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An interesting bit of trivia

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James Nicoll

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Jul 6, 2009, 12:48:23 PM7/6/09
to
The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
to be 59:

http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
--
http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicoll
http://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll (For all your "The problem with
defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)

Ted Nolan <tednolan>

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Jul 6, 2009, 12:51:42 PM7/6/09
to
In article <h2t9sn$n81$1...@panix3.panix.com>,

James Nicoll <jdni...@panix.com> wrote:
>
>
> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>to be 59:
>
>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>--

Too bad, 42 would be much better.
--
------
columbiaclosings.com
What's not in Columbia anymore..

Jacey Bedford

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Jul 6, 2009, 1:13:53 PM7/6/09
to
In message <yYp4m.20113$Xl4....@bignews5.bellsouth.net>, "Ted Nolan
<tednolan>" <t...@loft.tnolan.com> writes

>In article <h2t9sn$n81$1...@panix3.panix.com>,
>James Nicoll <jdni...@panix.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>to be 59:
>>
>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>>--
>
>Too bad, 42 would be much better.

You need to time-travel back 17 years...

Jacey

--
Jacey Bedford

Lawrence Watt-Evans

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Jul 6, 2009, 2:07:28 PM7/6/09
to
On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>to be 59:
>
>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303

First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.

Second: Okay, readers are 65% male, 21% female -- what are the other
14%?

Third: Stretching their imagines?

Fourth: Why is the next update scheduled for ten days before the
latest completed update?


--
My webpage is at http://www.watt-evans.com
I'm selling my comic collection -- see http://www.watt-evans.com/comics.html
I'm serializing a novel at http://www.watt-evans.com/realmsoflight0.html

James Nicoll

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Jul 6, 2009, 2:20:10 PM7/6/09
to
In article <35f455hgl3fkdsafi...@news.eternal-september.org>,

Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
>On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>to be 59:
>>
>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>
>First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.
>
>Second: Okay, readers are 65% male, 21% female -- what are the other
>14%?

Unknown would be my guess.

Quadibloc

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Jul 6, 2009, 2:56:02 PM7/6/09
to
On Jul 6, 10:48 am, jdnic...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>         The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
> to be 59:

That is distressing, but then paperback novels have been a much more
popular SF medium for quite some time now, so perhaps science fiction
is not doomed, and we're not headed for the apocalyptic future of
"Fallen Angels". (Well, since global warming _is_ real, we're certanly
not headed for that future *exactly*...)

John Savard

Dimensional Traveler

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Jul 6, 2009, 3:39:07 PM7/6/09
to
James Nicoll wrote:
> In article <35f455hgl3fkdsafi...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
>> On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>>
>>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>> to be 59:
>>>
>>> http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>> First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.
>>
>> Second: Okay, readers are 65% male, 21% female -- what are the other
>> 14%?
>
> Unknown would be my guess.

"Decline to state" in survey-speak.

--
Things I learned from MythBusters #57: Never leave a loaded gun in an
exploding room.

James Nicoll

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Jul 6, 2009, 4:42:37 PM7/6/09
to
In article <35f455hgl3fkdsafi...@news.eternal-september.org>,
Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
>On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>to be 59:
>>
>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>
>First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.

The median age of Americans is about 37. Canada's median
age is about 39.

I admit I have used median in a discussion of average.

Joseph Nebus

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Jul 6, 2009, 5:43:06 PM7/6/09
to
Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> writes:

>On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>to be 59:
>>
>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303

>First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.

Still, man, that's got to be maybe *dozens* of readers who
aren't trying to send in their own short stories for publication.

--
Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

David Librik

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Jul 6, 2009, 6:29:50 PM7/6/09
to
jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) writes:
>In article <35f455hgl3fkdsafi...@news.eternal-september.org>,
>Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
>>On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>>
>>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>>to be 59:
>>>
>>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>>
>>First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.

> The median age of Americans is about 37. Canada's median
>age is about 39.

Someone on your LiveJournal points out that, by contrast, the average
age of FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION readers is 40.

This is interesting because F&SF "feels" more current to me than
ANALOG at least. I see younger writers like Yoon Ha Lee there
and it seems open to a decent amount of experimentalism in story-
telling style.

I wonder if this is just my wishful thinking because I like F&SF!

- David Librik
lib...@panix.com

Ted Nolan <tednolan>

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Jul 6, 2009, 8:16:10 PM7/6/09
to
In article <nebusj.1...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu>,

Joseph Nebus <nebusj-@-rpi-.edu> wrote:
>
>
>Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> writes:
>
>>On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
>>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>>to be 59:
>>>
>>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>
>>First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.
>
> Still, man, that's got to be maybe *dozens* of readers who
>aren't trying to send in their own short stories for publication.
>
>--
> Joseph Nebus

With urban fantasy being hot now, and UF short story anthologies
coming out faster than I can read them, I wonder why nobody has
started an UF magazine. Or is there one that I've missed? Of
course there's _Weird Tales_, but that's only semi-pro at present.
Is F&SF still around? Have they tried for the UF market?

Ted

Kurt Busiek

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Jul 6, 2009, 8:42:59 PM7/6/09
to
On 2009-07-06 17:16:10 -0700, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) said:

> In article <nebusj.1...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu>,
> Joseph Nebus <nebusj-@-rpi-.edu> wrote:
>>
>>
>> Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> writes:
>>
>>> On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>>
>>>> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
>>>> to be 59:
>>>>
>>>> http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>>
>>> First: That's depressing. So is the number of subscribers.
>>
>> Still, man, that's got to be maybe *dozens* of readers who
>> aren't trying to send in their own short stories for publication.
>

> With urban fantasy being hot now, and UF short story anthologies
> coming out faster than I can read them, I wonder why nobody has
> started an UF magazine. Or is there one that I've missed?

You don't read FANGBANG MONTHLY?

[No, of course you don't; I just made it up.]

kdb

--
Visit http://www.busiek.com — for all your Busiek needs!

Mike Beede

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Jul 6, 2009, 8:57:10 PM7/6/09
to
In article <h2t9sn$n81$1...@panix3.panix.com>,
jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:

> The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
> to be 59:
>
> http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303

I wonder what "average" they mean. I also wonder how many
people read it on the newsstand. I had a subscription
years ago, but I found out it was a lot quicker and more
reliable to buy one when I wanted it.

Oddly enough, Uncle Hugo's in Minneapolis hasn't been
able to get either mag from their distributors for years.
I assume this reflects a lack of savvy from the publishers,
but I don't know the details. The big chains usually seem
to have them. They always get F&SF, though.

Mike Beede

Nigel

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Jul 7, 2009, 11:10:45 AM7/7/09
to
On 7 July, 02:42, Kurt Busiek <k...@busiek.comics> wrote:
> On 2009-07-06 17:16:10 -0700, t...@loft.tnolan.com (Ted Nolan <tednolan>) said:
>
>
>
>
>
> > In article <nebusj.1246916...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu>,

> > Joseph Nebus <nebu...@-rpi-.edu> wrote:
>
> >> Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> writes:
>
> >>> On 6 Jul 2009 12:48:23 -0400, jdnic...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>
> >>>>        The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
> >>>> to be 59:
>
> >>>>http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
>
> >>> First:  That's depressing.  So is the number of subscribers.
>
> >>        Still, man, that's got to be maybe *dozens* of readers who
> >> aren't trying to send in their own short stories for publication.
>
> > With urban fantasy being hot now, and UF short story anthologies
> > coming out faster than I can read them, I wonder why nobody has
> > started an UF magazine.  Or is there one that I've missed?
>
> You don't read FANGBANG MONTHLY?
>

Does it come out every full moon ?

Cheers,
Nigel.

trag

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Jul 7, 2009, 11:21:39 AM7/7/09
to
On Jul 6, 7:57 pm, Mike Beede <be...@thunderlobster.com> wrote:

> I wonder what "average" they mean. I also wonder how many
> people read it on the newsstand. I had a subscription
> years ago, but I found out it was a lot quicker and more
> reliable to buy one when I wanted it.
>

When I was a teen, Analog was available in the racks at the grocery
store checkout. Now, I'm not sure where I could find a copy on a
rack. But then, my subscription is old and reliable.

Joseph Nebus

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Jul 7, 2009, 11:49:06 AM7/7/09
to
trag <tr...@io.com> writes:

I've seen it fairly regularly at the nearest Barnes and Noble,
although not so much the second-neared Barnes and Noble. The nearest
Borders too.

I did pick up a copy a little while ago as in-flight reading
and came away with the impression that the author pool, at least that
month, was still working through issues regarding September 11th. It
may be worth going over story-by-story to review.

--
Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

silk

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Jul 7, 2009, 4:42:33 PM7/7/09
to
On Jul 6, 5:48 pm, jdnic...@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>         The average age of ANALOG and ASIMOVS readers appears
> to be 59:
>
> http://lists.directmedia.com/market?page=research/datacard&id=239303
> --http://www.livejournal.com/users/james_nicollhttp://www.cafepress.com/jdnicoll(For all your "The problem with

> defending the English language [...]" T-shirt, cup and tote-bag needs)

The golden age is 14.But hell I was 50 when I was born.

W. Citoan

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Jul 7, 2009, 8:20:37 PM7/7/09
to
Dimensional Traveler wrote:
> James Nicoll wrote:
> > In article <35f455hgl3fkdsafi...@news.eternal-september.org>,
> > Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
> >>
> >> Second: Okay, readers are 65% male, 21% female -- what are the other
> >> 14%?
> >
> > Unknown would be my guess.
>
> "Decline to state" in survey-speak.

Probably also includes news stand sales so unknown is probably a better
categorization.

- W. Citoan
--
This book is dedicated to my brilliant and beautiful wife without whom I
would be nothing. She always comforts and consoles, never complains or
interferes, asks nothing, and endures all. She also writes my dedications.
-- Albert Malvino

William December Starr

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Jul 7, 2009, 9:39:17 PM7/7/09
to
In article <h2tf8q$gb8$1...@reader1.panix.com>,
jdni...@panix.com (James Nicoll) said:

> Lawrence Watt-Evans <l...@sff.net> wrote:
>
>> Second: Okay, readers are 65% male, 21% female -- what are
>> the other 14%?
>
> Unknown would be my guess.

Not undecided?

-- wds

William December Starr

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Jul 7, 2009, 9:42:05 PM7/7/09
to
In article <nebusj.1...@vcmr-86.server.rpi.edu>,
nebusj-@-rpi-.edu (Joseph Nebus) said:

> I did pick up a copy [or Analog] a little while ago as in-flight


> reading and came away with the impression that the author pool,
> at least that month, was still working through issues regarding
> September 11th. It may be worth going over story-by-story to
> review.

I'd like that.

-- wds (especialy since it'd involve no effort on my part)

Joseph Nebus

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Jul 9, 2009, 9:52:28 AM7/9/09
to

>I'd like that.

Can't be done, as it happens, with that issue; it turns out I've
mailed it off to a friend I routinely send care packages of books I've
finished with as well as tapes of the Star Trek With New Effects. But I
did buy the current issue of Analog to serve as replacement. Thoughts
to follow if and when I find time to read it.

(Amusing sideline: the letters column wraps up with a lengthy
note from a person who is very upset about people not apprciating the
fantastically fantastical accomplishments of the accomplished Sarah
Palin. Stanley Schmidt notes that his agenda is showing.)

--
Joseph Nebus
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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