There are many types of magazines that you can start, each of which has its own set of benefits and drawbacks that you’ll need to assess before choosing one to launch. Do you want to start an online magazine, print magazine, or something else entirely? Here are the 5 most common types of magazines that you should consider launching.
different types of magazines formats
If you’re thinking about starting an online magazine, there are a few different types to choose from. Depending on your interests and goals, one type may be a better fit for you than another. Here’s a look at five different types of magazines you can start:
1. General interest magazines are just that – they cover a range of topics that appeal to a wide audience. If you’re not sure what kind of magazine you want to start, this is a good place to begin.
2. Special interest magazines focus on one particular topic. This could be anything from sports to fashion to current events. If you have a specific passion or area of expertise, starting a special interest magazine is a great way to share your knowledge with others. These magazines also make it easier to get advertisers interested in your content because their ads will be relevant to the readers who enjoy your niche.
3. Niche-specific magazines usually only feature content related to one particular niche (think cats or knitting). These are also known as verticals, and they work well if you know exactly what content you want to produce and how often you’ll update it.
4. Magazine apps are like regular magazines but in digital form, which means people can read them anytime and anywhere with a smartphone or tablet device. For those who might find traditional print magazines hard to carry around with them all the time, these apps offer convenience without sacrificing quality.
1) PDF format
A PDF magazine is a digital publication that is viewable in the Portable Document Format. PDFs can be created from scratch or converted from other file formats. They can be viewed on a variety of devices, including computers, smartphones, and tablets.
PDF magazines offer a number of advantages, including the ability to include rich media, such as videos and infographics. Plus, PDFs can be password-protected and encrypted, making them more secure than other types of digital publications. For example, in order to read a PDF magazine offline, you’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
2) Flash magazines
These are usually single-topic and can be a great way to explore different types of magazines. They’re also generally shorter, so if you’re not sure you want to commit to a longer project, a flash magazine could be a good option. Plus, they can be published more quickly than other types of magazines.
This type is a good fit for writers who are interested in flash fiction but aren’t sure they want to commit to writing a short story or novel. Some other types of magazines you can use include essays, opinion pieces, poetry and more.
There’s no limit on how long your magazine has to be, so you can choose a length that’s right for you and your goals. The possibilities with this type of magazine are endless! Choose from:
-Blogs: With RSS feeds, social media connections and the like, blogs have become a go-to choice for journalists across the board.
3) Flipbook magazines
These are digital versions of print magazines that look just like the real thing, but you can flip through them on your computer or mobile device.
They’re easy to create and can be a great way to repurpose existing content. Plus, they’re interactive and engaging, which can help you attract new readers. Of course, there’s no actual feeling to flipping through these magazines with your fingers; for some people, this may be an issue.
Theoretically speaking, you could have thousands of pages in one magazine. If someone wanted to go back and read something from three months ago, it might take some time scrolling through hundreds of pages before finding it. A possible solution would be to provide dates at the top of each page so users know what month their reading material is from. Or, if you want to highlight certain articles within the magazine, add labels such as Editor’s Pick or Best Selling Item.
4) Native app magazines
These are digital magazines that are designed specifically for a mobile app. They can be either downloaded from an app store or come pre-loaded on a device. They’re usually cheaper than print magazines, and they offer interactive features that print magazines can’t match, like video, audio, and animation.
Web-based magazines (eight sentences): These are digital magazines that you can read on any device with an internet connection. They’re usually free, or have a very low price point, and they’re easy to share with friends and family. Many web-based magazines are ad-supported, so you’ll need to be comfortable with ads if you want to read them.
There’s also the added risk of hackers trying to infect your computer with malware when visiting these sites. Native apps magazines offer more protection against this,
5) HTML5-based magazines
These are the most common type of digital magazine and are viewable on any device. They’re made using HTML5, which is the latest version of the coding language used to create websites. This means they’re responsive, meaning they’ll adjust to fit any screen size. They’re also interactive, so you can include things like videos and forms. Plus, they’re easy to share via social media and email.
The downside? They often require a subscription fee or offer only limited free content. E-magazines are read as PDFs on a digital reader, typically through Adobe Digital Editions or other software. Unlike HTML5-based magazines, these aren’t interactive or easily shared. But what they lack in interactivity and ease of use, they make up for in mobility: You can take them with you everywhere on your phone or tablet! However, this portability comes at a cost:
It’s much more difficult to search through e-magazines than it is to scroll down pages on a computer screen. POD (Print On Demand) publications are one step below digital magazines. Their main difference is that they’re printed off once someone has ordered them instead of being published beforehand.
The upside? Printing costs less than creating multiple copies, so these publications can be more affordable than their HTML5 counterparts. However, there’s usually no way to edit and update information after publishing – unless you have access to the original files