Like most people, I barely read printed newspapers anymore, because I’ve gotten used to getting my news on the web. But I still subscribe to quite a few magazines — New York, The New Yorker, Saveur, Lucky Peach, Bookforum, Smithsonian, a few more. Part of it is that I like reading magazines in the bathroom and on the subway, part of it is that I like assessing and appreciating how pages are laid out and how everything “fits,” and part of it is that I just like getting glossy things in the mail.
Do you still read magazines? Do you want to read more of them? We’re about to find out, because Uni Watch has partnered with Blue Dolphin, the nation’s biggest magazine subscription-fulfillment operation, to create the Uni Watch magazine shop — a virtual newsstand where you can get the best available prices on your favorite mags.
Here’s a quick FAQ:
Which magazines are you offering?
We can offer 60 titles at a time. At the moment we have a mix that’s roughly 75% sports-related (including Volleyball magazine — that’s for you, Jeremy Brahm!) and 25% general-interest. But that’s just a starting point: Blue Dolphin has access to almost every major and not-so-major magazine out there, so if you want something we don’t currently offer, just ask — we can probably get it. Once we get a better feel for what you folks do and don’t want, we’ll curate the selection accordingly.
How good are the prices?
I’ve been promised that you won’t find lower subscription prices than these anywhere on the web — not on Amazon, not on Barnes & Noble, not anywhere.
How long will it take for the delivery of the first issue?
Six to 10 weeks.
Do the subscriptions auto-renew?
When your subscription is coming up for renewal, you’ll get an email, which will allow you to renew your subscription or terminate it.
What does this have to do with uniforms?
Not much.
So why are you doing it?
A friend of mine is working with Blue Dolphin and suggested that a virtual newsstand could be a good fit for the Uni Watch readership. I liked the idea, so I said sure.
What’s in it for you?
Uni Watch will get a cut of each subscription fee. Also, as a magazine fan and a working journalist, it’s important to me that ink-on-paper media continues to exist. This isn’t just a matter of nostalgia or personal preference or having something to read in the bathroom — magazines tend to pay their writers better than websites do, so I have a professional stake in the magazine world’s continued survival. I’m happy to be doing something to help encourage that. If you feel similarly, and you’d like to help Uni Watch’s bottom line while you’re at it, I hope you’ll consider ordering your magazines through our shop.
That’s it for now — thanks for listening.