Introducing Fine Woodworking UNLIMITED
Members get access to our searchable digital libraries, 55+ video workshops, our iconic magazine, and more.
Oct 17, 2018
For more than 43 years Fine Woodworking has been teaching and inspiring woodworkers to do their best work. But we also want to connect with our audience so that we can build a strong community of education and inspiration that will last generations. Today we are announcing a relaunch of our membership program to help us do just that.
We’ve been asking a lot of questions of the Fine Woodworking community so that we can better serve your needs. Here’s what we heard…
All of you are on a journey, but you are in many different places of that journey. You have different skill levels, woodworking interests, design aesthetics, makers you admire, and workshops, tools, and projects unique to you. The aspects that join this community together are a shared love of the craft, the smell of the workshop, the challenge of perfection, and the chance to create something beautiful. We are a community that appreciates precision, creativity, and problem solving.
We also heard that…
Sometimes you need to be inspired… by beautiful workmanship, an amazing workshop, or by the makers themselves.
Sometimes you need specific help… like how to get out of a jam on a project, or insight on how to execute a technique or perfect your sharpening skills.
Sometimes you need direction… on the best tools to use for a particular task or how to set up your workspace or workshop. What’s the best approach for the project you’re tackling next?
You told us that there are lots of ways we can help — but the best help would be to provide solutions for all of it right at your fingertips. So, that’s exactly what we are going to do. Today we are launching Fine Woodworking UNLIMITED, our new membership that gives you access to over 43 years of our content designed to help with all of your tasks, questions, and desires.
I am particularly excited about the launch of UNLIMITED because now members have access to everything, including our searchable digital libraries, 55+ video workshops, our iconic magazine filled with gorgeous aspirational projects and plans, and so much more. I know, no matter where you are on your journey today, UNLIMITED has something to inspire your next step.
To learn more about UNLIMITED go to finewoodworking.com/unlimited.
Comments
Is there a grid of the current offerings and prices? I have no idea how this compares to the online only membership, or to the magazine only membership, for example.
Hi, and thanks for your question. This page outlines some of the differences: https://www.finewoodworking.com/memberships. In addition, though, you'll receive searchable access to our online archive and access to the Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking, as well as any upcoming member-only newsletters.
Great idea! Added to the post!
Awesome, but what if I already paid for the online membership? Will I get credit for what I have already paid?
Yup! Sign up for Unlimited and you'll only be charged the difference between $99 and the balance remaining on your current membership. However, the free trial period does not apply.
Will my current online 12M membership be effective for the entire period for which I signed up? What will happen at the end? Looks like the online only membership is going away (which is unfortunate, frankly).
Yes, it will remain effective. And since you already have the online-only membership, you can renew it at the end of the 12 months. In other words, you're grandfathered in.
Seems interesting, but a comparison table with the current online membership would come in handy.
I don't really see any difference between my online and unlimited. I thought I would be able access plans. That doesn't seem to be the case?
Hey MarkInLouisville,
You'll have access to any plans published in the magazine. With the new UNLIMITED plan you'll also have access to the online archive, which is $100 value, and the Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking Collection, which is a $160 value.
I am a paid online member. How is the new product different from the old one and what is the price difference. This feels like a price increase with nothing new being added.
Hey Jeff,
So, this is really just a grouping of the three products–the online membership, the full archive, and the magazine subscription, oh, plus the online version of the Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking. If you're currently an online member you get grandfathered in if you don't upgrade. So, no price increase!
I see no difference between my current membership - magazine subscription plus online access for $49, and the new Unlimited category, which seems to be the same thing for $99. So basically it looks like you are rolling-out a price increase, right?
Actually we've added access to the online archive, which is $100 value, and the Complete Illustrated Guide to Woodworking Collection, which is a $160 value. Not to mention, if you're a current member, your membership rate won't change. You just won't get access to the new offerings.
I'm a subscriber and an online member. I just signed up for the unlimited membership. The sign-up procedure said that there would be no free trial because I was upgrading. However, after I provided my info, I received an email informing me that my free trial has begun. I think there are a few bugs in this process that still need to be worked out.
Thanks for letting us know. I'll forward it on to the button-pushing-people!
Before this Unlimited category was instituted, I could read the digital copy of the magazine archive. Now, I cannot. Was this a mistake?
Nothing should have changed with regards to the digital subscriptions. If you were an online-member you could always read the more recent digital copies. With Unlimited, the access to the online archive is EVERY issue we've published.
"Nothing should have changed with regards to the digital subscriptions. If you were an online-member you could always read the more recent digital copies. With Unlimited, the access to the online archive is EVERY issue we've published."
I am certain that, when I subscribed both for the print subscription and the digital membership a few months ago, I was informed by the person taking my order that online membership would allow me access to the entire archive. I remember thinking, "What a great deal! And for only $15 a year!" So I signed up for three years. In that time I did have access to the archives back to issue number one. I looked at it before I ordered the reproduction had copy.
But no longer. I tried to look up the digital issue with Nick Offerman on the cover today. No joy.
Look, I really value the content of FWW. I'm willing to pay the added $49/year. But I thought we had a deal. At least for three years. Did I miss some fine print?
I'm going to email you my phone number, I think there is confusion on my end.
I tried.. But I'm super-frustrated by this. I've tried to quietly get help from customer service. But that has been a wasted effort. I had an online membership, so I thought I'd be "grandfathered". But right as Unlimited came about, my credit card number was stolen and canceled, so my membership was canceled when the card couldn't be charged. I have 3 years remaining on my print subscription. The only options I've been given is to add another year to my print subscription with an Unlimited membership, or not have online access. I've tried to find a compromise with customer service, but the attitude I've gotten is "you're out of luck". Seems like FW went for the all or nothing approach on this. I really enjoy the online content, but snowplowing 3 years of print subscription out in front of my online subscription doesn't make sense.
I have always bought the three year print subscription(for 30+ years), and have added the online extra most years, but not always. Now it seems that the ONLY way to access additional video content is to pay $99/ year. I don't need the back issues: I have them in paper and DVD. I own the hard copies of the Complete Ilustrated Guide issues I want. So telling me that back issues "have a value of $100"? Not to me. If I understand you chart of options, my only available means of accessing the online videos is to pay $55 more a year than I'm used to paying.
As a loyal subscriber to three Taunton magazines, that's a very poor reward for loyalty.
Blakdawg:
It's actually the opposite, as a legacy member, you're able to renew your current level of membership at the same price. This option is not available to new readers/members.
I signed up for the Unlimited Membership a few months back but see no difference. I least thought there would be a logo signifying me as a Unlimited member each time I signed in and letting me know I was in the right area for Unlimited Members.
Your members page should look different. There is no glaring differences other than you have access to everything on the site.
So... I guess you want to force online-only members to get the print magazine so that you can say you have x number of subscribers when charging for the ad space. If we wanted the print version we would have subscribed to the print version. But to make any kind of online content inaccessible to online-only members is just not cool. Charge a bit more if you have to (not $99 US!) but please don't pretend like it is to our benefit to get print magazines we do not want. And this from the publishers of "Green Building Advisory".
I agree with the above, however I have a concern - I just purchased a "Unlimited" membership and am not able to access the "premium" content online. Logged out, in, cleared out cookies, etc and no success. I got an email receipt immediately after submitting. Are transactions posted immediately or are they done manually later and if so how long.
Are you sure you're logged in with the same email you signed up with? A few people have had that happen.
I have been a print member for over 15 years and had online access since it was launched. My online access ran out a few months ago as I changed my credit card. Now it seems I have to pay $99 / year instead of the $14.95 for online access. Is that right?? I called customer service and they said I can add online access for $19.95 and it will give me some but not all access, without being able to specify what the difference is. Can someone explain what the differences are?
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