Sorry, I don’t have any cheap magazines or free magazines, but they are out there. They are on the Web now, all over the place. Virtually every major print magazine is online now, just like the newspapers, and the vast majority of them provide free content to the consumer.
I used to buy and read these magazines (and some others) quite frequently:
I don’t buy magazines very often anymore, for two main reasons:
- The cost – paid vs. free
- Availability – the magazine selection in my town isn’t great
But, I still like to buy and read them!
How about you? Have your magazine buying patterns changed lately? Do you still buy magazines? If so, why?
Leave a comment and let’s discuss!
I don't buy any print magazines anymore. It has been at least 3 years since I really subscribed directly to something, though my wife and I have both received mag subscriptions as gifts.
I haven't subscribed in YEARS….
I still love print magazines for travel and offline reading. However I was getting most free (trade mags) or using airline miles.
However, recently, at least 3 folded or severely dropped frequency.
My sense is that magazines (weekly/monthly) aren't in as bad of shape as newspapers, but they aren't far behind.
Thing is, if you can get their content free on their websites, then the incentive to buy at the newsstand disappears unless it's an impulse purchase or there's no related website.
I buy several print magazines regularly:
- I subscribe the “big three” science fiction & fantasy magazines (Asimov's, Analog, and F&SF). I'm way behind on reading them, but I enjoy them when I get to them. I know they're all in pretty bad shape these days, though; their circulations are all around 15,000 readers. But in addition to enjoying them, I think they're still a valuable part of the industry, so I put my money where my mouth is.
- I subscribe to Consumer Reports, which I still find hugely useful. I bought a 5-year (maybe longer) subscription some time ago because it was quite cheap and I knew I'd keep buying it for that span – I'm due to re-up in a year or two and certainly will do so.
- I subscribe to MacWorld, and just extended my subscription this month for another 2 years.
Of these magazines, only MacWorld has all their content available on the Web for free (at least, I think they do). However, I enjoy reading some things in a magazine format rather than browsing through a web site. With only a few exceptions, if it doesn't have an RSS feed, then I generally don't keep up with it if it's on the Web.
I used to subscribe to Cook's Illustrated, but stopped because I had 12 years worth of issues and that seemed like enough. I subscribed to Comics Buyer's Guide for 20 years and stopped when they switch to their current monthly magazine format, which sucked all the fun out of it for me. I also used to subscribe to the SFWA Bulletin, but had problems with my subscription, and since it's quarterly I was insufficiently motivated to put in the work to get things resolved, so the subscription lapsed.
Michael:
Excellent points; some stuff still comes on paper only. Fiction magazines, in particular… somehow I can't see them making the transition to duplicate Web and paper content; mainly psychological, I think, but could it also have something to do with the way contracts are set up?
I subscribe to The Economist print edition, and have done so for quite a few years by now. For me, nothing equals the feel of having a printed magazine to take with you to a cafe or to read while flying. Dead-tree reading feels somehow more relaxing and thoughtful than online reading.
Yes, anaulin, I can certainly identify with what you are saying. And, if I was traveling as much as I used to, I'd probably be buying many more magazines than I do today!
It's not cool to read magazines, but i still love them. It's a very different experience from online reading. Looking forward to an era of better web typography.
Actually, I'm starting to think that magazine reading will become a hip new habit as soon as more people stop doing it.
Ah, to be trendy again!