Still like to turn pages sometimes.

November 7, 2008 12:51 PM

What is the best way to support periodicals I value: subscribe, or buy them in the bookstore?

I know this is a tough time for print media. There are a number of magazines I really enjoy and want to support. Is it more helpful to subscribe, or to purchase them in the store?

Does the answer change if the magazine has a very small circulation (like a literary magazine, for instance) or a somewhat larger circulation?

Obviously one person won't make much of a dent regardless, but I'm still curious about this.

posted by Mender to media & arts (14 comments total)

Subscriptions, easily.

It's revenue that they have, up front, they can count your subscription when selling to advertisers, and the "discount" you're getting is largely the cut going to the various distributors and retailers.
posted by Oktober at 12:56 PM on November 7, 2008

Subscriptions give significantly more money to the publisher than retail purchases. As well, their circulation numbers are based on subscriptions.

Subscription is also usually less expensive than retail.
posted by dejah420 at 12:57 PM on November 7, 2008

Subscriptions.

A magazine I know of has to discount the price about 50% in order to get stores to carry their issues. Much harder for the magazine to make profit that way. As such, subscription will support them better than buying in a store. Same (even moreso) for small circulation magazines.
posted by splice at 12:58 PM on November 7, 2008

The publication makes more per issue when selling direct, but postage can eat up that difference. Periodicals sold through retail is shipped in large quantities. Mailing to subscribers incurs a postage cost for each copy. I would think it would depend on the price per issue minus postage. You'll probably also get a discount for subscribing so that would also need to be factored in.

Why don't you contact the publications and ask them? They probably know their per issue cost for both outlets and would probably be flattered you cared and more than happy to tell you.
posted by Toekneesan at 1:03 PM on November 7, 2008

on the other hand, if you want to throw your money around, buying the magazine at a local (hopefully independent) store also supports them.
posted by jimw at 1:03 PM on November 7, 2008

another reason to buy at the store: your interest may lead them to stocking that magazine more deeply, resulting in more total issues being sold when other people run across it.
posted by jimw at 1:06 PM on November 7, 2008

For most publications, large and small, their primary source of revenue is advertising, not the sales price of the magazine itself. If you subscribe, you add to their subscription base, which is their primary sales tool when selling advertising space. So, yeah, like everyone said, subscribe.
posted by bricoleur at 1:08 PM on November 7, 2008

For many magazines, a full-rate subscription is probably the best bet for helping them. It helps them keep their rate base (the number of readers they promise to advertisers) in a way newsstand doesn't.

The magazine will get more money from you if you subscribe directly from them. Their website instead of Amazon or one hundreds of other magazine subscription resellers. A lot of those deals only net the magazine tens or even only a few cents an issue (maybe even no money from your subscription), instead of the "full" amount (less the cost to print and mail it, of course).

But, even if you pay "full" subscription price (which is never as high as the cover price), normally you're worth more in ad revenue than in the money you give them. This isn't as true now as it was for most magazines since the ad market is so down. So, subscription but not through an agent.

As for newsstand, if you're worried about the publication going out of business, it's probably not one that pays, or even offers huge discounts, to be placed in retail locations. So buying newsstand will still net them money.
posted by skynxnex at 1:09 PM on November 7, 2008

I own a magazine. Subscriptions, always subscriptions. If I sell you one issue in the store I've sold you one issue, and I've made less than half the cover price. If I sell you a subscription then I've sold you several issues, and as others have pointed out, I can sell more ads at a higher price if I have more subscribers.

That's why you see ads for "75% off the cover price" if you subscribe.

And as skynxnes says, always subscribe direct, not through Amazon or some other agent, if you really want to support the publication.

It's the same whether the magazine is big or small. Some magazines don't have ads, so for those obviously some of this doesn't apply, but they would still rather have you locked in for several issues as rather than hoping you'll go back to the store for another issue down the road.
posted by lockedroomguy at 1:30 PM on November 7, 2008

Having worked in a small independent bookstore that prided itself on having a diverse array of magazines, I'd say split the difference. Subscribe to the magazines that you love the most and feel the most strongly about supporting, buy magazines that you only want occasionally from your local small bookstore.
posted by desuetude at 1:55 PM on November 7, 2008

You have already received posts suggesting that the correct answer is to "subscribe". That probably means cost savings to you, since subscription rates for magazines are usually signfiicantly less than the (cover price)x(no of issues) full price calculation.

So, if you feel you really want to support these magazines, my recommendation would be to: (a) subscribe directly to the magazine; (b) give as many gift subscriptions as you can afford to your friends. This way, you are both helping the magazine out, and also gaining points with your friends who will no doubt appreciate your gesture...
posted by tuxster at 2:30 PM on November 7, 2008

lockedroomguy is right and this goes the same for Newspapers and even Websites! Websites? YES, Websites. I can charge higher cpms when I can show the advertiser my rss subscribers and email subscribers (versus the daily stumble).
posted by Paleoindian at 4:31 PM on November 7, 2008

I think I saw it somewhere on the blue, but can't find the link. Not sure where you're from, but apparently a big way to help out US military veterans is to purchase magazine subscriptions for Veteran's Administration hospitals. There are a lot of people that spend a lot of time waiting in those hospitals, and I'm told there usually aren't enough magazines.

Also, consider writing this very question as a letter to the editor of your favorite magazines. Who's to say if they'll print it, but it seems like something that they'd want to let other readers know.
posted by msbrauer at 5:40 PM on November 7, 2008

Oh, do subscribe. Distributors too often fail to accurately pay for issues they have sold even at the deep discounts they receive, so a magazine can't even count on getting the pittance it's entitled to when you buy retail.
posted by Scram at 7:21 PM on November 7, 2008