Print appears to be back in fashion before it had even left sloped off the catwalk, with independent publications heading the list of this year's must haves.
On the face of it, independent magazines are absolutely wonderful creations. There is a real buzz about them at the moment, with new retail outlets sprouting up all the time and mainstream press waxing lyrically on a regular basis. The publications themselves are invariably done for the love over the money, with individuality, hunger and passion displayed by their editors that perhaps few mainstream magazines could even dream of. These are all extremely impressive foundations and when you add to the mix that they are almost universally acknowledged as key to the future of the printed magazine, things heat up even more.
At Newsstand, we've been stocking nearly all magazines for quite sometime now (and yes, since you're reading this, we're independent & family run since 1898). Our emphasis has always been on a level playing field, to assist the smaller magazines in getting seen and heard amongst the mainstream behemoths that can easily buy their way onto retail shelving. It has been our way of championing the niche magazine without actually giving anyone any special treatment. We've always felt it would be a little over confident to be telling our visitors what they should be liking.
Anyhow, the general consensus appears to be that independent magazines are always focussed on the "creatives". Whether it's the wonderful food magazines that are currently prevalent, or the fashion and crafts titles that are also proving extremely popular; industry commentators rarely stray from these topics.
What then, do we think of independent magazines that focus on less artistic subjects and are perhaps produced with lower production values? Despite their incredible subject knowledge, are these to be thrown out with the bathwater (aka future digital only), or still included in the independent gang (aka the magazines that will be printed in twenty years time)?
Suitably, we think we know the answer but it is you folk who will probably make this decision for us and the publishers in question. In the meantime, we are adding more independent magazines to our site than ever before and we've introduced a category that will develop (a great deal) as the year progresses...with such a lot at stake you will need to make sure you have all the information. Our job at Newsstand, if you will, is to give you the tools for the job in hand.
Exciting times in print - don't let anyone tell you iTherwise.
Monday, 4 March 2013
Thursday, 25 October 2012
The gift of magazines
Good day to you, reader. Herewith some vagueness regarding our fine institution and the development of a more interesting gift system with which to impress your friends and families...
We've been accumulating a tremendous number of high quality fashion magazines here at Newsstand Hovels recently. Actually, not just fashion, but art, culture, literature and all the creative gaps in between have been covered superbly in 2012. Many of these magazines are things of beauty - how they can be compared to some sort of phone app is beyond us - clearly created with huge amounts of passion, innovation and dedication and we want our visitors to know about them.
All this has made us think about our customers (even) more and why they actually come to Newsstand.
One major reason is to browse and crucially, choose; since we have been placing current covers on the site we've become a source of information for many and this is an honourable position to be in. We know the browsing isn't as good as it might have been in RD Franks of London - but it is a start and there is plenty more to come.
Browsing is an essential cog in the magazine industry. Consumers need to keep these publishers on their toes. Editors should be making you buy each copy on merit - working on the cover and contents each and every time. If everyone subscribes at tuppence a time, we think its inevitable that these standards will slip.
Furthermore, people want specifics, such as all the magazines with Robert Pattinson or Kate Moss on the cover. They want articles on, say, cheese and they don't care if its in Culture magazine or The Economist!
So, as one extension of this we thought we would develop an alternative to the traditional (and rather tired) "magazine gift subscription". Why buy someone the same magazine for a year when you can give them a budget and let them pick and choose?
Step forward our Newsstand Credit System, where you can present anyone with automated account credits at Newsstand, allowing them to browse and buy single copies, subscriptions or whatever takes their fancy from us as and when they like. They can use up their online credit with no paper voucher or messing about, in little bits or all at once as they please. Simple, easy and unique in the magazine industry.
Yes, you can get vouchers and subscriptions all over the place, but nothing beats the flexibility and freedom of getting what you want and when you want it - without that excruciating waste of the copies you have no need for.
Compare this flexibility to the same magazine coming in every month and there is little contest in our view. For the magazine aficionado, is there a better offering?
Our mission across the site is to allow customers to be able to buy what they wish to buy, rather than end up with a whole load of magazines they may never have really wanted in the first place.
We've been accumulating a tremendous number of high quality fashion magazines here at Newsstand Hovels recently. Actually, not just fashion, but art, culture, literature and all the creative gaps in between have been covered superbly in 2012. Many of these magazines are things of beauty - how they can be compared to some sort of phone app is beyond us - clearly created with huge amounts of passion, innovation and dedication and we want our visitors to know about them.
All this has made us think about our customers (even) more and why they actually come to Newsstand.
One major reason is to browse and crucially, choose; since we have been placing current covers on the site we've become a source of information for many and this is an honourable position to be in. We know the browsing isn't as good as it might have been in RD Franks of London - but it is a start and there is plenty more to come.
Browsing is an essential cog in the magazine industry. Consumers need to keep these publishers on their toes. Editors should be making you buy each copy on merit - working on the cover and contents each and every time. If everyone subscribes at tuppence a time, we think its inevitable that these standards will slip.
Furthermore, people want specifics, such as all the magazines with Robert Pattinson or Kate Moss on the cover. They want articles on, say, cheese and they don't care if its in Culture magazine or The Economist!
So, as one extension of this we thought we would develop an alternative to the traditional (and rather tired) "magazine gift subscription". Why buy someone the same magazine for a year when you can give them a budget and let them pick and choose?
Step forward our Newsstand Credit System, where you can present anyone with automated account credits at Newsstand, allowing them to browse and buy single copies, subscriptions or whatever takes their fancy from us as and when they like. They can use up their online credit with no paper voucher or messing about, in little bits or all at once as they please. Simple, easy and unique in the magazine industry.
Yes, you can get vouchers and subscriptions all over the place, but nothing beats the flexibility and freedom of getting what you want and when you want it - without that excruciating waste of the copies you have no need for.
Compare this flexibility to the same magazine coming in every month and there is little contest in our view. For the magazine aficionado, is there a better offering?
Our mission across the site is to allow customers to be able to buy what they wish to buy, rather than end up with a whole load of magazines they may never have really wanted in the first place.
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
American Magazines in the UK
We would like to talk to you if we may (don’t feel pressured to read this, you can always wander away and watch a video of a cat, after all that’s what the internet is there for) about America. And, more specifically American magazines.
Now, there are a lot of things that can be said about the good ol’ USA, both positive and not so positive. For the perfect example of both of these one need look no further than the cheeseburger, and its subsequent effect upon the world. Delicious yet deadly. We plan to stay away mostly from any contentious topics such as politics, though we definitely support that bloke in the upcoming elections, or maybe the other one. Well, definitely not the who is secretly a lizard-man from the darkest depths of the earth, or the fellow who is actually three midgets in a coat. Anyway, where were we… Ah yes, American magazines.
We pride ourselves on the vast range of magazines that we can stock. Fancy a Dubai based visual arts magazine? Well, Desert Fish may be just what you are looking for. Feel the need to know more about Scandinavian weaving? We’ve got you covered. However, a lot of you are going to come to our site wishing to purchase some excellent American publications. For some bizarre reason a great many of the august publications we stock don’t seem to have any interest in selling themselves overseas. Now this would be the point where we would interject a cruel joke suggesting that many Americans aren’t aware of overseas, if we weren’t such nice people. (to any Americans reading this, my sincerest apologies for such words, there is no malice behind them).
Quite why they don’t value the rest of the world’s custom is beyond us, but we are valiantly filling that breach by offering you a breathtaking array of excellent American mags (cunningly hidden in the foreign language category – not a snide comment, more just an amusing coincidence). No, no need to thank us.
We can boast the likes of Martha Stewart’s Living – a home magazine covering food, interiors, crafts, home design and more, from perhaps the most lovable ex-con in the world - and Vogue USA, as well as the ever popular People magazine that has all the celeb gossip you could ever need – and probably quite a bit more besides. If you like your football of the ‘large men wearing padding and running at each other’ variety, then we’ve got several different titles that may take your fancy.
Entertainment Weekly is perhaps one of the biggest titles we stock, and we love the glimpse it gives us into what is going on in the world over the other side of the pond. Fangoria brings you the world of Horror as you have never seen before. Enjoy watching astonishingly tall men throwing balls into hoops? Hoop NBA and Slam magazine might be your thing.
These are all good and well, and some of them are actually rather fantastic, but they pale in comparison to our favourites. And yes, that’s spelt favourites with a ‘u’, despite what my computer is amusingly trying to tell me.
Third place goes to the niche yet endearing Atomic Ranch, a mag solely devoted to recapturing the retro-future vibes of the 50’s in interior design.
In second spot is Beer Magazine (not to be confused with the Camra publication which is of course known on our site as Beer magazine, with a little m), due in no large part to the subject matter; a look at the micro-breweries that are springing up across the states. Well worth a read.
The winner, however, by a distance, is the fantastically named Culture magazine, an American publication all about cheese. We would say it was a title that really grows on you, but we don’t think we could forgive ourselves. Cheese from an American perspective, and in an exceedingly interesting (this is true, though amusing it is also a fascinating read) mag – perfect.
So, celebrities and cheese, beer and football. We reckon we’ve got America covered pretty well there. Perhaps though the thing we love the most about America, and US magazines as well, is the unbridled optimism found in every title. Perhaps this is the glorious weather - as I write this here in Canterbury it is actually raining so hard that I couldn’t hear someone speaking to me on the telephone just now – or maybe it’s the sheer beauty of the country itself. Whatever it is, we think a little American Sunshine every now and then helps cut through our cynicism and the perpetual British gloom. (Cor blimey Nick, its only September.)
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Clearer skies ahead?
Thankfully, spring is on its way. We love spring for even more reasons than most, and not just because it lightens up Newsstand Hovels...
No, spring means sunshine and sunshine means no one will be able to read those troublesome digital magazines in the garden. Add that to the obvious perils of reading your tablet in the bath - and the good old print magazine is starting to regain the edge in various parts of the home.
There was an excellent article in The Observer the other day, detailing how print magazines that don’t invest heavily in digital editions are those leading the industry sales increases. This is common sense to us but is a point often lost in the constant clamour of those who insist that print is on its way out. Unfortunately many of the magazine publishers are contributing to this noise (and, as a result, contributing to falling sales). All we can do at Newsstand is keep ensuring we make as many print magazines as possible available to everyone.
There has been the usual highlighting of dropping sales over the last quarter amongst the popular titles (who are often spending obscene amounts of money on developing Android and other digital platform editions), but many magazines who take pride in their print editions are showing tremendous growth. These magazines do not grab the headlines as they are not the big sellers – but they often lead the industry in the more important areas of design and content quality. On this point, we've joined something called Pinterest, just to collate together all the best magazine cover designs we come across - please drop by, I think we are here.
At Newsstand we know the younger generations still enjoy, even prefer, the print magazine. We just hope that the print doom mongers don’t instigate a self-fulfilling prophecy, where publishers feel they must invest in digital, give away print and end up finding it impossible to survive.
So please, keep browsing the smaller titles, get hold of something different and enjoy the sunshine in the garden. Let the others be distracted by the spot on the end of their nose – it won’t be long now.
No, spring means sunshine and sunshine means no one will be able to read those troublesome digital magazines in the garden. Add that to the obvious perils of reading your tablet in the bath - and the good old print magazine is starting to regain the edge in various parts of the home.
There was an excellent article in The Observer the other day, detailing how print magazines that don’t invest heavily in digital editions are those leading the industry sales increases. This is common sense to us but is a point often lost in the constant clamour of those who insist that print is on its way out. Unfortunately many of the magazine publishers are contributing to this noise (and, as a result, contributing to falling sales). All we can do at Newsstand is keep ensuring we make as many print magazines as possible available to everyone.
There has been the usual highlighting of dropping sales over the last quarter amongst the popular titles (who are often spending obscene amounts of money on developing Android and other digital platform editions), but many magazines who take pride in their print editions are showing tremendous growth. These magazines do not grab the headlines as they are not the big sellers – but they often lead the industry in the more important areas of design and content quality. On this point, we've joined something called Pinterest, just to collate together all the best magazine cover designs we come across - please drop by, I think we are here.
At Newsstand we know the younger generations still enjoy, even prefer, the print magazine. We just hope that the print doom mongers don’t instigate a self-fulfilling prophecy, where publishers feel they must invest in digital, give away print and end up finding it impossible to survive.
So please, keep browsing the smaller titles, get hold of something different and enjoy the sunshine in the garden. Let the others be distracted by the spot on the end of their nose – it won’t be long now.
Monday, 5 December 2011
Gordon
The world seems to be in a bit of a mess, or at least the capitalist swathe of it. With all the wealth increase over, say, the last 30 years in the UK – we are no happier despite the bigger television and the increase in takeaway meals. So why then does everything the government does, answer to the mantra of economic growth? Is it not time for a new breed of politician to step forward and declare this measurement outdated & defunct, perhaps replaced by a “smiles recorded per week index” on any of the trillion CCTV cameras we have in this country?
I am a bit lax on figures, but aren’t we caught on CCTV some ridiculously high number of times per week? Facial recognition software is now available and really, judging society by the number of grins recorded would be an all-encompassing measure of happiness and of course, progress.
There are flaws, granted, not least the ridiculously poor quality of footage available. Aside from this, there are those who smile incessantly for no reason and those who have trouble bearing their teeth at all, despite all that inner elation. That good old law of averages should see those two problems off, though. Babies with wind was a concern, but their toothless nature should ensure they don't trouble the scorers. Weather conditions and other overriding factors would also need consideration, such as World Cup fourth round defeats and without doubt, Shane Warne’s grin should be multiplied by 58 million and subtracted from the overall tally.
This “Grin Index” would be in harmony with the Government’s big society ideals, as local peaks and troughs could be ascertained and analysed. Instead of the state of livers in the North East, we would understand the happiness index of every county, city and even street with alarming precision. Twitter updates and live blogs could follow. This comparison does raise the issue of alcohol/drug induced grins, but I am assuming the face recognition software would cross check the smile against the eyelids and shut these out.
Of course the Government might look to massage these figures. Comedians with Sour gum sweets would be stationed under cameras in our high streets and any late trains would be counterbalanced by mobile dental technicians roaming the platforms. Perhaps even free magazines distributed to certified miserable areas, what with their proven ability to make people happy. All this would allow politics to continue unhindered, just as we know and love it.
So there you are, the Grin Index Network (GIN) Committee, would obviously need meet on a fortnightly basis to consider, consult, confer and ultimately confabulate the various variables and potential pitfalls of doing something, anything or nothing at all to improve a situation.
I am a bit lax on figures, but aren’t we caught on CCTV some ridiculously high number of times per week? Facial recognition software is now available and really, judging society by the number of grins recorded would be an all-encompassing measure of happiness and of course, progress.
There are flaws, granted, not least the ridiculously poor quality of footage available. Aside from this, there are those who smile incessantly for no reason and those who have trouble bearing their teeth at all, despite all that inner elation. That good old law of averages should see those two problems off, though. Babies with wind was a concern, but their toothless nature should ensure they don't trouble the scorers. Weather conditions and other overriding factors would also need consideration, such as World Cup fourth round defeats and without doubt, Shane Warne’s grin should be multiplied by 58 million and subtracted from the overall tally.
This “Grin Index” would be in harmony with the Government’s big society ideals, as local peaks and troughs could be ascertained and analysed. Instead of the state of livers in the North East, we would understand the happiness index of every county, city and even street with alarming precision. Twitter updates and live blogs could follow. This comparison does raise the issue of alcohol/drug induced grins, but I am assuming the face recognition software would cross check the smile against the eyelids and shut these out.
Of course the Government might look to massage these figures. Comedians with Sour gum sweets would be stationed under cameras in our high streets and any late trains would be counterbalanced by mobile dental technicians roaming the platforms. Perhaps even free magazines distributed to certified miserable areas, what with their proven ability to make people happy. All this would allow politics to continue unhindered, just as we know and love it.
So there you are, the Grin Index Network (GIN) Committee, would obviously need meet on a fortnightly basis to consider, consult, confer and ultimately confabulate the various variables and potential pitfalls of doing something, anything or nothing at all to improve a situation.
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Subscriptions for the clever kids
Sometimes we worry that magazine subscriptions have developed a bad reputation. The automatic renewal and “pay us later” models used by some publishers can really upset the customer and give the industry a bad name. That’s why we have concentrated all our energy on providing the services that the customers want, without all the strings attached.
So, when it comes to buying magazines as a Christmas present, we think we have the offer just right. You don’t need to “subscribe”, you don’t need to subject the recipient or yourself to ongoing direct debits and constant renewal letters and associated offers. With Newsstand you simply buy the number of issues you would like to send - and that’s it (bar the odd email…but we keep these few and far between). So, whether it’s a single copy or a longer term gift, it’s your call.
What this also allows is much more flexibility and as a result, a much better present. Instead of getting someone a year to one magazine…why not add a bit of unpredictability and buy them 3 issues of four different magazines? There are so many to choose from, you’ll always find a great mixture for anyone you know – and with it the potential to surprise them a few times and show you’ve given the present that little bit more thought! Trust us when we say there are plenty of weird, wonderful and just plain brilliant magazines out there.
We are also always happy to give you some pointers over the phone or via email. We have a pretty good idea what’s hot and what’s not, plus some lovely shiny publications that you will not have heard of. Plus there are the usual offerings like gift cards start date selection.
We want to move this magazine industry on, come with us.
So, when it comes to buying magazines as a Christmas present, we think we have the offer just right. You don’t need to “subscribe”, you don’t need to subject the recipient or yourself to ongoing direct debits and constant renewal letters and associated offers. With Newsstand you simply buy the number of issues you would like to send - and that’s it (bar the odd email…but we keep these few and far between). So, whether it’s a single copy or a longer term gift, it’s your call.
What this also allows is much more flexibility and as a result, a much better present. Instead of getting someone a year to one magazine…why not add a bit of unpredictability and buy them 3 issues of four different magazines? There are so many to choose from, you’ll always find a great mixture for anyone you know – and with it the potential to surprise them a few times and show you’ve given the present that little bit more thought! Trust us when we say there are plenty of weird, wonderful and just plain brilliant magazines out there.
We are also always happy to give you some pointers over the phone or via email. We have a pretty good idea what’s hot and what’s not, plus some lovely shiny publications that you will not have heard of. Plus there are the usual offerings like gift cards start date selection.
We want to move this magazine industry on, come with us.
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Rare Newsstand newsletter slash email:
In our quest to become a little more helpful without necessarily selling you something, we have added a few things to the Newsstand magazine website that may be of interest to you.
You can now sign up for cover alerts on any of the 3,500 magazines that we hold, meaning you'll receive a simple email with the latest cover of the magazine you've requested as soon as it is available in the shops in the UK. There's no requirement to purchase and you can stop the emails at any time. We think it serves as a great reminder that a new issue has been published, as well as an overview of the contents to help you decide if it's worth tracking down or not.
We were planning to send you the next new issue based on your past purchases at Newsstand. If you would like not to recieve these cover emails, please click here.
You can now also request a particular magazine if it's out of stock. We'll try and get it for you and email you if it becomes available, with no obligation. As usual, all the onsale dates and recent covers on almost every magazine are available on the site. So if you like your magazines in print, we are the best resource there is online.
All the best,
NS
You can now sign up for cover alerts on any of the 3,500 magazines that we hold, meaning you'll receive a simple email with the latest cover of the magazine you've requested as soon as it is available in the shops in the UK. There's no requirement to purchase and you can stop the emails at any time. We think it serves as a great reminder that a new issue has been published, as well as an overview of the contents to help you decide if it's worth tracking down or not.
We were planning to send you the next new issue based on your past purchases at Newsstand. If you would like not to recieve these cover emails, please click here.
You can now also request a particular magazine if it's out of stock. We'll try and get it for you and email you if it becomes available, with no obligation. As usual, all the onsale dates and recent covers on almost every magazine are available on the site. So if you like your magazines in print, we are the best resource there is online.
All the best,
NS
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