Future Turns From Magbooks To E-books

Some publishers have been turning their monthly magazines in to half-yearly “books” – spinning their individual expertise out in to more static “guides” – for some time.

But mostly they have remained sold alongside their monthly counterparts on newsagent shelves.

Now Stevie Spring-led Future will start selling some of its magbooks as though they really are books – through iBooks and Amazon.

Two new titles – Computer Arts Presents: The Designer’s Guide to Going Freelance (£7.99; Amazon, iBooks) and Your Family Tree: Skeletons in the Cupboard (£4.99; Amazon).

These aren’t just print magbooks Future is selling digitally – these are new titles, each spun off from a monthly print sibling.

E-books is a fast-growing new retail segment, but there isn’t really a strong equivalent channel for magazines (excepting Apple’s new Newsstand), so this seems like a good move.