8 Digital Magazine Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

•

Updated: November 19th, 2023

Start A Digital Magazine

A digital magazine is an electronic publication that takes a digital format rather than printed on paper.

Ideally, digital publications and traditional print magazines are not all that different. The only difference is the medium of delivery. To start a digital publication, decide the publication’s goals and pick a topic or theme. Then, create a content strategy and choose the right software.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a digital magazine:

1. SWAGGER Magazine ($600K/year)

Drew Williams came up with the idea for SWAGGER Magazine as a hobby in 2007, aiming to provide an alternative to traditional men's magazines and cater to the digital market. Through self-printed sample magazines and validation from local stores, he saw the potential of his brand. With limited funds, he hired writers and focused on producing high-quality content to attract and retain readers. Now, the magazine pulls in 1-2k per month, with revenue primarily coming from sponsored posts and celebrity features.

How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 25

Swagger: Starting A Digital Men's Magazine

SWAGGER Magazine is a digital lifestyle magazine for men, with a focus on lifestyle, fashion, gear, food, dating and business and careers, pulling in 1-2K per month in revenue through sponsored posts and celebrity features, and growing rapidly with 60k social media following and a growing audience.

About

Drew started SWAGGER Magazine about 17 years ago

Revenue

Drew grew the business to $50K/month

Costs

It cost Drew $500 to start the business

Read this case study

Read by 7,477 founders

2. Flipsnack ($9.6M/year)

Janina Moza, Chief Marketing Officer of Flipsnack, joined the team a year after its launch and has been part of the project for almost 10 years. Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks, and it has seen impressive growth, with business revenue increasing by over 50% year over year. The idea for Flipsnack came from analyzing the needs of the target audience and recognizing the opportunity for an easy-to-use flipbook maker.

How much they make: $9.6M/year
Current team size: 70

How We Started A Digital Flipbook Making Tool That Makes $9.6M/Year

Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks and has increased its business revenue by over 50% year over year, with YoY growth rates between 50% - 84%, shifting from a B2C approach and focusing more on B2B.

About

Janina started Flipsnack almost 13 years ago

Revenue

Janina grew the business to $800K/month

Read this case study

Read by 8,022 founders

So... can you actually make money with a digital magazine?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

Part of

Starting A Digital Magazine: Everything You Need To Know

‹

›

5. Issuu

Chosen by millions to easily convert content into high-quality visuals and multiple formats for distribution across web, social and devices.

Where they're located: Mesa, Arizona, USA
Website traffic: 48.5M/month

So... can you actually make money with a digital magazine?

Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.

But how?

Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
Take action, because now you have the roadmap.

Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:

Start Now

7. Yumpu

Where they're located: Sare, Migori, Kenya
Website traffic: 16.2M/month

8. PEOPLE

People.com | Celebrity News, Exclusives, Photos and Videos

Where they're located: Guarantã do Norte, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Website traffic: 86.7M/month