It's no secret that the publishing industry has come under intense pressure during the past few years. Ever since the world's readers began moving online to get their news, traditional newspapers and magazines have struggled to prop up their physical editions. Even moving online fast enough has been a problem at times.
The biggest example in recent months has been Newsweek, which canceled its print edition a short time ago and is prepping a big tablet-based initiative.
There's no telling that it will be successful there, though. The Daily, a Rupert Murdoch-owned tablet-only publication, was much-hyped as it was released back in 2011 only to shut its doors in December 2012.
So are there any examples of success in the digital world? Popular Science did see subscriptions rise by 11,000 when Apple launched its Newsstand app, and the magazine's publisher is pushing even further into the tablet space.
Hearst announced on Friday plans to offer subscribers of its magazines the chance to buy issues off of the Newsstand app days before the physical editions hit real store shelves. The publisher offers a lot more than just Popular Science, including but not limited to magazines such as Esquire, Elle, Road & Track, Cosmopolitan, Bazaar, and Popular Mechanics.
"Apple suggested this initiative, and it's a great offer they can provide to their newsstand users," said Hearst PR's Alexandra Carlin. "We're always working with our retail partners on unique ways to drive consumer sale and engagement."
Currently, only Hearst is offering this choice for its subscribers, though Apple said it's willing to let others experiment with the option if they'd like.
The publisher recently revealed that it has reached 800,000 digital subscriptions, which fell short of the predicted 1 million mark but still beat its competitors' numbers.
"Those subscriptions are now generating profits after 24 months of investment," said Hearst President David Carey. "And how exciting to see how this business is developing organically: More than 80% of our digital subscribers are new to our files, and their engagement levels meet or exceed the high levels we see from our print products."
It's still too soon to tell if digital subscriptions can sustain magazines into the future, but it's clear that some publishers are ready to take the leap. Honestly, they may have no choice but to jump anyway.
