Today I got my SELF magazine in the mail today. Yippie! I look forward to getting my magazines in the mail every month. I quickly take off the plastic wrap and take it all in. It got me to thinking about why I still subscribe to paper magazines. Nowadays, e-books, e-journals, and e-subscriptions are everywhere.
I totally get the appeal. I myself have a huge library of e-books. An iPad or tablet is much more portable than paper books. I look back to my family trip to England and Ireland in mid-2006 where my sister and I took up a lot of luggage space and weight with our books (and we even bought more books while abroad). And until I have my forever home with my dream office/library, I mostly buy e-books now.
But with magazines, I still get the paper version and here’s why.
THE SMELL
Okay I know what you are thinking… The smell? Are you nuts Samantha? But I think you know what I am talking about. The of the unique smells of printed word are like ecstasy to me (woah, too intense). Books have a certain smell, old books have an even greater smell. And magazines and newspapers have that smell - MMMM. (And I don’t just mean the smell of the perfume sample inserts.)
THE FEEL
I love flipping through the glossy pages of magazines. I love being able to dog-ear the articles and pages that I like. I love being able to roll up a magazine and kill that pesky fruit fly. There is something special about curling up on the couch with a new issue and open that front cover.
THE LOOK
I have been subscribing to GLAMOUR magazine for nearly a decade now. I have enjoyed watching the style of the magazine change over time. From new layouts to new features to new series. I love seeing the evolution of magazines from things like the typeface or color choices to the whole feel of the magazine. I am inspired by the editorial spreads and I frequently cut out beautiful images for a little extra inspiration.
THE PORTABILITY
I’ll be the first to admit it, my phone is glued to my eyeballs. But I love being able to unplug and sit down with a magazine or book. Also, there is not always internet access or cell phone service and I like being able to read interesting articles and find out what is going on in my fields of interest when I can’t get on the internet. Plus, I know where all of you keep your magazine racks and I know it ain’t in yo kitchen. (It’s the bathroom, admit it, ADMIT IT!)
THE CONTENT
No matter what your interests are - there’s a magazine for it. Fishing magazines, knitting magazines, tattoo-enthusiasm magazines, I-hate-everyone magazines (well I don’t know about that one). I like GLAMOUR for the style, beauty, and lifestyle and SELF for the health and fitness. As my interests and my personal situation changes over time, I can find a magazine for it. Last year, I subscribed to FIT PREGNANCY and this year I got a subscription to PARENTS magazine. No matter what you subscribe to, there are pages after pages of articles dedicated to your interests. BOOYAH.
Do you still subscribe to paper magazines? What about newspapers? What is your favorite thing about the tangible, written word?