Mixed fortunes for DWM and DWA as new circulation figures published

Friday, 15 August 2014 - Reported by John Bowman

The latest circulation figures for Doctor Who Magazine and Doctor Who Adventures show both publications suffering a drop in sales for the first half of this year, although DWM can take comfort from recording a year-on-year rise.

The new Audit Bureau of Circulations figures cover the January to June 2014 period, and during that time DWM saw its total average net circulation fall to 33,538 per issue - down by 2,613 and 7.2 per cent on the previous six months. On the plus side for the Panini publication, it was still a year-on-year rise of 5.8 per cent. The figure is for both print and digital copies.

DWA, however, has suffered particularly badly. The fortnightly mag from Immediate Media Co fell just below the 20,000 mark, posting a total average net circulation of 19,966 per issue for the first six months of this year, equating to a drop of 8,477 and a slump of 29.8 per cent. Year-on-year, this represented a fall of 18.5 per cent. The figure is for print copies only. Although the publication is also available as a download, zero digital sales have been recorded.

In a statement, DWM editor Tom Spilsbury said:

We're delighted with our new ABC figure. After the last period was boosted with the incredible sales of our 50th-anniversary edition, which sold over 50,000 copies alone, we were bracing ourselves for a fall. We thought that we might be down to under 30,000 for the first six months of 2014, which comparatively were always going to be a quiet period. However, for us to be up year-on-year is a stunning achievement, especially when you consider that during the January-June 2013 sales period we also had eight new TV episodes to help bolster sales of the magazine.

The magazine industry is continuing to find times very tough, with the overall market experiencing declines. However, we're pleased to see our digital sales on the increase, as well as subscription levels - so the future is looking very bright for DWM! I'm sure we'll be able to build on these figures for the next sales period, when we'll have the benefit of a brand-new Doctor getting his era under way!

Congratulations to all of DWM's hard-working contributors, and many thanks to all our loyal readers.

There has been no statement as yet from DWA.

For detailed breakdowns of the new figures, click on the relevant links in the table below.

	Jul-Dec 2009	Jan-Jun 2010	Jul-Dec 2010	Jan-Jun 2011	Jul-Dec 2011	Jan-Jun 2012	Jul-Dec 2012	Jan-Jun 2013	Jul-Dec 2013	Jan-Jun 2014
Doctor Who Magazine	29,000	35,374 (+22%)	33,554 (-5.1%)	30,682 (-8.6%)	30,614 (-0.2%)	27,089 (-11.5%)	28,743 (+6.1%)	31,692 (+10.3%)	36,151 (+14.1%)	33,538 (-7.2%)
Doctor Who Adventures	44,664	53,559 (+20%)	56,648 (+5.8%)	50,013 (-11.7%)	48,470 (-3.1%)	31,903 (-34.2%)	31,935 (+0.1%)	24,497 (-23.3%)	28,443 (+16.1%)	19,966 (-29.8%)

(All figures are from the Audit Bureau of Circulations apart from the Jul-Dec 2009 figure for DWM, which is an estimate provided by DWM and included for comparison purposes. ABC figures for DWM only started being calculated in 2010. Percentages shown are the change on the previous six months.)

The circulation figures for July to December 2014 are due to be published in February 2015.

UPDATE - 18th AUGUST 2014: DWA today gave Doctor Who News the following statement regarding the latest circulation figure.

Consultant publisher Jaynie Bye said:

A sales dip during an extended period when the show is off air is no surprise for Doctor Who Adventures. We are really excited about the new series this month and have planned an amazing range of fantastic new content. We have some fantastic new ideas for the new-look magazine to ensure that Doctor Who Adventures remains THE destination for young fans keen to extend their interest in the series.

Meanwhile, editor Moray Laing said:

We've redecorated! It's an exciting time having a brand-new series and a brand-new Doctor – so we wanted a new look for the magazine too. I'm really pleased with how this all looks, and sure our readers will like it too.

FILTER: - DWM - Magazines

Doctor Who Magazine Special: The Year Of The Doctor

Friday, 15 August 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Discover the behind-the-scenes secrets of the most exciting year in Doctor Who's long history in the latest Doctor Who Magazine Special Edition. Doctor Who celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2013, marking half a century of time-travel adventures. The Year of the Doctor is researched and compiled by Andrew Pixley, and has 100 pages packed with previously unpublished photos, day-to-day details of Doctor Who’s production and hundreds of fascinating new facts.

This essential guide contains in-depth articles on the Paul McGann mini-episode The Night of the Doctor; the 50th Anniversary Special The Day of the Doctor; Matt Smith's final story The Time of Doctor; the drama based on the origins of the series, An Adventure in Space and Time; the hilarious The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot; Doctor Who at the Proms 2013; the Brian Cox lecture The Science of Doctor Who; the documentaries Doctor Who: The Ultimate Guide and Me, You and Doctor Who; Doctor Who Live: The Afterparty; and much, much more!

The Year of the Doctor is in shops now, priced £5.99.

FILTER: - Day of the Doctor - DWM - Matt Smith - Time and the Doctor

Doctor Who Magazine 476

Thursday, 24 July 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat gives Doctor Who Magazine readers an exclusive guide to the new series of Doctor Who in the latest edition

Oh, it's a proper blockbuster this episode, so many explosions that Peter Capaldi came in on his day off to watch the Daleks blowing up! I like a Doctor who revels in the destruction of evil in his downtime…

Also in this issue:

Doctor Who's production designer Michael Pickwoad on how to create entire worlds.
Former script editor Andrew Cartmel talks to the writers he employed on what could have been Doctor Who's very last season:Ben Aaronovitch, Ian Briggs, Marc Platt and Rona Munro.
Terrance Dicks – script editor, writer and novelist supreme – talks about his work on Target's Doctor Who books.
DWM pays tribute to the life and times of director Derek Martinus, the man who introduced the Cybermen, Ice Warriors and Autons to Doctor Who.
The Fact of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1982 Fifth Doctor adventure, Kinda.
The Crystal Throne – the brand new comic strip adventure starring Vastra, Jenny and Strax continues.
The Time Team watch the Doctor meet River Song for the first time in Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead.
Jacqueline Rayner and her family get World Cup fever as they wait for the start of the new series in Relative Dimensions.
The Watcher poses more questions and reveals dubious secrets from the archives in Wotcha!
Reviews and previews of the latest CDs and books.
Official news, the DWM crossword, prize-winning competitions and much more!

Doctor Who Magazine 476 is on sale now, priced ￡4.99.

FILTER: - DWM - Series 8/34 - Steven Moffat

Doctor Who Magazine 475

Thursday, 26 June 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Vastra, Jenny and Strax all take centre stage in the new issue of Doctor Who Magazine.

Inside this month's issue is an exclusive interview with the actors who have brought the Paternoster Gang to life: Neve McIntosh, Catrin Stewart and Dan Starkey.

"It's crazy, how everyone knows where we're going to be filming," says Neve. "When we were doing Peter Capaldi's first one we went out nice and early in the morning and there was one person there. And then you turned around and suddenly there was a whole load of people."

"Peter himself wasn't there, of course," adds Dan, "cos his first actual filming was in the studio that afternoon, which was really exciting."

"Oh, God, it was amazing watching him," says Neve. "And seeing it grow - seeing it happen - and occasionally having these flashes of going, 'Ah! That reminds me of Tom Baker! Actually, no! That's the Doctor . . . '"

Also in this issue:

The magazine pays tribute to the life and times of Kate O'Mara, the actress who played the Rani during the 1980s.
Former script editor Andrew Cartmel talks to the writers he employed on Doctor Who's silver anniversary season back in 1988: Ben Aaronovitch, Graeme Curry and Stephen Wyatt.
Terrance Dicks – script editor, writer and novelist supreme – talks about his work on Doctor Who in the '60s and '70s.
Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions in his regular column.
The Fact of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1977 Fourth Doctor adventure The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
The Crystal Throne – a brand new comic strip adventure starring Vastra, Jenny and Strax.
The Time Team watch the Tenth Doctor and Donna meet Agatha Christie in 2008's The Unicorn and the Wasp.
Jacqueline Rayner and her family take a trip to see a new police box in relative dimensions.
The Watcher poses more questions and reveals dubious secrets from the archives in Wotcha!
Reviews and previews of the latest CDs and books.
The DWM crossword and prize-winning competitions

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - DWM

The Essential Doctor Who - The TARDIS

Thursday, 12 June 2014 - Reported by Chuck Foster

The latest in Doctor Who Magazine's special releases, The Essential Doctor Who, is published today, and this time focuses on the Doctor's 'wife', the TARDIS.

The Essential Doctor Who - The TARDIS (Credit: DWM)

The Essential Doctor Who: The TARDIS is a lavish 116-page guide featuring details of every major TARDIS story. There are exclusive new interviews with scriptwriters Steve Thompson (Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS) and Christopher H Bidmead (Logopolis, Castrovalva, Frontios), guest star Suranne Jones (Idris in The Doctor’s Wife), the show’s current production designer Michael Pickwoad and the Radiophonic Workshop’s Brian Hodgson, Dick Mills and Mark Ayres.

The publication also includes articles on TARDIS collectables, a history of the original police boxes by a retired superintendent, maps of the ship’s interior and a three-part guide on how to operate the console.

"The TARDIS is an essential part of Doctor Who, so we had to feature it in this series of bookazines," says editor Marcus Hearn. "We’ve taken a fresh look at one of the show’s most familiar icons, and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to include so much previously unpublished material."

FILTER: - Magazines - DWM

Doctor Who Magazine 474

Thursday, 29 May 2014 - Reported by Marcus

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine reveals the most popular stories of the first five decades of the series, as voted for by readers of the magazine.

Which classic twentieth-century story hits the Top Five for the first time ever?
Which adventure shoots up the list to become the top story of the Second Doctor’s era?
Which two recurring monsters see their every appearance land inside the Top 75?
Which two Doctors find an incredible 50% of their stories inside the top third of the poll?
Which adventure will be voted the greatest Doctor Who story of all time?

The answers to these questions are revealed as the magazine celebrates the Top 10 stories of each decade, from the 1960s to the 2010s – and gives the ultimate chart placing of each and every one of the Doctor’s 241 adventures to date.

Also in this issue:

Showrunner Steven Moffat writes his exclusive column for the magazine.
The thrilling conclusion to the final Eleventh Doctor comic strip, The Blood of Azrael.
The Time Team watch 2008's The Doctor’s Daughter.
Jacqueline Rayner reveals how Doctor Who can cause family tension in Relative Dimensions.
The Watcher looks back at Doctor Who polls of the past in Wotcha.
Previews of all the latest merchandise.
Reviews of the latest CDs, and books.
Prize-winning competitions and the DWM crossword,

The Magazine, which comes with 16 extra pages and a souvenir gatefold cover, is on sale from Thursday 29 May.

FILTER: - Steven Moffat - DWM

DWM remembers the Seventh Doctor's era

Wednesday, 30 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman

The new issue of Doctor Who Magazine harks back to the Seventh Doctor's era as former script editor Andrew Cartmel examines how the series was reinvented for a new generation.

In issue 473, published tomorrow, Cartmel catches up with the writers that he employed, with Stephen Wyatt, Malcolm Kohll and Ian Briggs revealing what it was like to write for the show and discussing how they feel their stories paved the way for the modern reinvention of the programme. Briggs says:

I think it's fantastic. Russell T Davies' approach was a vivid reimagining, taking the basic principles and doing them in a way TV is now made instead of just continuing from the 1980s... That's the great achievement of Russell T Davies – and Steven Moffat, since he took over. Stylistically in both senses, technical style and storytelling style, the show is bang up to date.

Also in the new edition:

Producer Marcus Wilson looks back at his work on Doctor Who, including The Time of the Doctor and The Day of the Doctor
Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions
DWM pays tribute to the life and times of the late Christopher Barry, one of Doctor Who's most prolific directors
Clive Doig talks to Toby Hadoke about working on the earliest episodes of Doctor Who
The Fact of Fiction takes a detailed look at the 1969 Ice Warriors adventure The Seeds of Death
The Doctor and Clara's latest comic-strip adventure - The Blood of Azrael - continues
The Time Team watch the Tenth Doctor meet an old friend - and some even older enemies - in The Sontaran Stratagem and The Poison Sky
Jacqueline Rayner sees Doctor Who's special effects in a whole new light in Relative Dimensions
The Watcher exposes the remarkable relationship between Doctor Who and the Eurovision Song Contest in Wotcha!
Reviews of the latest DVDs, CDs and books
Competitions, puzzles and more

FILTER: - Seventh Doctor - Magazines - DWM

DWM publishes official guide to 2013 series

Tuesday, 22 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman

The Official Guide To The 2013 Series of Doctor Who has been published by Doctor Who Magazine. Researched and compiled by Andrew Pixley, it spans 132 pages and is the 37th special edition from the Panini-owned title.

Billed as "the essential guide to Matt Smith's final season as the Doctor", the guide has in-depth articles covering the episodes The Snowmen, The Bells of Saint John, The Rings of Akhaten, Cold War, Hide, Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS, The Crimson Horror, Nightmare in Silver and The Name of the Doctor and, says DWM, is "packed with previously unpublished photos, day-to-day details of Doctor Who's production and hundreds of fascinating new facts."

It is available from the usual outlets.

The Night of the Doctor, The Day of the Doctor and The Time of the Doctor will be covered in the next special, DWM told Doctor Who News.

FILTER: - Magazines - DWM - Series 7/33

Doctor Who Magazine wins Award

Monday, 7 April 2014 - Reported by Marcus

Doctor Who Magazine has won an Ace Press Award for Circulation Excellence by a Monthly Magazine.

The award follows the record breaking figure from the Audit Bureau of Circulations which showed that the magazine, published by Panini, had a total average net circulation of 36,151 per issue, up 14.1 per cent on the previous six months.

The award was presented at the 2014 ACE Press Awards held at the Museum of London on 27th March 2014.

Circulation Manager, Katie Wilkinson says

The 50th Anniversary last year presented a fantastic opportunity to grow sales and extend reach to bring in new readers and expand onto new platforms. Through product innovation, marketing at trade, in print, at events and increasingly via social media DWM was able to successfully achieve circulation excellence throughout 2013. This award recognises this achievement and we are really proud of the win.

Tom Spilsbury, Editor of Doctor Who Magazine, commented on the ACE AWARD

It's fantastic to see such love and support for Doctor Who Magazine, especially in the show's 50th anniversary year – with the magazine itself now 35 years old. Like the Doctor himself, DWM is always excited to go to new places and to discover new technology – and through our growing international distribution and our brand new digital edition, we've been able to reach more readers than ever before. With a new Doctor making his début in 2014, there are exciting times ahead for Doctor Who – and DWM will be there every step of the journey.

FILTER: - DWM - Awards/Nominations

Paul McGann interviewed for new Doctor Who Magazine

Thursday, 3 April 2014 - Reported by John Bowman

Paul McGann talks about life after being the Eighth Doctor in the new edition of Doctor Who Magazine.

You know what? I don't expect ever to be involved again. But I expect I'll be surprised one day by something. That's what Doctor Who's about. I expect to be surprised . . .

Also in issue 472, published today:

DWM goes behind the scenes and talks exclusively with Jamie Payne, who directed the recent episodes Hide and The Time of the Doctor
John Levene recalls his time playing Cybermen, Yeti and UNIT regular Benton in an in-depth interview
Master model-makers Mike Tucker and his team reveal their experiences of providing visual effects for 21st-century Doctor Who
Showrunner Steven Moffat answers readers' questions
A detailed look at The Fact of Fiction of the 1982 Fifth Doctor adventure Time-Flight
The Blood of Azrael – The Doctor and Clara in the third part of their latest comic strip adventure
The Time Team take a trip to the Planet of the Ood
Jacqueline Rayner casts a critical eye over the Twelfth Doctor's choice of apparel in Relative Dimensions
The Watcher ponders how Doctor Who companions sometimes know things that they ought not to know, and embarrasses another supporting artiste in Wotcha!
Reviews of the latest DVDs, CDs and books
Competitions, puzzles and more