Magazine Subscriptions Sales Affected By The
Internet
Author: Lisa James

While it may be unfair to blame the internet for the decrease
in sales for a whole other medium, it is probably fair to say
that there is some correlation between the decline in paid
sales for magazines and the increasing popularity of the
internet. Though magazine newsstand sales and yearly
subscriptions have been declining for years the internet has
provided a different way of providing information that readers
may prefer.

Magazines, a much older medium, perhaps comes across as a
veritable dinosaur in the so called "information age." When
comparing the two it is easy to see why users have flocked to
the world wide web.

Magazines Are Not Free

While publishers expect you to pay anywhere from $3-$5 for a
single issue of their magazine, most information on the
internet can be found free of charge. There are websites, that
charge users to view their content, but most information can be
found free of charge if a user is willing to search. Magazine
subscriptions are priced lower than ever before, as many
publishers are practically giving away subscriptions. However,
editors must work hard to publish a product that will compel
readers to actually pay the purchase price, at a time when the
ideology has changed and people believe that all information
should be free.

Magazines Cannot Report News 24/7

In addition to being cost free, the internet is able to provide
information as it is occurring. Most magazines are published on
either a weekly or monthly basis. News magazines in particular
have a hard time competing as the current issue rushed to print
is yesterdays news, and popular portals report news up to the
very minute. By the time readers receive their magazines in the
mail or purchase it from the newsstand, they may have read the
same information or have seen it on the news.

The future of magazines as a medium may seem bleak. However,
there are genre's that have seen sales increases such as the
celebrity magazines. Though the information landscape is
changing there are those who steadfastly subscribe to their
favorite subscriptions year after year.

Publishers have started to adapt by embracing the internet and
using it as a tool to connect with existing readers and perhaps
convert new readers. Magazine Subscriptions, newsstand sales,
and magazine websites often work in conjunction with one
another to create the complete user experience. To try and
combat the existing decline of subscription sales many
publishers offer unique deals and offers to their subscribers
on their website as a means to get readers to subscribe.
Advertising dollars generated from magazine websites have
perhaps sponsored the continuous lowering of prices on print
subscriptions.

It is difficult to say how the internet will continue to affect
other mediums, but the information landscape is continuing to
evolve.


About The Author: Lisa James is an avid reader of books and
magazines and a staff writer for http://Suscriba.com, a
provider of discount magazine subscriptions.