Every subscription publisher has to decide who does the work behind the subscriptions: taking orders, sending renewals, chasing failed payments, answering readers, producing mailing files and preparing for the audit. Broadly there are three ways to do it, and none of them is right for everyone.
We should say up front that we offer all three: our bureau runs subscriptions for publishers, and Avio (for larger publishers) and Adeptis (for smaller ones) are the systems publishers run themselves. So we have no reason to push you one way.
The short answer
- Run it in-house if you have an experienced, settled team, steady volumes, and a system that does what you need.
- Use a bureau if volumes go up and down, you'd struggle to cover holidays and absence, you don't want to own the system, or you want audit-grade records without building the expertise yourself.
- Split the work if you want to keep the reader relationship close but hand off the repetitive, deadline-driven jobs.
Side by side
| In-house | Bureau | |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Your own staff | The bureau's team, in your name |
| Software | You choose, license and look after it | Usually the bureau's own system |
| Cost shape | Mostly fixed: salaries, licences, office | Mostly variable: fees tied to volumes and services |
| Cover for holidays and absence | You arrange it | Built in |
| Busy periods (renewal runs, campaigns) | Overtime or temporary staff | Absorbed by a bigger team |
| Expertise in audits and controlled circulation | You build and keep it | Comes with the service |
| Closeness to readers | Very close | Depends on reporting and logins |
| Data protection role | You are the controller and do the processing | You stay the controller; the bureau is your processor |
| Speed of changes to process | As fast as you decide | Depends on the bureau and the contract |
What it really costs in-house
The obvious costs are salaries and the subscription system. The ones people miss are the hidden ones: covering for holidays and sickness, the time a manager spends on the system rather than the readers, the knowledge that walks out of the door when an experienced person leaves, and the scramble before every audit.
None of that is a reason not to do it. Plenty of publishers run subscriptions very well in-house. But compare the full cost, not just the salary line, against bureau fees.
What to look for in a bureau
If you're looking at bureaux, these are the questions we'd ask, including of us:
- Will we have our own logins? You should be able to see figures, records and reports without waiting for someone to send them.
- Whose software is it, and can it change? A bureau that owns its system can usually adapt it. One that licenses it from someone else may have to raise a ticket and wait. Ask how you will log in, too: in a browser, or through a remote desktop app?
- Who will actually do the work? Ask to meet the people, and ask how long they've been doing it.
- How are audits handled? Who prepares the figures and evidence for ABC or BPA, and is it included?
- What happens if we leave? You should get your data back in a usable format, on a timescale written into the contract.
- How is the data protected? Look for two-factor sign-in, permissions by role, an audit trail of changes and a written data processing agreement.
The hybrid option
The split we see working well is simple: the publisher keeps the parts that build relationships, such as customer service for key accounts and sales to corporate subscribers, and the bureau runs the parts that are about volume and deadlines, such as renewal runs, payments, mailing files, data cleaning and audit preparation. It only works if everyone uses the same system and the same records, so nothing falls between two suppliers.
That's how our bureau and our software fit together: the bureau team runs your work on Avio or Adeptis, and your own staff can log in to the same system. If you're not sure which system would suit you, start with Avio or Adeptis?.
Talk it through
If you're weighing this up, get in touch. Tell us roughly how many titles and subscribers you have and who does the work now, and we'll give you an honest view, even if the answer is to keep doing what you're doing.
Questions
Is a bureau always cheaper?
Not always. If you already have an experienced team that isn't stretched, and a system that does the job, in-house can cost less. A bureau tends to win when volumes go up and down, when you'd need to hire to cover holidays and absence, or when your system needs replacing anyway.
Do we lose control of our subscribers with a bureau?
You shouldn't. You stay the data controller, the bureau processes the data for you under a written contract, and you should have your own logins to see figures and records whenever you like. If a bureau can't offer that, ask why.
Can we move from a bureau back in-house later?
Yes, if the contract says you get your data back in a usable format and the bureau's software can be licensed to you, or exported cleanly. It's worth asking both questions before you sign.
What does a hybrid set-up look like?
Commonly, the publisher keeps customer service and the relationship with key accounts, and the bureau runs renewals, mailing files, data cleaning and audit preparation on the same system. Everyone works from one set of records.