Magazines get ready for Tablets

After letting the Internet slip away from them and watching electronic readers like the Kindle from Amazon develop without their input, publishers are trying again with Apple iPhones and, especially, tablet computers....

Click here for the full article

Its too late (to Emigrate)

A reminder of how tough publishing in print is at present comes with the news that 3 publications targeting the emigration market have all closed this month.

Firstly, Sussex-based Consyl Publishing went into administration this week. They published two newspapers for Australia & New Zealand and claimed

"The newspapers are produced in this country and are distributed all over the UK. Each month we have
5000 printed of each title, with 2000 of these going to individual addresses. We also send copies of both
newspapers to library reading rooms where they are very well received."

This is somewhat at odds with information furnished by the liquidators, who say

"Further to our recent telephone conversations please be advised that from what I can tell there are

57 Names and addresses on the subscription list for the New Zealand Outlook and
110 Names and addresses on the subscription list for the Australian Outlook

167 names and addresses in total on the subscription list."

Hmmm.

Secondly, Emigrate Magazine has sadly migrated to the hereafter after just 8 issues. Published by the Johnston Press (-£450,000,000 debt and counting)- its final issue contained a pyrrhic speech by editor Paul Beazley who celebrated its editorial integrity, but oddly not the complete absence of readers which accounted for its closure.

The same company also closed its digital magazine - World of Property - which rather shot itself in the online foot by charging ludicrously low amounts for advertising ; thus making advertisers suspect no one was actually reading it.

Looks like they were right.

News Corp to join forces with rivals to launch digital newsstand

News Corporation is to join a consortium of magazine publishers to launch an online store selling digital versions of their titles.

The Murdoch-owned company will launch a joint-venture this week alongside Time Warner’s Time Inc, Condé Nast, Hearst and Meredith Corp enabling readers to purchase titles from the publishers in a variety of digital formats, according to reports.

The publishers are working together to sell their titles across a number of platforms such as ereaders and mobiles.

Time Inc's "Manhattan Project" Is A Tablet Magazine

The magazine business is hurting just like all print publications. And even if their Websites are popular, they generate one tenth the ad revenue of the print side. Since last summer, Time Inc has been working on a "Manhattan Project" to create a digital magazine for the new breed of color tablet computers soon to come to market. (Condé Nast is also working on a similar concept). Today, I got a sneak peak at a demo of the tablet magazine designed for Sports Illustrated....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/02/AR2009120201826.html

IPC creates digital magazine for digital photography

With newsstand sales nosediving, its no wonder that publishers are increasingly turning to the digital magazine model.

IPC are the latest, with Better Digital Photography promising a massive 2 million reach with bespoke versions of the publication provided to some of the biggest and best retailers of photographic equipment in the UK – including Warehouse Express, Dixons, Park Cameras and PhotoBox – to be distributed via their databases.

The quarterly interactive e-zine is aimed at beginner to intermediate level photographers and features a raft of interactive elements including galleries, instruction, equipment reviews and video.

Condé Nast Officially Announces Its Digital Magazine Initiative

Well someone thinks the Apple tablet is coming...

CONDÉ NAST UNVEILS INITIATIVE TO BUILD DIGITAL MAGAZINES

Company Announces Strategic Initiative with Adobe to Create Authoring Tools

Company is also in Discussion with Hewlett Packard

NEW YORK, November 19, 2009 -- Condé Nast announced today a plan to develop magazines for the next generation of digital devices.

"We have formed a strategic alliance with Adobe to collaborate on creating technologies that will allow the company to design and produce a new generation of digital magazines," said Charles H. Townsend, President & CEO of Condé Nast.

One of the first products of this strategic alliance with Adobe will be a magazine application built on the Adobe AIR runtime. Adobe AIR lets developers use proven web technologies to build rich Internet applications that run outside the browser on multiple operating systems. The application is expected to be deployable to an array of devices from laptops and netbooks, to future generation smartphones, to the first electronic color slate devices due next year.

The initiative, which will first be deployed with Wired magazine, will enable Condé Nast to deliver full-color, high resolution magazines that combine the immersive experience of its award-winning titles with the convenience and functionality of a digitally distributed and internet-connected product.

"This is the next piece of the puzzle for developing our unique magazine content in a digitalized format that will drive the new devices that will hit the market in 2010," said Mr. Townsend. "Our hope is that the product of our work with Adobe will be used widely throughout the magazine industry."

"Condé Nast is home to renowned publishing brands, with magazines and reporting that help drive and hold a mirror to our culture," said John Loiacono, Senior Vice President of Creative Solutions at Adobe. "Our unique collaboration is a natural extension to the commitment that Condé Nast has made to the Open Screen Project and their support for the Flash platform. Condé Nast is trusting Adobe technology to deliver, in digital format, the high design values and visual aesthetic that readers and advertisers expect from them. We're confident that the resulting work will set new standards in visual impact and reader engagement for Wired and other flagship Condé magazines."

The announcement comes as Condé Nast is also expanding development of iPhone applications for many of its brands. Yesterday, the company began selling an iPhone version of the GQ "Men of the Year" issue through the iTunes App store. GQ's December issue is the first consumer magazine to be certified as a replica edition by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), which means digital downloads will be counted in the magazine's paid circulation. Other iPhone applications have been launched by Lucky and Wired magazines, along with several of the company's digital properties, including Epicurious.com and Style.com.

In addition, Condé Nast said it is also in conversations with Hewlett Packard, one of the leading technology companies in the world. "Hewlett Packard shares the vision held by Adobe and Condé Nast for a more compelling way to publish and consume magazine content," said Satjiv S. Chahil, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, Personal Systems Group, Hewlett Packard. "We are pleased to be involved with them in defining the technologies that will enable this transformation."

The effort with Adobe and the company's discussions with Hewlett Packard are intended to move beyond the current generation of eReader with black and white screens and deliver a full magazine-like experience, with high-resolution color displays. Many current devices do not carry advertising, but in its work for the iPhone and with Adobe, Condé is seeking to create the kind of environment its advertising partners value.

"These initiatives are part of a strategy by the company to extend its iconic brands into the digital world," continued Townsend. "Condé's goal is to create experiences that closely resemble the process of reading its print magazines. The creation of a digital magazine using Adobe’s authoring tools will create reader engagement that matches or even exceeds what it achieves in print."

Magazines on eReaders 'Approaching the Tipping Point,' Says Expert

A recent report issued by research and advisory firm mediaIDEAS projects sales of e-readers to grow from nearly 6 million units in 2010 to 115 million units in 2013, largely due to falling prices and rapidly advancing technology."The E-Paper E-Reader Phenomenon" outlines the dramatic growth of these display devices over the next 10 years into a $25 billion market. Nick Hampshire, who authored the report, told Publishing Executive Inbox that magazine publishers must recognize the looming shift in the way consumers read content and realize that the "e-reader threat" has arrived and actually presents publishers with a real opportunity. The full report is available at www.mediaideas.net.

The E-Reader Revolution Isn't Revolutionizing Magazines

Folio's Harry McCracken on why he doesn't think the Barnes & Noble Nook, the Sony E Reader or even the Kindle aren't the answer to the woes of the magazine publishing industry.

"The magazine lover in me, however, is far more skeptical about the next round of e-book gadgets. The Kindle isn't a very satisfactory magazine-reading device, and there's no evidence that any of its imminent competitors will be great leaps forward for our industry.... "

Here's why:

Trade magazines go digital to beat postal strike

While print publishers (and in particular consumer publishers) are gnashing their teeth in the face of the ongoing postal strike, its a great opportunity for digital firms like Ceros to start pushing BtoB publishers to use their services.

One company already using digital delivery to ensure their readers get copies on time is Media Week, and it surely won't be long before others follow suit.

Kindle is coming to the UK !!

At last - it'll be here on October 19th and I for one can't wait...

Re-Viv-Ing The Paid-Content Model With Digital Magazines

An interesting look at how Zinio's flagship digital magazine, Viv, is faring since launch.

Flipping Google go for magazines and books

Google has announced the launch of Fast Flip - its' take on a digital viewer for magazines and newspapers. The interesting thing is that it will inevitably soften the stance of print publishers, worried about Google's use of their content - given that Google is actually looking to share revenues with them around a contextual advertising model.

Just how much of that revenue they are willing to share... well thats another story.

Tyra Banks on digital magazine success

You see what I did there ? Tyra Banks...? Oh never mind..

She's launching an online - only magazine, which gives me a chance not only to mention it, but to put a gratuitous picture on there.

Have a look at the news story

New digital magazine store launches

But are there enough readers out there ? Menzies store launched with a massive fanfare last year but has yet to see a profit - and they've gone very quiet on visitor numbers...

Turning magazines into iPhone apps

A new service that brings magazines, newspapers, books, catalogs, and brochures easily to the iPhone and iPod Touch through the iTunes store has launched in the US.

Called Pixel Mags, the service aims to help publishers get their products converted into products that can be accessed from the iTunes App Store and used on the iPod Touch or iPhone.

Why free is a very good price

Alex Pham in the LA Times blogs on Chris Anderson's new book. What's interesting is the numbers - Anderson is giving away a free version (non downloadable) on Scribd, and Pham writes 

"As of 1 p.m. today, less than 24 hours after it was released online, his book has been viewed for free by more than 22,800 readers on Scribd." Like wow! If that number can be extrapolated there could be a real business model there..

MyEBook aims to democratise digital magazines

Another player in the "DIY Digimags" arena - MyEbook - has launched, aiming to make it possible for anyone to upload, or create from scratch; beautifully simple or adventurously complex page designs and covers online, in no time. 

The system allows you to embed or link to videos, audio, documents, images and flash files to make your books or magazines fully interactive, and they've cited a few examples for users to show what the product can do.

These include issue 2 of - MIX IT UP 

'USA Today' to Launch Digital (Paid) Edition

'USA Today' to Launch Digital (Paid) Edition

USA Today is counting on new digital reading devices and mobile applications more than an online paid content strategy.

USA Today Publisher David Hunke said the national newspaper is being "extraordinarily bullish" on the move to wireless devices and mobile apps. "You will hear us talk about hybrid solutions as the key to us moving forward," he said.

Hunke was speaking in New York today along with USA Today Editor John Hillkirk during a breakfast to introduce the newly appointed executives to press.

When asked about the possibility of USA Today charging for some online content -- specifically whether the newspaper was in talks with Attributor's Fair Syndication Consortium and Journalism Online -- Hunke indicated that paid content is probably not the path for USA Today.

"I'm not absolutely convinced it works for us," he said, adding that USA Today has had conversations with both the Fair Syndication Consortium and Journalism Online. "I do know this, we need to find a way to get paid for this. ... I don't believe there is an easy day coming where everything flips to micropayments or subscriptions."

Instead, the newspaper plans to focus on mobile applications like the app for iPhone -- "We were stunned by how quickly that spread," Hunke said -- and e-readers.

Hunke also announced the newspaper would roll out a paid e-edition on Aug. 3.

USA Today is actively involved with e-reader developers Plastic Logic. Hunke previously served as CEO of the Detroit Media Partnership and still has oversight of the agency, which plans to test a Plastic Logic e-reader in the market sometime in 2010. However, he asserted that USA Today is talking with all e-reader manufactures. "We will not be associated with one brand," he said, adding that he expects the market for e-readers to "explode."

One thing that Hunke won't bring over from his days in Detroit is a cut in USA Today's frequency. When asked about the prospect he said, "No. One difference is our readers are constantly moving," adding that Detroit is a unique market given its JOA status and the foundering local economy. "The fundamental principal of our circulation plan is we are going to be where you are."

Indeed, Hunke said there would be no changes to circulation strategy given the decline in travel and hotel stays. "We love that space," he said. "We are going to get into that more with an aggressive stance."

The Wall Street Journal has recently moved in on what traditionally has been USA Today's turf of hotel copies. The Journal recently announced a program with Hyatt Hotels. "The Wall Street Journal is very serious competition to us," added Hunke.

Monkey travels to Scandinavia

Interesting news. Dennis are licensing their digital magazines to Sweden, Norway and Denmark.

A sign of things to come...

The future of electronic reading

Computer says no

Almost inevitably, Time's new baby, Mine magazine, hits some teething problems. Good idea, but as Felix Dennis says, its all about the execution.

So this is the future of magazines ?

Much vaunted free magazine Sport, looks like its ceased publication, following the collapse of its parent company.

C'est la guerre.

Time experiments with "made to order" magazine

Not strictly "digital" but interesting nonetheless....

Time is experimenting with a "made to order" print magazine that readers control.

Here's Fast Company's take..

Australia & New Zealand Magazine goes digital

Now here's a subject close to my heart. Evolve Digital Publishing is my new baby and part of that family is the UK's number one migration and travel magazine, Australia & New Zealand.

I'm delighted to say that we are making it available in a digital format through Exact Editions, and the even better news is that you can check out an issue absolutely free.

Subscriptions are only £19.00 apiece. Enjoy!

Updated digital magazine reader

Paperator have just brought out the latest version of their digital magazine reader. It seems speedier and I like the fullscreen mode.

Let me know what you think.

Hearst to develop an emagazine reader

Wired reports that Hearst, the parent company of UK magazine giant NatMags, is planning to launch a digital reader similar to the Kindle.

Timely, as they have just announced they are laying off 10% of employees in the UK.

Digital News Weekly Magazine

From portfolio..

There's been a lot of talk lately about the decline and fall of newsweeklies, some of it fueled by the shift of U.S. News & World Report to biweekly, and then monthly, publication. But U.S. News hasn't given up on the idea of the weekly news digest. In fact, later today, in a soft launch, it will rolling out a new product: a "digital newsweekly" that reproduces, in pixels, what the magazine once did in ink and paper.

"We're creating a tailored product for readers that does what the old newsweeklies did, which was to stop time for people and say 'What the heck happened over the last week?' and make sense of it," says editor Brian Kelly. U.S. News Weekly, as the new publication is called ("It sounds ironic," acknowledges Kelly) will be produced and delivered as a downloadable PDF file, laid out in the form of a magazine, complete with a cover and table of contents. For years, publishers have been offering such digital editions of their magazines with the help of vendors such as Zinio, but U.S. News Weekly is a whole new, albeit related, publication, edited for a somewhat different audience than U.S. News & World Report.

Whereas the parent title has gravitated toward advertiser-friendly topics like health and education, the digital weekly will be "very Washington-centric," says Kelly, with a tighter focus on politics and policy. Since there's less ad support for that type of content, U.S. News Weekly will be a premium product: A one-year subscription will cost $19.95 (although subscribers to U.S. News & World Report will be able to download it for free). "This is what every editor's trying to figure out right now -- how can I pay my reporters to do reporting?" says Kelly. "You've got to figure out a way where, on some level, the consumer is going to pay for some type of content."

(Of The New York Times's much-maligned premium-content program, Times Select, Kelly says, "I always thought that was an experiment they never should have abandoned. If you can get 200,000 people to pay for a product, you're doing very well.") The upside for the readers, he notes, is that they're only paying for content -- and not for the expense of shipping and printing.

And because there's no need to budget time for those processes, U.S. News Weekly will have near-instantaneous turnaround: The magazine will close on Thursday night and be made available at noon on Friday. "I don't think the newsweekly concept's outdated," says Kelly. "I think it's the delivery method that's outdated. To produce a great report, close the magazine on Thursday night and then readers don't get it until Monday -- that's insane."

New digital tennis magazine

Using the Ceros engine, have a look at the new

ezine called Tennis Head from Advantage Publishing. Its run by ex Future MD Mike Frey and follows them losing the LTA's magazine "Ace" to Seven Squared.

8020 is no more

This is a shame. Not only a brave venture, I feel it was a neccessary experiment and at the very least, showed that a model with the web at the core really could thrive with reader involvement. As Samir says, its pretty much a candle in the wind, and a lot of other publishers should have the courage to follow suit...

Yet again, its all about the ads..