New UK service "curates" independent magazines, for a price

A just-launched site based in the UK now plans to offer direct delivery of independent English-language magazines from around the world using a mix-and-match or "curated" model. Subscribers to Stack can choose six, eight or 12 issues delivered to them each year and the service selects the best issues of particular magazines on its list, which at the moment contains only 7 relatively little-known titles (hence, indies), mostly alternative music magazines including the U.S.-based Arthur and British titles such as Bad Idea, B East,Electric Sheep, Little White Lies, Plan B (shown) and Shook.

"Each delivery of Stack is a surprise so there’s no way of knowing what will come next," says the website."However, every magazine delivered by Stack comes with a guarantee that it represents the very best of independent magazine publishing, targeted at young, intelligent readers who appreciate an alternative to the mainstream."

Stack helps pay for its service by selling advertising inserts, it says. However don't get too excited. Costs in the UK are steep and in the rest of the world, even steeper. Six magazines delivered in the UK cost £18; if you wanted the same six delivered to Canada, it would cost £45, or something like $100, or $16 apiece.