YOU
and
A B C T O Y O U , α r e a d e r of A n a l y t i c a l Chemistry, ABC m a y mean only something you learned in school. For p e o p l e in publishing and advertising, ABC stands f o r the Audit Bureau of Circulations, of which this magazine is a member. I'd like to tell you a little about ABC a n d w h a t it means to you as a r e a d e r . The Audit Bureau of Circulations is a cooperative organization o f general business a n d technical magazines and newspapers. Twice each y e a r , Analytical Chemistry submits to ABC h e a d q u a r t e r s an analysis of its circulation. W e give not only the figures on total circulation, w e also b r e a k d o w n our figures to show the number o f readers in each o f a number of occupations a n d positions. You no d o u b t remember that some time or other since you became a r e a d e r of this magazine w e asked you a b o u t your occupation. This was not idle curiosity. An important p a r t of our subscription records is the information concerning the occupations and titles of readers. You may have w o n d e r e d w h y w e asked you to t a k e the little e x t r a effort to tell us your occupation. N o w you see why. I would like to t a k e this occasion to thank you a g a i n f o r c o o p e r a t i n g with u s — a n d ABC. The h e a d q u a r t e r s of ABC is m a d e up of f r i e n d l y but skeptical p e o p l e . Although they m a y like us, it's their business not to believe us until they have checked our figures. So, r e g u l a r l y they send auditors to look over our subscription records. These men a r e even more skeptical than their bosses. They spend several d a y s carefully auditing our figures. It m a y interest you to know that they have complimented us highly f o r the excellent condition of our records. A f t e r they have a u d i t e d our figures carefully, they give them a final O.K. This O.K. is guarantee to our advertisers that w e a r e delivering to them the values w e have claimed An ABC a u d i t is not perfunctory or meaningless. Sometimes the auditors find that a member o f ABC has tried to get a w a y with something. They then refuse to O.K. his figures until he has m a d e the necessary corrections. They m a y even insist that he publish the fact that he has issued inaccurate figures. W h a t does all this mean to you as a reader? Quite a lot, although ABC's immediate values may seem indirect. Advertisers d o not like to buy advertising space without the assurance o f a u d i t e d figures. W h e n they see the ABC stamp on a u d i t e d figures, they know that those figures a r e correct. That's one reason w h y w e p a y a sub stantial fee f o r our ABC membership, as d o all ABC a u d i t e d publications. W i t h o u t a u d i t e d figures, it would b e much more difficult f o r us to sell advertising. The more advertising w e a r e a b l e to sell, the more solid value w e can put into the e d i t o r i a l pages of this m a g a z i n e . If w e d e p e n d e d on subscription price, mem bership dues, a n d contributions alone, you, as a r e a d e r , would g e t much f e w e r r e a d e r dividends out o f this m a g a z i n e . O r else you would have to p a y a much higher subscription price. So, you see, our membership in ABC indirectly helps you save money as well as get a better m a g a z i n e . It is advertising revenue that supplies the major financial support to this magazine. Advertising income ploughed back into better e d i t o r i a l material makes your m a g a z i n e a better, more useful publication for you. That's why you have a v e r y real stake in ABC.
C. B. LARRABEE Director of Applied Publications American Chemical Society
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