I'm ending my Content Challenge early. Family and professional demands blossomed suddenly--both good things, to my way of thinking. I'll scale back to weekly posts that focus on the freelance writing and content marketing world. 

Those of you who are interested in Airbnb and other vacation rental topics, please visit our Walker's Riverside Properties website. You'll find real estate stats and information as well as vacation rental posts.

I'll see you in a week. 

Recently, several big-name magazines--including Money and Time--have moved from print to digital-only or reduced their number of annual issues. Some see those actions as a sure sign that "Print as mass media is dead." Others, like Walsworth, clearly disagree. "Print Magazines Aren't Dying and Here's Why," proclaims an article written late in 2021. 

As a freelance writer and content marketer, I'm watching the print magazine industry carefully.  Will readers who can't or won't read magazines online have access to print magazines in the next decade? Will magazines that switch to digital-only content thrive in the long term? 

Who knows? Even the industry gurus disagree. However, one thing seems obvious: the relationship between freelancer writers, readers and print magazines is evolving.   Content Challenge #11 takes a brief look at what that means now and may mean in the future.

If you look only at the recent drop in print magazine titles, you might be a really gloomy freelance writer. Where will you pitch your next article? Who will you contact? HOW WILL YOU SURVIVE?

There is another side to the coin, especially since most of the magazines no longer in print are still available online. People are still writing words for other people to read. Online magazines regularly post articles and blog posts that appeal to their target market. The result is largely unaffected, even though the process is different. To thrive, freelance writers will need to "go where the jobs are" and fine-tune their skills to match a digital audience.

Your opinion of the changes in the print magazine industry depends upon whether you prefer to hold a paper copy in your hand as you read or scroll through the text on your phone or laptop. 

Readers who prefer to read online generally find the switch to digital copy a bonanza. As more magazines move to online formats, readers appreciate:

• ​Expanded content.
• Greater number of choices.
• Lower price compared to print.
• Less impact on the environment.

Readers--like me--who prefer a printed copy generally see more disadvantages than advantages in the changing print magazine industry. The negatives include:

• Fewer choices, especially in niche areas like hobbies.
• Fewer issues each year as publishers cut costs.
• Fewer pages in each issue, again to help publishers cut costs.

There are a few benefits to this chaotic situation. They include:

• Significant price discounts.
• Freebies--such as gifts or gift subscriptions--with a paid subscription.

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