Ads are where magazines make money, not the cost you pay for it, it is just one of those sad truths about the writing business. The cost you are paying is hardly covering just the distribution cost for the digital version (it does cost to produce a digital edition). It would take 2-3 times the price to have no ads. And in magazines like Wired the ads are actually relevant and interactive.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Conde Nast Slowing Plans for iPad Magazines Amid Weak Sales
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Ads are where magazines make money, not the cost you pay for it, it is just one of those sad truths about the writing business. The cost you are paying is hardly covering just the distribution cost for the digital version (it does cost to produce a digital edition). It would take 2-3 times the price to have no ads. And in magazines like Wired the ads are actually relevant and interactive.
Part of the blame goes to Apple and their money grubbing ways, in that they want a 30% cut of gross sub $. This makes it far less attractive for publishers to do this. Also, I too would love a unified model, but I am sure Apple would also want a slice of the action here as well.
Do you have any idea of how expensive it would be for the magazines to lay out two different issues, one with ads and one without? Everything from the table of contents to how text flowed around images to what size the images were would change.
You aren't paying for the magazines -- the advertisers are. You're paying only a small part of the cost of creating the magazine. Delivering it digitally doesn't reduce costs for the content of the magazine -- just for its distribution. A writer isn't going to produce the story for free just because you have a digital subscription.
That said, they should be offering the magazines at a significantly lower cost to digital subscribers, not making you pay the same amount while preventing you from seeing ads. WTF would I want to get a photo magazine for and then not see the ads for cameras, lenses, and accessories?
I'm glad people are saying the same thing
I think the price is the biggest issue, did they not think we would think it should be at least as cheap if not cheaper than print. Hmm Why is this not flying?? Greed!! I hope they read these posts
I think the price is the biggest issue, did they not think we would think it should be at least as cheap if not cheaper than print. Hmm Why is this not flying?? Greed!! I hope they read these posts
you think when amazon or any grocery store sells a magazine or a subscription, or any other avenue that they don't take a cut of the revenue? It is just rare for everyone to publicly know what that number is.
I don't want an app for every magazine I read!
I have Zinio and subscribe to multiple magazines on it. It works fine. I don't want a separate app for every magazine that I read. I don't want different controls, different features, different layout, etc. I don't want every magazine "enhanced" with video features in some brave new experiment that I'm funding. I want a PDF of the magazine delivered to me to read. That's what Zinio does (it's an encrypted equivalent to PDF). I want to go to one "virtual" bookshelf and pick the magazine I want to read. That's it.
Conde Nast is having to "slow down" because they've created a damned expensive delivery system instead of using a preexisting thing like Zinio, iBooks, B&N Reader, Kindle, etc. Imagine if every ebook series had its own app!
I have Zinio and subscribe to multiple magazines on it. It works fine. I don't want a separate app for every magazine that I read. I don't want different controls, different features, different layout, etc. I don't want every magazine "enhanced" with video features in some brave new experiment that I'm funding. I want a PDF of the magazine delivered to me to read. That's what Zinio does (it's an encrypted equivalent to PDF). I want to go to one "virtual" bookshelf and pick the magazine I want to read. That's it.
Conde Nast is having to "slow down" because they've created a damned expensive delivery system instead of using a preexisting thing like Zinio, iBooks, B&N Reader, Kindle, etc. Imagine if every ebook series had its own app!
Exactly.
There are really too many magazines in general with just fluff information.
We're entering an age where the majority of these mags are going to go away because sites like gizmodo and other blog type sites are becoming the new norm for information
Well, the costs of these magazines with designers, writers, publishers, editors, managers, etc is just absurd for most...
Cost vs profit
What does it cost these magazines to digitize an issue each month? Is there a team of 2 people or 20 putting the digital version? All the articles have been written and researched, the photographs and artwork already exist in digital form as well as the layout. What they save on digital issues; no paper, ink or printing costs, no delivery cost or at least a lot less. One thing they loose however is shelf space, how many times have you stopped in a store and thumbed through a magazine because the cover grabbed your eye.
What does it cost these magazines to digitize an issue each month? Is there a team of 2 people or 20 putting the digital version? All the articles have been written and researched, the photographs and artwork already exist in digital form as well as the layout. What they save on digital issues; no paper, ink or printing costs, no delivery cost or at least a lot less. One thing they loose however is shelf space, how many times have you stopped in a store and thumbed through a magazine because the cover grabbed your eye.
I would gladly subscribe to iPad magazines. As it is, I subscribe to the print versions of the New Yorker, Wired, New York Magazine, Esquire and GQ. If I could get all of these magazines for a reasonable price on the iPad, I would gladly make the switch, if only to get rid of the pile of magazines I'm left with every month (after reading them). However, for the $5/issue they're charging now, no way. Although, I should mention that New York Magazine gives free access to its print subscribers, which is fantastic.
To a certain extent, I tend to feel the opposite way.
Monthlies were a place where well thought-out, long form articles could be published with time for research.
The internet rewards snap judgements geared towards short-attention span readers, and designed to generate hits.
I think that the knowledge revolution touted by some has been a terrible failure as we see 'news' on the internet degenerating into a knee-jerk rumor fest.
Wish it weren't so.
#3 they took the printing costs and turned them into costs for web developers to code each issue along with paying apple
Conde Nast is clueless. Trying to rip people off of course results in low sales. Apple customers are not stupid.
For companies who understand Apple customers, iPad magazines are working out great:
http://obamapacman.com/2011/04/ipad...upert-murdochs-publications-beat-angry-birds/
Exactly. Conde Nast might want to hire some people who understand economics 101, Supply and Demand.
For companies who understand Apple customers, iPad magazines are working out great:
http://obamapacman.com/2011/04/ipad...upert-murdochs-publications-beat-angry-birds/
Exactly. Conde Nast might want to hire some people who understand economics 101, Supply and Demand.
The biggest stumbling block continues to be that publishers traditionally made a huge percentage of their $$ by selling off our personal information.
Until that model is dead and buried (and I thank Apple for doing their part in killing it) there will be lack of progress in getting good digital publications.
reminds me of a Vanity Fair article from 10 years ago from around November 2001. it said the US attack on afghanistan was a failure due to the air power only strategy and that once the attacks stopped the taliban would resume. a week or two later the Northern Alliance routed the taliban on the ground with our help.
So when Amazon sells a subscription do you really think they take a 30% cut of gross? Not of net profit, but of gross sales ?
I would hardly call putting a PDF through some crappy-made Adobe iOS app on iPad, you might as well just sell the PDF using Paypal from their website.
Wheres the magic?
Wheres the magic?
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)
I would gladly subscribe to more e-mags if the price models weren't highway robbery.
I would gladly subscribe to more e-mags if the price models weren't highway robbery.
I think it's going to take a non-publication company to do a digital publication right. What people would like to see? Sensible use of rich media, covering actual "new"s (as in new discoveries, scientific breakthroughs, developments in research, exploratory missions, etc), in a clean, legible layout, complete with error margins and references... possibly from a variety of outside sources or even open to firsthand submissions? Paid for largely or entirely by non-obnoxious/annoying ads & presented with a non-ad subscription option. Clean, minimalist comments & ratings sections, useful user profiles.
Just one digital publication done right, to set the example for all these publishers that can't figure out how to transition from print to digi.
Just one digital publication done right, to set the example for all these publishers that can't figure out how to transition from print to digi.
The revenue model for iPad magazines is just not going to work right now.
First, almost without exception, it's cheaper to get a print magazine mailed to me. I think few people can stomach paying more for electronic delivery, especially when there is SO, SO much free content online. This is the major problem, and it's not likely to change anytime soon.
Second, publishers are trying to make magazines more interactive, and this is very expensive. It takes a lot of time from designers, photographers, and so on. This increases costs and reduces available content on apps like The Daily. Instead, they should focus on adding content and making it easier to find and save. For example, why not a "clippings" section where you can save and print articles you like (ads on the page, though)?
Third, ads need to become more a part of online magazines. If I'm looking for a new iPad cover, I should be able to search ads in the MacWorld magazine. Adding user reviews a la Amazon would be even better. If the publishers want to add interactive features, ads are probably the most effective way to do this.
First, almost without exception, it's cheaper to get a print magazine mailed to me. I think few people can stomach paying more for electronic delivery, especially when there is SO, SO much free content online. This is the major problem, and it's not likely to change anytime soon.
Second, publishers are trying to make magazines more interactive, and this is very expensive. It takes a lot of time from designers, photographers, and so on. This increases costs and reduces available content on apps like The Daily. Instead, they should focus on adding content and making it easier to find and save. For example, why not a "clippings" section where you can save and print articles you like (ads on the page, though)?
Third, ads need to become more a part of online magazines. If I'm looking for a new iPad cover, I should be able to search ads in the MacWorld magazine. Adding user reviews a la Amazon would be even better. If the publishers want to add interactive features, ads are probably the most effective way to do this.
I am a subscriber to GQ, Details, and Wired...I have never even looked at the iPad app bc I wont pay twice...they should push to offer it with print subscription, and if an upgrade give a reason why I should pay extra...right now I can get a print edition for $1 per issue
