Comments on: Men’s Health iPhone App

By: Erik Dungan

Erik Dungan — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 01:19:29 +0000

I would pay for a Martha Stewart or Real Simple recipe app in a heartbeat … _especially_ if it had great pictures …

Even more niche ones would do great IMO … be it weddings, cigars, cars, etc …

With version 3.0, you have in-app payments … so, you could have a free app and sell pieces of content. Lots of opportunities.

Someone find me a magazine so I can build one …

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:37:45 +0000

@A Photo Editor,

People has had a paid one for a while now too…

By: Sergey

Sergey — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:31:39 +0000

rubbish.

By: robert wright

robert wright — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:50:02 +0000

@Mark, I think there is actually more margin in a 99-2.00 world…

this is what the app store is establishing wrt software. Notice also that Apple’s latest OS is 29.95 not 129.

NBWM is making a good point-Rodale has always been pretty aggressive wrt rights. Repackaging content like this is the thing photographers have always worried about and publishers have always downplayed, whether it was foreign language editions (Men’s Health Uzbekistan anyone) or something like this, a true new derivative product.

ON the other hand, in publishing, it is very hard to know what will be a success, and the business as a whole is very inefficient. So getting publishers to pay for rights they don’t know they can profit from is hard. But they never want to be restricted, obviously. And going back to get rights from multiple sources makes it difficult to move quickly with new products.

By: Blue

Blue — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:36:03 +0000

This is great. I agree with Rob that there is so much great content that, when in print, just ends up getting tossed.
Think about how much great (or not so great) info we now have direct access to with an app idea like this.
Maybe I can scrap my 600 page inspiration book and instead just utilize my iphone. Its much easier to carry in my pocket.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:51:17 +0000

@NB Wonderful Machine, in a 99 cent to 2.00 world is there enough margin for photogs to get their slice of this fresh baked pie?

It is nice to see some sign of survival instincts kicking in for the print industry though.

By: NB Wonderful Machine

NB Wonderful Machine — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:15:19 +0000

That’s cool! And not to get all advocate-y, but I think it’s also a consideration for the value of a photograph when photographers negotiate contracts. Contracts often have that nebulous “electronic use” line that could include any future technology like this, that the magazine is actually charging customers for.

And certainly, these two magazines (that we enjoy working with) may negotiate these things separately with photographers already. But photographers should consider this when determining the value of their work.

By: A Photo Editor

A Photo Editor — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:56:43 +0000

@Emon,
Thanks. I changed it to say “the first paid iphone app.”

By: Emon

Emon — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:51:40 +0000

Spin magazine has had an iPhone app for some time now.