This is an announcement. TradePub, a hub for free magazine subscriptions in computing, business and engineering trades, approached OzBargain a few days ago for partnership to distribute free magazine subscriptions in Australia. Note that these are not 2 issues of dodgy 25 pages magazines with ads cover to cover, but some very reputable magazines in corresponding industries like:
- Oracle Magazine
- The Scientist
- Global Finance
- Systems Management News
- eWeek
- etc…
Many have free subscriptions for up to 1 year, and then you can reapply for more free issues. The developers at TradePub has set up a site for OzBargain to distribute these magazines, and I will be posting their campaigns starting from next week to see how it goes.
Here are some of the FAQ items regarding these "free magazines":
Are trade publications really FREE and why?
While subscriptions to all the trade publications on the TradePub.com web sites are free, some publications offer a limited "free trial period" followed by a solicitation for a paid subscription should the reader wish to continue receiving the magazine. TradePub.com never invoices for subscriptions.
Doing business in today's competitive environment requires a serious commitment to stay abreast of trends and technology, and every business needs a technology infrastructure to perform effectively and efficiently. Trade publications and their advertisers want to give you information you need to do business. It's worth it to them to give you the magazine free because you have a genuine need for the information and products described therein. Advertisers need a vehicle to deliver their message to you which justifies spending advertising dollars to give subscriptions for free.
How long will my free subscription(s) last?
Publishers determine the length of the subscription period for each publication. Most free subscriptions last at least a year. When the publisher's circulation period is over, however, they may ask you to requalify in order to continue receiving their magazine. Again, these are not soft offers and you will not receive an invoice for your subscription.
Well. Sounds good so far. Yes we all know there is no free lunch (except those listed here), and here are some catches that I can find.
The qualification process. I heard the publishers partnered with TradePub has pretty strict qualification criteria. So if you are not in the trade, it is unlikely they'll qualify you for receiving the free mags. (Like if you are a financial adviser, don't expect to qualify free Oracle Magazines). It makes sense as these free mags are sponsored, and their advertisers would like very targeted audiences.
Long wait for first issue. Up to 12 weeks from their FAQ.
Information collection. TradePub/NetLine collects personal information when you subscribe to their magazines and I think they get passed to the advertisers of your trade. For example if you subscribe to Oracle Magazine, then you might expect ads from Oracle, DB/2, MS SQL Server and other related junks.
Finally, OzBargain gets paid for being a partner. So while I am perfectly fine creating links to get these free magazines to Australia, TradePub actually said that I might get paid for doing this! How much? I have no idea. However I know some of you guys might not like the idea that people get paid for promoting free stuff so I guess I will have to say it up-front :)
Looking at the number of IT/finance professionals in OzBargain I think it would be a great fit. What do you guys think?
Except for a few trees probably not much to lose by trying this out.
go for it