Magazines finding ways to expand

By Dalton Barker

Don't call for the death of print just yet. Magazine launches in 2011 outnumbered closures for the second year in a row, according to an Economist article.

The trend could be a reaction to the vast number of blogs and message boards. Those do a good job of catering to niche audiences, but some people still look to professional media when they need tips for gardening or low-carb cooking.

Helping magazines thrive are tablets. The iPad, among others, has allowed for the creation of interactive content that's available anywhere there's an Internet connection. Tablets' 3-D graphics engines and other display technologies give magazine designers new avenues for styling snazzy pages. That can help their products stand out from other media. 

Tablet magazines are likely making sales folks happy, too.

"There are signs that advertisers are accepting higher rates on tablets than on the web, because magazines on tablets are more like magazines in print: engrossing, well-designed experiences instead of forests of text and links," according to the Economist article.

A timely example of growth in this field comes from a recent Pulitzer Prize winner. This week, The Huffington Post published the first edition of Huffington magazine, an iPad exclusive to be released every Friday. According to Mashable, it'll feature plenty of social media sharing and live commenting. Subscriptions are available through the Apple store, and the magazine costs 99 cents a week or $1.99 per month.

Content will range from features to reviews to quick entertainment and news pieces, according to Mashable.

Have you recently subscribed to a magazine? Let us know in the comments.

Photo courtesy of Mashable.