How to Distribute a Magazine

Marketing Ideas for Print Publications

© Nicole Ayers

Jul 12, 2009
How to Distribute a Magazine, Nicole Ayers
There are many resources in the printing industry that make it easy for business owners to start a magazine. A magazine distribution plan may not be as simple to create.

Magazine publishing is a business that requires lots of hard work to obtain sales. Distribution should be one of the most important areas to focus on when starting a magazine business. Here are a few ways to distribute magazines and generate revenue in different markets.

Sell Magazine Issues to Retail Stores in Bulk

There are thousands of small and medium sizes retail stores that will carry magazines. The method of being able to distribute a magazine in these venues differs at each location. Publishers of print media can sell issues in bulk directly to store owners or market their products using retail buyers. Cheap wholesale pricing can be promoted to distribute a magazine in high volume quickly. Magazine publishers may also benefit from opening an ongoing account with certain retail stores.

Offer Subscriptions to Readers

Securing repeat customers are one of the best ways to distribute a magazine. Publishers can charge one flat rate for semi-annual and annual subscriptions. These orders help to build a wide reader base for magazines. Subscriptions also provide an ongoing revenue stream, which benefits small magazine publications.

Hire Messengers to Sell Magazines

Individual messengers can be a useful way to distribute magazines for extra profit. This form of direct sales works similar to the newspaper business. A publisher can hire men and women to stand in areas of high foot or vehicle traffic and sell individual magazine issues. These salesmen would work as messengers who either keep a portion of each transaction or get paid an hourly wage. Publishers can reduce the amount of rick involved by offering commissions instead of wages.

Develop Corporate Partnerships

Niche magazine publications can be sold as large volume subscriptions to service based corporations. These transactions would develop as a partnership where publishers provide new issues on a frequent basis. Some of the best opportunities for these partnerships include airlines, medical facilities and large manufacturing companies. Corporate partnerships can be used in combination with other distribution sources to generate more revenue for publishers. There are still ways to distribute a magazine and receive hefty profits when partnering with large companies.

Provide Free Magazine Issues with Related Merchandise

Publishers can enter into an agreement where their magazines will be distributed with consumer products or services. This deal can reduce the marketing tasks for a publisher who needs to make high volume sales. Packaging may be the only concern for magazine publishers after a deal with commercial products have been made. When a consumer purchases specific products, they receive one magazine issue free of charge. This deal benefits everyone involved in one transaction.


The copyright of the article How to Distribute a Magazine in Magazine Publishing is owned by Nicole Ayers. Permission to republish How to Distribute a Magazine in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.


How to Distribute a Magazine, Nicole Ayers
       


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