Popular Science for paying e-readers proves to be a hard sell, even at 99 cents

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Popular Science, which earlier this year launched a paid digital edition called the Genius Guide for e-readers, in anticipation of a large public interest, is scrapping the notion, at least as a paid vehicle. According to a posting on MediaWeek, readers were lukewarm to the idea.

Publisher Gregg Hano originally hoped to get 900,000 downloads for the first four issues combined. But the first issue, priced at 99 cents, sold just over 5,000.

Hano admitted his original goal “might have been a little bit optimistic.” He blamed the low response on the buying experience. “To go in and put in your name, address, credit card number for a 99-cent product they haven’t had before is really a challenge,” he said.

Pop Sci gave the second issue away for free, with some limited advertising, and got more than 14,000 downloads—better than the first issue but still small.

“We saw a great increase over the first one, and we’re happy with that trajectory,” Hano said. “As we learn how to market it, we’re going to grow.”

A third issue, centered around gadgets, is set to come out around the winter holidays.

Hano told Folio: magazine that the Genius Guide was always an experimental platform, readying Popular Science for a future it thinks is inevitable.

"We've always maintained that the Genius Guides are a learning process for us and for our readers and advertisers. We want to make sure we're ahead of the curve. We know that in the future when technology advances we'll be fully prepared to provide our readers with a more robust digital product that they'll be ready to purchase.”