TAIPEI: The first subscription-only magazines delivered by email have
rolled out in Taiwan, with five titles covering telecommunications,
finance and investment, venture capital, insurance and biotechnology.
EPost aims to have 1,000 subscribers per title by the end of the year,
said company vice-president Su Yun. Subscriptions are NT$699 per
year (about US$20).
Su said if subscription targets are reached, it would put the editorial
operation into the black.
She added that the magazines would also carry advertising but she didn't
expect this to exceed 20 per cent of total revenue. EPost's advertising
strategy is to list itself on websites, which promote both paid-only and
free titles.
The company plans to add five more titles over the next two years, but
Su said its business will also be about "wireless communications,
content and licensing under the ePost brand".
Possible modes include mobiles and PDAs. EPost is negotiating with
vendors and expects to roll out its first wireless service shortly.
The technological orientation is clear from the investors, Taiwan Fixed
Network, Taiwan Cellular and Compal Electronics, which together with its
parent, PC Home Publishing, put up a reported NT$364 million
(about US$10.3 million) in capital.
