Haymarket’s Internet Title Joins Difficult Market
The rapid and constant rise of the internet has created, for publishers, a whole new editorial area for their magazine portfolios to cover. Since the Net began to take off seriously in the UK, around 1994, there have been around sixteen internet-related magazines launched. However, over half of these have since either been merged, suspended or closed.
Currently the UK’s biggest-selling title is EMAP’s Internet Magazine, which has a circulation of slightly over 50,000 copies a month. Just behind this is .Net, published by Future Publishing, which circulates at around 49,000 copies per month.
| Internet Magazine Closures | ||||
| Title | Publishing Company | Status | Circulation | Circulation Period |
| .Net | Future Publishing | Still Publishing | 49,190 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
| Internet Access Made Easy | Paragon Publishing | Still Publishing | 7,899 | Jul 97-Dec 97 |
| Internet Business | Internet Business Magazine | Still Publishing | 19,522 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
| Internet Magazine | Emap | Still Publishing | n/a | n/a |
| Internet Works | Future Publishing | Still Publishing | 19,094 | Nov 97-Jan 98 |
| Practical Internet | Paragon Publishing | Still Publishing | 50,014 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
| What’s Online | Paragon Publishing | Still Publishing | 15,723 | Jan 96-Jun 96 |
| Net User | Paragon Publishing | Closed March 1997 | 21,821 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
| Net Directory | Future Publishing | Closed May 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| Internet Age | Forme Communications | Suspended May 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| Internet Today | Paragon Publishing | Closed August 1997 | 11,552 | Jul 96-Dec 96 |
| Connect | Callan | Closed November 1997 | n/a | n/a |
| Internet World | VNU Business Publications | Suspended November 1997 | 14,388 | Jan 96-Jun 96 |
| Total Internet | Rapide Publishing | Closed February 1998 | 15,214 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
| Web | IDG Communications | Closed February 1998 | n/a | n/a |
| Net Gamer | Paragon Publishing | Closed March 1998 | n/a | n/a |
| the net | Haymarket Publications | Launches 18 June 1999 | 13,555 | Jul 98-Dec 98 |
However, later this month a new internet magazine is about to try its hand in the market and has the potential to become the biggest selling internet title with a launch circulation of around 200,000. Haymarket’s the net positions itself as a more lifestyle orientated magazine than the current Net titles.
Earlier this week, the net signed a deal with Dixons’ immensely successful free internet service provider, Freeserve (see Freeserve Joins Haymarket In Internet Mag Launch). Under the joint venture, the net will be distributed across Dixons’ chain of electrical shops and the magazine will feature a supplement containing information about Freeserve’s services.
Publishing manager, Mike Skyte, says that the net will be more lifestyle orientated than existing internet magazines. “Anything we produce, we want to be completely different from anything that has gone before,” he says
Martyn Moore, editor of Internet Magazine, says that their success lies in the business background of the publication – many of its readers work in the internet industry and others have progressed beyond ‘getting online’ and now want to become experts themselves. Commenting on the net‘s lifestyle approach to internet writing, Moore says: “Whether or not people will buy an internet magazine to read about films and football remains to be seen, but they might be onto something.”