Why are readers drawn to content decades or even centuries old? The answer is a simple one: Articles that were once popular as cutting-edge news are now highly valued for their historical content.
Digital archives are typically being made available through premium multimedia subscriptions that command significantly higher rates than print-only subscriptions — while still representing tremendous value for the wealth of information they offer.
Some examples
Scientific American offers a $99 print/digital subscription (as opposed to about $24 for the print-only version) that includes unlimited access to its archives.
Vogue offers limited archive access with its basic one-year subscription, but diehard fashion historians can purchase unlimited access to its 122 years of archival content for a whopping $1,575
The Financial Times, The New York Times’ searchable online archives, Times Machine, permits access to articles dating back to 1851
Guardian’s database features issues as ancient as 1791
The Atlantic have put their back issues up for digital viewing as well
Ready to start monetizing your past issues?
Take a look at your own publication’s past issues or posts. Do they contain important historical or cultural data that might encourage readers to pay more for digital access and/or increase your status as a desirable venue for advertisers?
If you are ready to explore building your 1st special issue or getting your past issue content published for the now Google, social, and mobile world we live in, make sure you download our free IssueM toolkit for WordPress and get your back issues making money for you (with our metered paywall for WordPress).
