I’ll admit it – I bought the January issue of GQ for the iPhone with Rhianna on the cover. At $2.99, it seemed a reasonable investment to get a peek at what the future of magazines might look like. I have to say – not bad. Still too “magazine-y,” but getting more creative. You can digest the information in a few ways, and it comes with a modicum of video.
It doesn’t have the Sports Illustrated dream demo we’ve been seeing, but an obvious foray into what a magazine for tablets might look like.
It would seem I am in rarified company on my purchase. According to minonline, the January edition of GQ for the iPhone sold only about 12,000 copies. That’s a big improvement on its inaugural edition from December, which sold 6,600 copies.
So far, the company has grossed $55,000 on these magazine/apps. That’s not going to blow anyone away, (the December print issue sold one million copies) but perhaps it does show a potential market.