So, the big rumor of the day is that Apple is creating a template for Ipad magazines. As a new Ipad person, all I can say is, what about porn? No, that's not true, but I do like the idea.
What I would like to put out there to the people (bums and gays in failing relationships) that read this blog, got any suggestions for making a new Ipad magazine and just how would you people make money doing it? Oh, I know, making money is evil and bad for you and is what is wrong with just about everything, but once we get past that, how can creating an online magazine show profits?
Gadget Daily News has the story, but I am going to pretend like copyrights no longer matter and go ahead and quote extensively.
Since the iPad was announced over a year ago, one of the uses that seemed to be natural for it was that of a Magazine and Newspaper reader. Real life results, unfortunately have been mixed. Many magazines such as Wired, Popular Science and The Economist were on the iPad shortly after launch. Others such as Rupert Murdoch’s The Daily and Sir Richard Branson’s Project appeared with much fanfare but mixed reaction.
The main problems users report are that the magazine interfaces aren’t consistent from one magazine to another and these interfaces generally aren’t intuitive.
This is counter to what most users of Apple software - whether it’s OS X or iOS - are accustomed too. Apple has a rather large document for their developers; Apple Human Interface Guidelines. This document describes, in excruciating detail, how an Apple App should look and act.
These guidelines are built-in to Apple’s developer tools in the form of templates. That’s why Apps for OS X and iOS operate similarly from one to another and because of that, they’re reasonably intuitive for the user.
I’m hearing that Apple is developing a magazine template that will be in a future release of their developer environment and toolkit - Xcode.
This publishing template will create a familiar consistent user interface. It also will facilitate in-app purchases for subscriptions and back issues. Another benefit Apple anticipates is that there will be a plethora of new magazines on the iPad. They believe that anyone will be able to create a magazine relatively easily and have it published by Apple and sold through iTunes.
So, if you are paying attention, which I was not, the Magazine would be sold via Itunes. By the way, in the near future, everything will be sold through Itunes, including children.
So, I am thinking, like all business minded people, now would be a good time to put together a team that creates some new magazine. See, because even if you have a template, some great design and all sorts of buttons, the only truth I have left is content matters. You can have the prettiest little magazine template, but if you fill it will hoo and haa, no one reads it.
Take this blog for instance. For a couple of years now I have been whining about this,
and crying about that, and about 7 people read it, and most of them only did so because I paid them. Then, all of a sudden, I stopped whining and crying and started doing other things, like, well, answering letters from people in fucked up situations, and all of a sudden, I had something like 8 people reading this blog.
That's an increase of over one million percent (math is not math with Mat).
So feel free to contact me, with concepts, ideas, plans and especially cash. I like concepts and plans as much as the next lesbian dog owning brainless moron, but cash talks.
You're right, people like you who can create original content could team with other people who offer something along the same lines and "publish" internet magazines that will find audiences. Look at it from a business perspective, you have the skills to write and you do so in a pretty interesting way, you take that and mix it will other artists and you would have a magazine that would be valuable.
ReplyDeletePlus, if all you have to do is publish it through Itunes, that should be an easy way to generate income.
Although, now that I think about it, that would be the end of this entertaining little blog, wouldn't it?
Not sure about an online magazine, but I like the subtle changes you have made to the blog. Having a list of popular posts will make it easy for us lazy people who did not want to read every word you have typed.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you could ust list all the letters and answers in a separate category, that would be close to perfect.
Yes, you can write, but some of these posts need an editor. That said, I like this format just fine. Unless you are flush with money, creating a new online magazine would probably flop. It is one thing to create something and that alone would take cash, it is another thing to get people to view it. That part, the marketing, would take money. Stick with the blog, if you can find a way to monetize it all the better. I have yet to click a Google ad. Would that help?
ReplyDelete