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Finding Spec Fic Magazines

January 11, 2009 / Randy Henderson / One comment

(From the head of the Q.U. Marketing Team)

Trying to find print Speculative Fiction magazines outside the ethernet is quite a challenge. They are not generally available anywhere but in major bookstore chains, and even there they are well hidden. Consider:

This is an example of specfic magazine placement in Barnes and Nobles, tucked back in a corner by the Starbucks between three other rows of magazines. Can you spot the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Analog, Asimov’s, or Realms of Fantasy (click on image for larger view)? Well, they are under "Literary" mixed in with Architecture, Military History, Vietnam, and Success magazines (where else?). And that’s assuming you even think to check out the magazine racks at all.
(Hint: Look bottom right. No really, they are there, keep looking.).

So I decided to do a little guerilla product placement on my own.

Now doesn’t that look more likely to be spotted by spec fic readers who enjoy short fiction, let alone sell copies? And isn’t that what the bookstores should really want as well? And of course, if the bookstores chose to place their products logically like this, they could do a better job of shelving and displaying them at an angle that maximizes space usage and visibility, or do so on end cap displays, etcetera.