Amazon’s decision earlier this year to end its service allowing people to subscribe to print and digital magazines came at a surprising time. While the tech titan may be looking to exit the publishing world, it is the industry that has been experiencing a boom. And, despite popular narratives that print is “on its way out” or even “dead,” new surveys show that when it comes to both magazines and books, print is very much alive.
For nearly 20 years, I’ve been publishing City Guide in New York City, the publication that people pick up at all the hotels and at lots of tourist stops. For much of that time, I’ve had naysayers tell me to stop putting much focus into our print copies, since “digital is everything.”
Like many local and regional publications we have an active presence on the web. We have not been pushed to treat print as an afterthought. And we’re among the many small businesses reaping the rewards for that decision.
Over the last decade, magazine readers have been on an upward trend. There was a momentary dip during the pandemic when people stayed home, which meant a decrease in “pass-along reading”–people sharing their copies. Since then, the numbers are climbing again.
Print is still preferred by most magazine readers. According to a YouGov poll, 29% of Americans and 18% of Brits prefer online reading.
In many cases, the digital readership of newspapers has surpassed print. The good news is that newspapers also had some positive developments. The number of subscriptions in all markets (print, digital, etc.) increased over the past year, whether it was in a large market, a medium-sized one, or a small market. Average revenue per reader is up–and is expected to keep rising. This provides hope that dailies could return to more markets–and hope for the futures of the more than 100,000 people who work for papers.
The book market has seen an increase in the last few years. The first year following the pandemic saw publishers sell nearly 60 millions more books. This trend continued in 2021 and reached a new high. Although sales have dropped from their peak last year, the company is still 12% ahead of 2019 levels (pre-pandemic). After years of decline, Barnes & Noble is now expanding again.
This phenomenon isn’t confined to the United States. In other parts of the world as well, readers “love the feel of turning pages in their hands,” the World Economic Forum reported.
The idea that print is losing out to digital has been overblown in a sense. Publishers use a number that is not the same as their total audience. The It is not too late to start. It is important to read. Many readers spend more time reading in print rather than online. You will continue to hear about niche magazines.
While many people think that print is a medium for the older generation, two thirds of 18-34 year old adults love to feel and touch printed magazines. Our readers range in age. In fact, two thirds of them are younger than 45.
In addition to keeping people in jobs, by not letting go of print media, local publishers keep a greater number of them. Magazines directly provide 68,000 positions and sustain another 200,000 according to the Magazine Media Factbook. This is an annual study by the News/Media Alliance. We’re also making sure to serve the all too often forgotten people who don’t have Internet access.
Print is well positioned to take advantage of a growing phenomenon: “digital detox” time. More people are beginning to schedule time away from devices and notifications, and many of them are looking for “tactile media”-good old-fashioned reading material. It is particularly true for people who are on vacation, as they find it necessary to stay away from technology, including their smartphones.
Is there another reason why print continues to grow? Advertising is gaining interest due to research on the effect of printed material and its interaction with the brain. Consumers often find magazine ads less “intrusive,” and say they dislike this kind of advertising the least.
So don’t count print out. More than 7,000 magazines are published in the United States and reach 220 millions readers. The local periodicals you see in stores, hotels, doctors’ offices, or in your mailbox have a long life ahead of them–with or without Amazon.
David Miller is CEO of Davler Media Group.
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