8-Lug magazine is working on its 7th year of existence thanks to the many, many people who think it’s worth their money to grab it off the newsstand every month. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of that fact. And let me assure you, I know it can often be hard to find 8-Lug on the newsstand, especially in rural communities. The fact that 8-Lug does not have subscriptions has been a long-discussed topic and the source for many a heated debate.
But we now have a solution that will be helpful for a lot of you: digital subscriptions! Though Zinio you can now get your 8-Lug magazine fix each month online. The magazine looks exactly the same—you can even turn the pages as you thumb through the issue. The layouts are the same, the photos are the same, and the articles are the same. It’s just on your computer screen instead of a piece of paper. And you know what? It’s cheap, too! For $19.99 you can get 12 issues of 8-Lug. Uh, hello, that’s just $1.67 an issue! I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but each individual copy of the print magazine is $5.99. So even if you’re not sure a digital subscription is exactly what will make you happy, it’s worth checking out to see if it works for you.
I realize that a digital subscription won’t work for everyone (some use dial-up connections, others have spotty Internet capabilities, and some just like to hold a magazine in their hands…I get it), but this should go a long way toward keeping a good percentage of you happy. Subscriptions of the print magazine can’t be too far behind, I have to believe. But to be honest, there have been no new talks about it here in the palatial editorial offices of 8-Lug.
“It’s a virtual world, and you have to take advantage of it. So if you mail me a print of your truck and scribble some notes on a piece of paper, good luck getting your truck into the magazine.”
Speaking of the office and the new world of digital…I rarely go into the office anymore. Everything is done digitally nowadays. Readers send me photos and info about their trucks via email. Freelance writers send me huge files of photos through WeTransfer.com or YouSendIt.com. I proof the layouts when Managing Editor Courtney McKinnon emails them to me. Cover approval happens when Art Director Emma Dryden sends me a PDF via email. It’s a virtual world, and you have to take advantage of it. So if you mail me a print of your truck and scribble some notes on a piece of paper, good luck getting your truck into the magazine.
Speaking of not being in the office much, here’s a funny story: Emma has been the art director for something like the past five years, and I just met her in person for the first time a couple of weekends ago at the wedding of two co-workers. That wedding, the union of our Web Producer Monica Thompson and another Web Producer, Jason Gonderman, was very fun and filled with car and truck enthusiasts. The reception was actually held in a car museum. Now, that was my kind of reception!
So get on board and try out the digital subscription. Go to www.zinio.com and type “8-Lug” in the search box. You should find the page that looks like what is shown here in the photo. That is, unless the cover photo has been updated…because, you know, we put out a new magazine every month, rain or shine!