the MSD ignition box and not knowing why the car suddenly was right hand drive it dawned on me that the negative was laid on the wrong side when the print was made. It's actually kinda cool.

Save 26% Off

Skateboarding

This is a (very brief) review of four different skateboard magazines. To make sure that previous experience was not biasing my opinion (too much), I got four issues that were out at the same time. The magazines are Transworld Skateboarding (TS), Thrasher Magazine (TM), Skateboarder (SM) and SBC Skateboard (SS).

For photography, TS probably takes the lead. For the skateboard lifestyle, the edge goes to TM. For those who like to read text, SM has the most. Surprisingly, the best is probably SS, which is a balanced combination of all three styles.

Before spending too much on any one magazine, I suggest you try the same so that you get THE magazine you want.

This magazine is exactly what a skating mag should be. Pics, worked in advertisements, nice little poster tear-outs, "skater slang", interviews, top 5's, and all sorts of other goodies you will enjoy.

Buy Skateboarding Now

the magizine is very thick but a lot of it is adds. The adds have good pictures of skaters doing tricks and stuff though. It also has cool interveiws and stuff. It is the only magizine i get. If you like to skate buy this magizeine.

Read Best Reviews of Skateboarding Here

Transworld is worth the Money! It's the price of a regular magazine, but 3 times as thick! Sure there are a lot of adds in it, but hey, they're all just pictures of skaters doing tricks! Also, there are cool articles, interviews, and coverage of tours. Any skater with {money} should buy this. SKATEBOARDNG IS NOT A SPORT!!!!!!!!

Want Skateboarding Discount?

I bought this mag at a grocery store. I'm fascinated with skateboarding. It's a really thick magazine. Probably because nearly everything in it are ads. That's annoying. Good pictures, though. Anyway, it's pretty nice. I'd recommend looking around at other magazines like "Thrasher", "Skateboarding", etc. Enjoy!

Trailer Life (1-year auto-renewal)

We're newbies to the RV lifestyle. This is a great magazine to become acquainted with all you need to learn. The advertisements are very informative...and help to make you aware of different products on the market that you may or may not need. The articles are full of good all-around tips and travel ideas. I'll be renewing our subscription......again.

I cannot begin to tell you how helpful this informative magazine has been for a newbie travel trailer camper such as myself.

I highly recommend "Trailer Life" to all campers that own a travel trailer, or is thinking about purchasing one.

You will be glad that you ordered it, and the price is right.

The only downside for me about this magazine is when I am finished reading my last months issue, I can't wait to read the next months issue.

Buy Trailer Life (1-year auto-renewal) Now

The articles are very informative. I look forward to the maintenance and repair advice provided to the readers. The reviews of State and National Parks are great when looking for new places to visit.

Read Best Reviews of Trailer Life (1-year auto-renewal) Here

I'm not sure if it's the format or what but it seems that the articles are buried in advertising. I can easily page right by an article when I'm looking for it. I really don't think there's any more advertising in this mag than any others; it just seems like it. I believe if the articles were presented more prominently, it would be better. The articles are good.

Want Trailer Life (1-year auto-renewal) Discount?

I am thingking about fulltime rving and this is a good resource for me. It is a starting point I am pleased with the first issue I have recived.

Save 67% Off

Christian Retailing

Whether you are selling your otherwise secular product to a Christian market, or a "Christianized" secular product (like caps and mugs with a Christian-type logo), or are selling Christian products to the secular marketplace, this magazine is for you.

"Christian Retailing" is published by Charisma Media (rebranded from Strang Communications), which has an inconsistent line of magazines. This remains one of their most solid, with predictable quality.

Get a feel for the niche markets, ideas how to meet your customers (bookstores, etc.), or meet your vendor at a convention. Learn point of purchase display strategies.

Once dismissed as a nonmarketable market, Christian retailing is now a power.

It would be nice to see some moree in depth articles about how to deal ethically and legally with the snake oil salesmen. With schisters hitting the streets of Christian TV, selling items Christ would've tossed from the temple, retailers who are Christians need help in knowing how to evaluate this.

"Christian Retailing" is not only the best of the field, but for all purposes, it is the only one. Competition would do them good, but no other decent general product publication exists in this genre.

I fully recommend "Christian Retailing." Without it, you simply are unprepared to meet the marketplace.

Anthony Trendl

Save 66% Off

Georgia Sportsman

Once we got the address correct on the order everything has been fine. If you live in different state other than Ga be sure you indicate that you want the GA or your state. otherwise they send the state on your address listed on the order.

Am trying to buy my magazine for the Nook. Please get with the times and make it available

on electronic media!

Thanks

Buy Georgia Sportsman Now

Marianne

I subscribed to this magazine directly at their web site a few years ago and had no problems with delivery. I like the magazine as it's different from other traditional French magazines like Le Point, L'Express, etc. It gives you a good idea about what is going on outside the US and especially in France and around. I appreciated pages devoted to French culture, history, and literature. I'd recommend it to anyone but before subscribing it's better to get a copy of the magazine and check if you like its format and style.

People StyleWatch (1-year auto-renewal)

I'm a big fashion magazine fan having subscribed to magazines like InStyle, Lucky, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue and Elle in the past several years.

People Stylewatch in addition to Instyle is one of my favorites. It's a rather thin magazine, but what you get is lots of good, useful content that is similar to InStyle (minus the gobs of advertisements). Stylewatch appeals to the readers of People magazine (which, I admit, I do not read) and fashionistas who enjoy reading up on fashion, trends and celebrities. What I like about Stylewatch is that it doesn't waste your time with pages of ads, editorials or articles. It gives you pictures, pictures, and more pictures as well as a good look at current and upcoming trends and some great comparison shopping/tips for budget-minded fashionistas. Instead of showing you gorgeous pictures of paper-thin models wearing outfits you couldn't afford, it shows you what celebrities are wearing and how you could wear a similar outfit for much less. It also gives you current trends and outfits in various price ranges, which makes it a magazine that proves that you don't have to make a million bucks to LOOK like a million bucks.

I usually satisfy my thirst for fashion articles by reading Harper's Bazaar or Vogue, but for my quick-fix up-to-the-moment what-are-the-celebrities-wearing-these-days look at the trends, as well as my source for great fashion ideas and tips, I go to People Stylewatch and it never disappoints.

Though creative, I lack natural ability and patience to painlessly put together my outfits. Therefore, I rely on three magazines to keep "frumpy" at arm's length: People Style Watch, Lucky, and InStyle. What these three magazines have in common is their visual approach to fashion: you will not find there silly articles on global affairs written by teenage interns. Instead, you will be treated to lots of pictures of fashionable style setters not only on the red carpet, but, MOST IMPORTANTLY, in street clothing. I believe these to be much more meaningful to an average Earthling such as myself then the overstilized artsy fashion photos one finds in the likes of VOGUE...

I also like the fact that the magazine identifies the brands. I may not be able to afford everything, but on many occasions I have been able to make prudent additions to my wardrobe based on the editors' recommendations, and/or acquire more affordable article based on the "original".

Fours stars only, as I would like to see more fashions specifically for the 30's/40's set.

Buy People StyleWatch (1-year auto-renewal) Now

Like the 30 other reviewers who have rated these jerks one star, I also took advantage of their Black Friday subscription and I'm still empty handed nearly 3 months later. I don't want to deter anyone from taking advantage of great magazine deals through Amazon--I was very pleased with my subscriptions to Marie Claire, Glamour, Oprah, and Entertainment Weekly. They were all delivered promptly. I work at a retailer that sells magazines and there have been two People StyleWatches issued since Black Friday. And still.... nothing. At this point, assuming I ever get my subscription, it wouldn't even be a year. All I know is that not only is People dropping the ball, but so is Amazon. They obviously have a lot of unhappy customers on their hands. I was pleased with my other subscriptions, but I will no longer go through Amazon for this stuff because of their inability to handle poor customer service from their vendors.

Read Best Reviews of People StyleWatch (1-year auto-renewal) Here

Say what you will about InStyle (which I subscribe to as well), I consider People stylewatch a better alternative if you are trying to choose between the two and don't happen to have a six-figure income. People style watch tries to keep it within my means. They don't just highlight designer brands of clothes, shoes and handbags but also review beauty, hair and fashion products that you can buy at drugstores or target. They have a section on cheap chic where they copy a designer look on a budget which I enjoy. So for frugal fashionistas, this is a great companion. I wait for mine to arrive every month and am always delighted to find it in the mailbox. Makes my day.

Want People StyleWatch (1-year auto-renewal) Discount?

What I really like about People Style Watch is that it's laid out in an easy-to-read, at-a-glance manner. I subscribe to a lot of magazines for various reasons and often don't have time to look at them all cover-to-cover in one sitting each month. Though I usually have good intentions of finishing them later, more often than not, they get tossed in cleaning sprees before I accomplished that task. But with Style Watch, you can get a lot of info covered in a short amount of time and learn a lot; yet, if you don't get all the way through it before it's discarded, you still got your money's worth. In a nutshell, it's a thin magazine packed full of useful, interesting fashion tips, trends, new products, education, and pictures -all without bombardment of ads or filler like in most other fashion publications. Just like it's parent magazine, People, the pages flow seamlessly. Perhaps Style Watch's greatest asset of all, in my opinion, is its appeal to women of most any generation: not an easy task to accomplish. Personally, I am the youngest of baby-boomers, but I enjoy the magazine as much as the twenty-something women I work with. In fact, for me, the only negative comment I could construe is that there's almost too much detail to absorb every month!

But that's a criticism I can live with:)

Save 50% Off

Sky Model

Light on page count but that's probably due to very few advertisements. Focus appears to be more on build-up and modification of three or four subjects although there are great reviews of both current and out of production kits, resin part kits, decal kits, and photo-etched detail kits.

Geared toward the serious builder and definitely not for beginners. Even intermediate builders may be intimidated by the attention to detail: lots of scratch-building, use of photo-etched parts, and realistic dioramas in the builds. Planes have moveable flaps and rudders, working landing gears, built-in electric motors to spin the propellers, etc.

Build-ups include excellent color photos and colors appear spot-on with the real thing. Magazine is printed on thick glossy paper that will last a long time if taken care of. Just wish it were monthly instead of every other month.