Fast Talk

This is a really interesting idea. Magazines are increasingly finding the need to have a strong web presence – do websites need to have a print presence? It's possible that by doing so they could hit a different demographic and broaden their reach. A couple of considerations though: print magazines are declining not because of their content but because of factors like accessibility, ease of use, and shifting consumer practices. Putting web content into a magazine could be self-defeating if consumers are more inclined to read the same content online. Another way of looking at this -- putting your site's best user generated content into a magazine – that seems like a better idea to me since it's a different model from what most magazines do. Perhaps this is something that could take off providing the content is original and interesting enough. Issues of user permission and copyright would have to be addressed, but these could be pretty easy to deal with.

It is cheaper to start a website before any sort of print publication. Thus, if a website takes off and wants to enliven and spread its brand, a magazine seems like a natural way to go. As for whether people will pay for content published first on the web might seem unlikely.

I think that's a possibility, but I think spinning out books is more likely. It seems a more natural evolution from posts to eBooks/white papers to real books. For instance, the Problogger blog recently published their first book, based on past blog posts and what they'd learned. Personally, I intend to turn my posts into a book as well. The blog functions now to 1) build an audience, 2) develop my voice, and 3) show what I can do (sell myself to publishers).

They will find an inexpensive print on demand model versus a mass produced run. Put yes they will.

This question may also have something to do with how you segment your market. I believe that the way media and information are digested is largely becoming a generational factor. Another trend I'm seeing is magazines that cover a vast array of topics in one mag, ex. Time or Life, are going out of print; the more niche your magazine is the better. The trick of course is to find the sweet spot of niche plus having a critical mass in numbers to make the printing sustainable (if not even profitable!). I learned this weekend that advertisers are looking for the whole suite of media from one outlet--- so video, online, radio, itunes, print-- the more the merrier for them. Printing however is getting more and more expensive: paper and gas prices are going up and the trend with consumers (who are not media junkies) is to decrease their carbon footprint. For example, I can't see SLATE Magazine going to print... Can you?

Depends on what kind of content. Why not?

I do see the new trend of websites putting out magazines, but I think it's a bad idea. Why would you waste natural rescources putting out content that can be easily accessed on the web?

I would say not. Perhaps if there were websites created with the concept of collecting and sorting data with the intention of providing kind of a specific, niche encyclopedic resource. Perhaps at some point there would be an appeal to compiling and sending it out as a pamphlet or book to subscribers (free maybe, but more likely, for a cost). Other than that, I wouldn't see the point. But who knows, someone always does something unintuitive in a unique way, and then makes a fortune.....right?

I sure hope not! If they do, hopefully they'll be mindful of the planet and stick to a quarterly or yearly publication. We have too many magazines as it is, never mind the countless mail catalogues and other junk mail. Even printing on recycled paper is wasteful. Better to not print at all. If people want to read you're stuff, they'll find a way...like stealing time at work like I do!!!

I quite like the idea of cross media content. At the end it is all about content, I mean the important thing is what you want to say. So using different medias to help build your 'discourse' is always welcome.

Imh@hilliardassociates.com

Fast Company has a good approach, however it needs to be tied back into the magazine more to promote it. How about sharing online content with print readers. Show them that there is more going on here than you can show in an ad. I think Wired has done the best job thus far with integrated a web program. Because FC readers are web savvy- more resources and networking possibilities would be best.

I hope so - I come across so many blurbs on the web that deserve the long-content format offered by magazines.

A print magazine sounds good if it's a 'best of' for the year. Otherwise, regular print production defeats the purpose of why web content is popular. It's mobile, easy access, doesn't weigh a thing or significantly drain the resources of the environment.