Subscriptions FAQ

How many issues a year?
The Philosophers' Magazine is published four times a year. THINK, the Royal Institute of Philosophy periodical published by TPM, appears three times a year. Click here for publication schedules.

When will I receive my copy?
Our publication schedules are detailed here.

What do I do if my copy doesn't turn up?
Occasionally, a copy will go missing in the postal system. This is much more likely for overseas subscribers than for UK subscribers. We, of course, replace missing copies. Please go here for our support options (including telephone support).

How do I change my subscription address?
Just go here, and choose one of the options detailed.

Are TPM and THINK always published on time?
Yes, we build leeway into our publication schedules which means that even in the event of unforseen disasters (like the time that our printer's roof fell in on an entire print run!) we still hit the publication deadline.

Does that mean my copy will always arrive on time?
If you're living in the UK, then the chances of your copy not arriving on time are very small indeed. If you live outside the UK, the situation is slightly different because of mailing, export and customs considerations. This means that both forseen and unforseen delays do occur. In order to allow for this, we operate a different publication schedule for overseas subscribers.

I'm an overseas subscriber and my copy has been mailed to me from Hamburg. What's going on?!
This is to do with mail consolidation. Bulk mail that is sent overseas goes via a consolidation service. A route is chosen that is reliable yet cost effective. So you may get a magazine being sent to you from a non-UK city, even though we're an UK organisation.

Do you replace copies lost in the mail?
Yes. About 1.5% of overseas mail goes missing. In this eventuality, we send out duplicates. Go here for support information.

Why different publication dates for UK and non-UK subscribers?
This just reflects what is the real situation - that once you add in the delays that occur as a result of mailing, export and customs considerations, you end up with different publication schedules. This isn't a problem in that the overwhelming proportion of TPM and THINK's content is not time-sensitive.

I've subscribed online. Which issue is the first of my subscription?
All subscriptions start with the next available issue. Of course, you can order the current issue separately if you wish.

This FAQ was last updated April 2004.

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