magazine

1 a periodic paperback publication; "it takes several years before a magazine starts to break even or make money" [syn: mag]

2 product consisting of a paperback periodic publication as a physical object; "tripped over a pile of magazines"

3 a business firm that publishes magazines; "he works for a magazine" [syn: magazine publisher]

4 a light-tight supply chamber holding the film and supplying it for exposure as required [syn: cartridge]

5 a storehouse (as a compartment on a warship) where weapons and ammunition are stored [syn: powder store, powder magazine]

6 a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun [syn: cartridge holder, cartridge clip, clip]

see Magazine

English

Etymology

From magasin ("warehouse", "store") < magazzino ("storehouse") < (, "storerooms", "storehouses"), plural of (máχzan, "storeroom", "storehouse") < (χázana, "to store", "to stock", "to lay up").

Pronunciation

• /mæɡəˈzi:n/
• /%m

Publication

The various elements that contribute to the production of magazines vary wildly. Core elements such as publishing schedules, formats and target audiences are seemingly infinitely variable. Typically, magazines which focus primarily on current events, such as Newsweek or Entertainment Weekly, are published weekly or biweekly. Magazines with a focus on specific interests, such as Life Positive and Cat Fancy, may be published less frequently, such as monthly, bimonthly or quarterly. A magazine will usually have a date on the cover which often is later than the date it is actually published. Current magazines are generally available at bookstores and newsstands, while subscribers can receive them in the mail. Many magazines also offer a 'back issue' service for previously published editions.

Categories

Magazines fall into two broad categories: consumer magazines and business magazines. In practice, magazines are a subset of periodicals, distinct from those periodicals produced by scientific, artistic, academic or special interest publishers which are subscription-only, more expensive, narrowly limited in circulation, and often have little or no advertising. Many business magazines are available only, or predominantly, on subscription. In some cases these subscriptions are available to any person prepared to pay; in others, free subscriptions are available to readers who meet a set of criteria established by the publisher. This practice, known as controlled circulation, is intended to guarantee to advertisers that the readership is relevant to their needs: they can assure their advertisers that most or all of their subscribers are in a position to buy the goods or services advertised. Very often the two models, of paid-for subscriptions and controlled circulation, are mixed. Advertising is also an important source of revenue for business magazines.

Other publications

Although similar to a magazine in some respects, an academic periodical featuring scholarly articles written in a more specialist register is usually called an "academic journal". Such publications typically carry little or no advertising. Articles are vetted by referees or a board of esteemed academics in the subject area.

History

The Gentleman's Magazine, first published in 1731, in London, is considered to have been the first general-interest magazine. Edward Cave, who edited The Gentleman's Magazine under the pen name "Sylvanus Urban", was the first to use the term "magazine" (meaning "storehouse") for a periodical.

The oldest consumer magazine still in print is The Scots Magazine, which was first published in 1739, though multiple changes in ownership and gaps in publication totaling over 90 years weaken that claim. Lloyd's List was founded in Edward Lloyd’s England coffee shop in 1734; it is still published as a daily business newspaper.

See also

• List of eighteenth-century British periodicals
• List of nineteenth-century British periodicals
• Column (newspaper)
• Editorial page
• Review
• Cover story
• Short story
• Types of magazines:
  • Academic journals
  • Architecture magazines
  • Art magazines
  • Boating magazines
  • Car magazines
  • Computer magazines
  • Fantasy fiction magazines
  • Health and fitness magazines
  • History magazines
  • Horror fiction magazines
  • Humor magazines
  • Literary magazines
  • Luxury magazines
  • Men's magazines
  • Music magazines
  • News magazines
  • OSHA (magazine)s
  • Online magazines
  • Partworks
  • Pornographic magazines
  • Pulp magazines
  • Railroad magazines
  • Regional magazines
  • Satirical magazines
  • Science magazines and scientific journals
  • Science fiction magazines
  • Teen magazines
  • Trade journals
  • Wildlife magazines
  • Women's magazines
• Serials, periodicals and journals

External links

• Periodicals Bookshelf at Project Gutenberg
• A PDF on The History of American magazines to 1860 by Heather A. Haveman (2004)
• The Bivings Report on The Presence of Magazines on the Internet
• Galactic Central — An Index of Various Magazines
• NMCA — A Magazine Cover Archive
• Quiosc — Press. Newspapers and magazines
• We Love Mags / Colophon — International Magazine Symposium and online Magazine Directory
• Designing Magazines — A look at magazines and magazine design
• The Landscaper - The UK's leading industry publication
• The Superior Free Men's and Women's Online Magazine - The Worlds leading magazine publication Company