I was thinking to myself... man its been a bit since I got my last issue... so I went to check on my subscription and see the whole subscription process is revised and no more print issues? Are ya serious? that's pretty lame.

Sometimes it is really nice having a print issue for numerous reasons....
leave behind for a client

leave an issue behind at something like say a doctors office. You never know who will pick it up and get an interest in the stuff and look into it further which might lead to increased sales.

Sending clients subscriptions which can help lead to upgrade sales.

Sometimes its just nicer seeing the images in print.

sometimes its just nice to get away from a digital device and kick back with a nice magazine.

sometimes people are just a lot more apt to read a print version over digital.


I could go on and on.


Idk maybe I am missing something and print versions are still going to exist???? Having a print magazine can be utilized a lot better I feel as a potential sales tool then a digital version. Sure there is some advantages to digital versions but print versions shouldn't be vanquished for a digital only format.

if its true that it is going to be digital only down the road (so the publisher can save a buck I'm sure) then that really blows. that's basically the only real magazine in the industry suited to potential clients and I feel its a hell of a loss.

I might be jumping the gun....

juliejacobson please tell me this isn't true

Huge mistake

isnt it a bit hypocritical for a CI to complain about a company going more high tech?

that isn't more high tech... they have had digital issues. everyone has digital issues.... but to shaft us and totally abolish print versions is nothing but penny pinching. Then you'll wind up getting sold the whole owh but we are going to offer this wonderful new online portal filled with goodies but turns out to be nothing more then overhyped lackluster bs

I guess the comparison is, what if the CI said he would only ever do remote access and never show up physically?

Maybe it's not about saving a buck or two but actual survival? Are you willing to pay more for the print version? I agree with your arguments but maybe they don't have a choice. They either survive with a digital only version or go away for good trying to make a print version as well.

I tried reading all my magazines with Zino in about 2004 because I had a 30" monitor and thought that I could pull it off. I quickly realized that the physical item is the only one that I'll take the time to read. I highly suggest publishing a standard PDF document with hyperlinks for the magazine. The quirky action of flipping through digital pages and drop-down menus completely eliminates my desire to read any digital magazine.

Off hand, I can't think of a single magazine that I continued reading after it went all digital.

In general I think that printing and mailing look like a huge cost that can be eliminated with a click. This is a powerful incentive for the bean counters. Unfortunately, the editorial staff is also cut and the resulting publication is a sad shell of the original and still retains too many of its print format roots. The result is inappropriate mess in the digital domain. So far the results have been difficult to navigate and a waste of my time. Initially, I'd click on a few pages of the first issue and never come back. Now, I'm not likely to even kick the tires.

Another reason to stay away is they are usually eager to sell or rent the emailing list, (email is free, right?) I'll get tons of spam if I give out an email address.

I think that going digital is simply postponing the inevitable end.

Yes. I'd gladly pay more. And do for many magazines

Same goes for porn.


8>)

I prefer electronic versions, if they do an iPad/tablet version. I don't like just a PDF

I haven't picked up a magazine in years. Time to say goodbye.

What i would like to see is a good high res digital interface with a library of past issues. Now THAT would be worth a monthly subscription. If you want to show a client something you can print it out or screen clip it for them.

I forgot to mention...my boss has thousands of industry magazines. THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS! I can remember him going to his wall of magazines and pulling one out and flipping to a specific article. He somehow remembered where everything was.

If you drop a print copy in the toilet, no big thing...........

See the article "YOU WON'T REMEMBER THIS ARTICLE, OR ANYTHING ELSE YOU READ ONLINE, UNLESS YOU PRINT IT OUT" at [Link: fastcompany.com].

They are making a huge mistake. Digital magazines are high tech but brains aren't. And just try looking at illustrations on three different pages of an internet article, flipping back and forth to compare. Then do the same thing with a magazine or book. Onscreen writing is truly ephemeral... it's odd that the thing we'll remember more nearly permanently is the thing in the physical, near permanent form!