23 August 2012
How to get the best out of your subscription to www.scalemodellingnow.com…
Especially if you are a recent subscriber are you really getting the best out of your SMN subs? It matters a lot to me that everyone who gets involved in any way with SMN really understands what is actually on offer – it’s huge and we’ve put together a powerful set of tips to help you to extract every ounce of goodness from the Magazine! Good luck…
Look at ‘What’s New’
This is probably your most important page! You get the heads up on everything new that’s happening in SMN…
Regularly check in here from the cover – at least once a week; notice how much new material is being added all the time to just about every area of the magazine…
Take 10!
Take 10 minutes to familiarise yourself with all the areas of the magazine – it’s easy, just follow the links from your What’s New page
Use it!
– as they say… “use it or lose it” SMN is a fantastic magazine and resource centre and so, if you use it regularly, you’ll love it; if you don’t you’ll lose your interest in it – what a waste of time and money!
Keep an eye on the main areas of SMN
- How-to techniques in your Techniques Bank
- Modellers walkaround images in the Photo Reference Library
- Extensive in-depth build reviews in Build Now and Finished Now, each one an average of 26 A4 pages! …with how-to step- by-step advice and guidance you can try out on any of your model projects
- New and existing kit reviews in Here Now; your questions answered like: what’s in the box? Quality? Accuracy? Decal options? Instructions? Multiple pics of contents so that you can see and judge for yourself about everything on offer
Watch the HD videos
more than once! Follow the link in Techniques Bank. There are some great tips and ideas to watch and see how others do it, so that you can have a go too. Your videos help to remove the myths of what are often straightforward techniques that you can master with practice
Thinking of building a kit?
Check out Finished Now first – have we done it? Click on the manufacturer in the right panel and look down the list; some great tips, help and advice will be at hand if we have
Print only what you need
Virtually all the reviews and feature articles in Finished Now have PDF downloads at the click of a button. Click the ‘Arrow’ button and save the whole document. Then, print 2-3 pages covering the areas(s) you need for that part of your build – don’t waste money printing the whole document!
Your virtual storage space
SMN your handy modelling archive is always there when and wherever you need it – no more endless hunting for articles you know you’ve read and seen before somewhere in your pile of paper mags
Walkarounds – modelling reference images, unique to SMN
Thousands of images at your fingertips. For example – building the cockpit of a Hawker Hunter? Look up Hunter in your Photo Reference Library. Click the ‘download zip’ file button and save the pics on your computer (or a simple PDF file for recently uploaded sets – so that you can view them on any mobile device like an I-pad or smart phone). ‘Extract’ the pics and print off the ones you want and have them on your workbench as reference. This archive is worth hundreds and hundreds of pounds – literally; is unique to SMN and is included in your small subscription.
Got a question? Ask away!
Use the ‘contact us’ button in the main red navigation bar at the top of every page in SMN and write your question in the text box and send it in. Geoff or one of the team will be right back to you with our best advice and help. You see, you’re not alone… help and support is only a click away! Or ask your question on your SMN Facebook page
Subscribers’ Gallery
Pleased with your latest build? Or one that you have built in the past? Why not take a few pics of it, jot down a short paragraph about it: kit? Scale? Manufacturer? Any accessories? Highlights? Lowlights? Any other comments you’d like to make and e-mail it in to me at: geoff@scalemodellingnow.com (pics about 1200 wide if poss). Let’s all see what you’ve been up to because sharing what we do, especially the best bits can inspire others as well as ourselves to better things.
Facebook and Twitter
Got a modelling view, thought, comment or pic? Come on in… and visit SMNs Facebook page (Twitter too) to share what you want to say as well as ask your modelling questions. Talk directly to members of the SMN Review Team – one of us will always answer your comments and questions. SMN’s FB page is genuinely a community now, with friendly modellers and friends that want to talk and communicate with other like-minded people – what are you waiting for?
One from the stash?
Pick a kit from your stash and save a fortune this time around. Rather than buy new, save £££ and build one that you already have – check out Finished Now and Build Now – you’ll find some great reference and advice from one of the SMN team that has built it already
It’s easy to get the best out of your SMN subs, log in and have fun!
Geoff