(Happy Friday!) Why Harper's Bazaar subscribers have it better.

Posted simultaneously to wearability.posterous.com.

Besides the fact that the newsstand price is about $4/issue, and I pay just $10 flat for a whole year's worth of magazines. No, what I'm talking about is a fact little-known outside this special club of people who subscribe to the magazine on a regular basis: we get different covers.  Better covers, I must say.  

Harper's Bazaar newsstand covers don't really stand out from every other magazine out there--huge faces with loud words graffittied all over them.  "Fabulous at Every Age!" is a popular Bazaar saying.  "Bags! SHOES! 437 New Looks! Beauty STEALS!"  I really hate how these kinds of covers treat us like we're stupid.

But oh, the subscriber covers! I'm not sure if other magazines do this, but I prefer Harper's Bazaar to most other fashion magazines because of it (the only other one I love is W, with its awesome photography in that fabulous large format).  Every month I look forward to receiving that delicious piece of artwork in the mail, showcasing that issue's lovely celebrity in some sweeping, epic gown, striking a whimsical, gestural pose against a cinematic backdrop.  Oh, how I love it.  So much that I painstakingly collected some of the most striking covers from the past couple of years and created diptychs so you can compare the subscriber covers to the regular newsstand covers.  You're welcome.

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16 responses
wow, what a difference! i don't subscribe to any(!) magazines, so i can't really compare, but i can see how the newsstand is far less differentiated from, say, Cosmo, or . . . YM (is that still published?). . .
— slu
That's an interesting fact about publishing that is new to me. I wonder if different covers are used by other magazines.
— George Campbell
nice covers
— tersiu
Subscribing to a magazine for the first time in years. Great cover photography.
— Jane Quigley
Wow Jane, I'm amazed you subscribed because of this!  Then again, I suppose it's just $10 =)  Hope you like the inside of the magazine as much as the cover.
— Stephanie Lim
Wow I like how they do this. Makes me wonder why more magazines don't do this!
— Jonathan Lin
Great magazine covers and choice. Thanks for sharing!
— Kimberly
Wow! I love their subscription covers. I may have to subscribe now, just so I can see those every month. Of course the fact you get a dozen for approx. the price for 2 is a plus also.
Thanks for sharing.
— All Surreal
I think I know why they do this. At first glance, most people are drawn toward human faces. If they didn't have one off those on the cover at the news stand then they'd be at a comparative disadvantage. But if you're already a subscriber then they aren't competing with dozens of other magazines so they can appeal to you in a way that takes more time to appreciate.
— Antonio D'souza
@tony yeah that makes sense.  By the way, Garry and I checked out cornerstone today but didn't see you!  Are you still going there?
— Stephanie Lim
thanks for sharing. gonna go get that subscription!
— danaphotographs
the subscription covers ARE seriously a LOT nicer!
— Lin-Li Ng
Your right, it's a little known secret - thanks for sharing the pics - had been looking everywhere for some backdated examples for my site - have linked to this page :)
— Nicole
@Nicole glad you enjoyed them! :)
— Stephanie Lim
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