Texterity says paid digital editions never caught on; now they'll be given away

If the future for magazines is paid digital editions, tell that to Texterity. The e-publishing company says digital editions of consumer magazines never caught on and, according to a story in Mediaweek, it is scrapping its model in acknowledgment of that reality.

It had been selling digital subscriptions separate from print subs. But with only 1 percent of subscribers opting to pay extra for the digital version, Texterity has decided to offer the digital edition free to print subscribers.

“We’ve been trying for years to sell digital subscriptions instead of print,” said Martin Hensel, president of Texterity. “That really hasn’t worked.”

Essentially, digital editions will now act as a bonus for print subscribers and as a way for publishers to do low-cost sampling. Even at that, Texterity expects that by year-end, only 15 per cent of print subscribers will have opted for the free digital add-ons.

Texterity also launched a new site, Coverleaf.com, where readers can browse through and buy its clients’ digital editions. Texterity’s roughly 70 consumer magazine clients include Meredith Corp.’s Better Homes and Gardens; and Condé Nast’s Bon Appétit.

Rival e-publishing company Zinio continues to charge separately for digital editions; it claims its consumer magazines’ digital editions amount to 1 percent to 12 percent of subs, depending on how aggressively individual publishers promote them.