The Joss Group

Goodbye American Printer

American Printer magazine, published by Penton Media, will close up shop with the August issue, ending 128 years of publication. Editor Katherine O'Brien posted a goodbye note on the publication's Web site last Friday after the August issue published.

I am always sad to hear about an industry publication closing up shop, but this one has been around a long time. Wish I had to money to buy it and see what the Joss Group could do with it.

 

Time Inc. and the iPad--No Joy Yet

Now, now, Mr. Jobs. Does it make sense to create something as cool as the iPad and dangle that in front of magazine publishers and readers alike and not have a plan for helping magazine publishers handle subscription sales? Why make them use single-issue sales via iTunes? What is the method in this madness?

Read more here.

More Than Five Million e-Books Downloaded to iPads

With more than two millions iPads sold, I can believe Apple's claim that more than five million e-books have been downloaded to iPads. This is just the start of something brand new in the publishing industry.

GQ Happy with Sales Results on the iPad

It has been reported that GQ sold 365 copies of the December 2009 issue for viewing on the iPad during March and April, but overall the sales picture is much more profitable when you take into consideration the total Apple platform sales for that issue. (read the article by clicking here) I have not bothered to quote the figures because all I really care about is the fact that a major magazine publisher is trying new things and new approaches. Selling an issue that was a few months old to anyone is an achievement. I doubt they would have had the same success plopping paper issues of the magazine back on the newsstands. This is an excellent example of what magazines can do to experiment with new ways of delivering content. And, it does not hurt that every penny they made from the experiment is profit. Every little bit helps these days!

Not a Magazine? Vanity Fair Debuts its iPad App

The New York Times reported today that Vanity Fair has created an iPad app for the June issue of the magazine. The app will cost the same as a single copy of the paper issue ($4.99). What struck me most though, were the comments the NYT reported, "Magazines are actually pretty brilliant concepts the way they are,” said Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter on Tuesday as he previewed his magazine’s new iPad app. “At the same time, we have a few bells and whistles that a magazine cannot provide.”

So, if you put it on something electronic, you no longer have a magazine? Interesting.