Super Magazine Sale at Amazon

I've already mentioned that Amazon is running a contest for free Kindles that is tied to magazine subscriptions, but when I clicked over there today, I found that they have sweetened the pot. Not only are a number of $5 and $7 subscriptions back, but they are giving you $10 back in credit (good for any Amazon purchase), if you spend $30 on magazines, thru today, November 30.  I've already seen two that I want, so all I have to do is finish up a bit of my Christmas shopping, early, to have that credit waiting for me next week!

I found more discounted magazines HERE.

Free Copy of The Nation (Sony)

Don't forget that this is week two for the giveaway at Sony for The Nation.

• Click HERE to get this week's issue of The Nation (again, click on "Current Issue $0", not the subscription link).

Once it's in your cart, go thru the regular checkout procedure (be sure your total is $0).

Great Deals on Magazines PLUS Win One of 30 Kindles

Just in time for holiday giving, Amazon has dropped the price of many of their print magazine subscriptions, with some as low as $4.95/year. Be sure to click on each category, including More Discounted Magazines, as some of the multi-year deals (such as the 2 year subscription to Organic Gardening at $18.84) are located there. I also found discounts on many magazine product pages that are not highlighted on the deals page, so be sure to check out your favorites; you may not want to subscribe to Dish (a high end food magazine going for $111.58/year), but Cooking Light (one of my favorites) is discounted to $12/year.

Amazon has also added an additional incentive to order early this year, as they are also giving away 30 Kindles this month (one for each day of the week, although each entry period runs for several days). You can enter up to five times a day and each print magazine subscription is a single entry, so space those orders out, if you were going to buy more than one (you can also enter by mail, with no purchase necessary). You can use the Amazon subscriptions to buy for yourself, including extending an existing subscription, or give as a gift to someone else (complete with a gift card to print out to give to the recipient).

Magazines Kindle-A-Day Giveaway

Amazon is giving away 30 Kindles for the month of November, and when you subscribe to a print magazine at Amazon.com, you're automatically entered for a chance to win. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Ends 11/30/10. See official rules.

Free Copies of The Nation and NYT (Sony)

Another periodical deal, this time at Sony. First, get today's The New York Times issue (Nov 3) for free. Next, get the current issue and next week's issue of The Nation for free as well.

• Click HERE to get the NYT issue (click on "Current Issue $0", not the subscription link).
• Click HERE to get this week's issue of The Nation (again, click on "Current Issue $0", not the subscription link).

Once both are in your cart, go thru the regular checkout procedure (be sure your total is $0). Then, remember to come back next week and get the post-election issue of The Nation, as well.

Free Magazine - Inaugral Issue of Hammer and Bolter

Hammer and Bolter, Issue #1 is this week's free book from The Black Library. The next issue will be available (directly from them, it appears they are bypassing retailers such as Amazon) in November.

Magazine Description
Hammer and Bolter is a monthly publication that will bring you the best in Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Horus Heresy and Time of Legends fiction from a mix of established names and hot new talent in a download-only format. This first issue is a perfect snapshot of what you can expect in the months ahead.

Dan Abnett pens the return of an old friend from his Eisenhorn sequence in ‘The Strange Demise of Titus Endor’ and we’ve also snuck in a sneak preview of the first chapter of Prospero Burns to keep you ticking over until its release in January 2011. Anthony Reynolds once more ventures into the realm of Brettonia and the travels of noble Calard with a novella-length tale entitled ‘Questing Knight’. In a first for Black Library, Ben Counter and the Soul Drinkers return in the form of Phalanx – a novel serialised over the first year of Hammer and Bolter’s publication. Nick Kyme swings by to face The Inquisition and is interrogated about his current projects and future plans. The hot new talent angle is covered by Sarah Cawkwell and the first portrayal of the Silver Skulls chapter by a Black Library author in ‘Primary Instinct’.

And, something that we certainly won’t be able to repeat but had to include in the premier issue of such an exciting new venture, ‘A Place of Quiet Assembly’, a previously unpublished tale of Gotrek & Felix by genre legend John Brunner! Originally written back in the early nineties for the very first line of Warhammer fiction, the story has been sitting on various hard drives for the past two decades and, as far as we’re aware anyway, is the last remaining unpublished short story by the Stand on Zanzibar author who sadly died in 1995.
- Christian Dunn

Click HERE for the free book; you can choose between the EPUB and MOBI formats and both are DRM-Free! While you are there, be sure to pick up the previous weeks' books, as well, as they are still available.

Video Game Magazines, One Year for Five Bucks

For this week only, expiring Saturday at 11:59pm, the magazines you see below have all been discounted to $5.00 for a one-year subscription! Use this offer to start a new subscription, or renew an existing one.

Official Xbox Magazine [with DVD] (1-year) List Price: $119.88 Price: $5.00 You Save: $114.88 (96%)		PlayStation: The Official Magazine (1-year) List Price: $71.88 Price: $5.00 You Save: $66.88 (93%)		Nintendo Power List Price: $59.88 Price: $5.00 You Save: $54.88 (92%)		PC Gamer (1-year) List Price: $107.88 Price: $5.00 You Save: $102.88 (95%)

Click HERE for more details or to get the auto-renewal versions of the magazines.

Hot Rod Magazine for Five Bucks

Barnes and Noble has a five dollar deal on a one-year, (print) subscription to Hot Rod, today only. Like the Amazon deal earlier today, this one is just in time for a nice Father's Day gift and is half the cost of a digital subscription (and with this magazine, the color pictures are much of what you want to see, so I would not want it on an ereader, anyway). A subscription at Amazon is $14, so you aren't quite saving as much as shown in the comparison to the single-issue newsstand price of $71.88, but it is a decent bargain, nonetheless.

Description
Hot Rod is America's leading hot rodding magazine, focusing on high-performance and personalized hot rods, Chevies, and muscle cars.

Field & Stream for Five Bucks

A one-year, automatic renewing subscription to Field & Stream can be picked up for $5.00 this week at Amazon (expires this coming Saturday at 11:59pm). This deal is just in time for a nice Father's Day gift (you can even print or email a gift card). You can easily cancel the auto-renewal using your Subscription Manager at Amazon, a feature I've recently explored - no more dealing with many different magazines on renewals or wondering which offer you received in the mail is really from the magazine and which is an overpriced 3rd party offering (or a new subscription disguised as a renewal, a type of junk mail that seems to be more and more common these days).

Description
America's Number One sportsman's magazine, featuring in-depth articles on hunting, fishing, outdoor adventure, and conservation news. First-class fiction, and more. Field & Stream, editorial excellence for over 100 years.

Magazine Bargains under Five Bucks

Much as I love my Kindle, for magazines I still prefer paper (so far). Between the pictures (and even ads), the ability to rip out pages and just leave it behind after reading, magazines are just more versatile than the current implementations of electronic magazines, at least as far as those available on ereaders. Last winter I signed up for Backpacker when it was $5 a year (currently $9.95 for two years) and used several other inexpensive subscriptions as gifts. I was glancing thru the current sale and found a few other at five dollars or less for a year.

Boston Magazine ($4.95/year)
New England Home ($4.95/year)
Seventeen ($5.00/year)
Time Out New York Kids ($4.95/year)
Teen Vogue ($5.00/year)
Scholastic Parent And Child ($4.97/year)
Ladies Home Journal ($5.00/year)
Popular Mechanics ($7.00/year) (technically over the limit, but still a good bargain)

Automobile Magazine $5/Year

Barnes & Noble's Deal of the Day is a one year subscription to the print edition of Automobile Magazine for $5.00 ($4.50 for members). The claimed savings is compared to a $71.88 list price, but you can subscribe normally there (and at Amazon, which only claims a $59.98 list price) for $10/year.

Description
Automobile magazine is dedicated to extraordinary cars and the people who make them, drive them and love them. Without pulling punches, Automobile brings you the world's most incredible cars -- in full color and with expert commentary.

This magazine is edited for automotive enthusiasts interested in the impact the automotive world has had. Its focus ranges from cars and machines to road tests and road trips. It also includes reviews of new vehicles, tips for vintage car collectors and information about auto sports and the automobile business.

Natural Solutions Magazine for $6

Today's deal of the day at Barnes and Noble recognizes National Sticky Bun Day...and goes in the opposite direction with a sweet deal on a one-year subscription to the print edition of Natural Solutions Magazine for $6.00 ($5.40 for B&N members).

Book Description
For over 15 years Natural Solutions magazine has been the trusted voice in the holistic healthcare community. Natural Solutions magazine guides and inspires its readers to make informed decisions about their health and well-being in all aspects of their lives. Each issue of Natural Solutions reveals safe and effective holistic remedies, delicious natural foods and healing recipes, cutting edge solutions to prevent and reverse common health conditions, plus much more...

$5 Magazine Subscriptions

This deal is a non-electronic one. I wanted to make sure you knew about the Black Friday $5 Magazine Deals Amazon is having on 10 different magazines. Give a gift, renew an existing subscription, or start a new one -- all for $5. Not only are a couple of them not good candidates for reading on the Kindle (sometimes you just want to look thru the glossy pictures), I know my Christmas List has some people on it that don't have any type of ereader.

The savings Amazon shows are off of retail price, so are a bit inflated, but I know several of these normally have subscription rates in the $20-$25 range, such as Real Simple or SmartMoney. There doesn't seem to be any limit to how many of the subscriptions you take advantage of (last year, they had a similar deal and I ordered three of them), so you may be able to get a subscription for yourself and give the same magazine as a gift to as many people as you want.

Pragmatic Bookshelf Sale / Free Magazine

Pragmatic Bookshelf is having a pre-Thanksgiving sale on all their paper books, ebooks and paper/ebook combinations. This is a terrific publisher for technical computer books, one that has been around for years. From their email:

40% off all our titles. Now through Wed Nov 25. Just use the coupon code PRAGTHANKS40 when checking out. Please note that orders placed on or after Tuesday may not get shipped until Monday, November 30, as our shipping facilities will be closed for the holiday. So order now, and stock up for some dynamite holiday reading. Feel free to use the coupon as many times as you need to before it expires, and pass it on to your friends and relatives.

Tell your friends! Tweet this

And now for the fine print: Offer valid on all books, ebooks and screencasts currently published by the Pragmatic Bookshelf (we won’t be releasing any new books between now and the end of the sale). Does not include The Pragmatic Programmer or titles we carry from our friends at Sitepoint. Offer valid now through 11:59AM GMT November 25, 2009. Void where prohibited. Paper books should not be used in water or in damp locations. eBooks require electricity; batteries are not included. Publisher cannot be held responsible for your increased knowledge, popularity, or general awesomeness as a direct or consequential result of experiencing our books and screencasts.

Starting last July, their editor Michael Swaine (whose writings I have enjoyed for years) has been putting out a free magazine each month as well. Available in PDF, EPub or Mobi format, all DRM free. There are active links in the Mobi version that I haven't tested with the Kindle yet (although they work well in Mobipocket reader), as well as code fragments -- I picked up the PDF copy as well as the mobi, as cutting and pasting from Adobe Reader is just easier for code.

Click HERE to browse thru their available books and/or HERE to get the free magazines.

GUD Magazine - Pay What You Want

GUD (Greatest Uncommon Denominator) Magazine has a special going on for the PDF versions of the first five issues of their magazine (issues 0 thru 4). You can pay them any amount you want for each issue, with a one penny minimum (they actually don't see any of it unless you pay at least five cents, due to PayPal fees). I picked up issue 4 at Fictionwise a while back (when they had a sale) and grabbed the epub of issue 3 using the link below (easily converted to Mobi format using Calibre), leaving me only 3 issues to complete the set. The short stories in the magazine are are science fiction and horror (some with adult language/subjects/violence and not suited for children). The first three are in the Kindle store for $3.50 each (click on the pictures above to see any comments at Amazon).

Now's the best time to get a PDF of any issue of GUD--for whatever price you like (minimum one US cent; though we don't see a cent unless you pay more than 5 cents; and half the net of every sale goes back to our contributors. Help us bump their advances from semi-pro to earned-out pro rates? Every penny helps, and tell your friends!

GUD (pronounced "good") is Greatest Uncommon Denominator, an award-winning print/pdf magazine with two hundred pages of literary and genre fiction, poetry, art, and articles.

We're available for multiple ebook devices via Fictionwise, but we could only really set up the "pay what you want" for PDFs. If you have any suggestions for making them more accessible, we'd love to hear them. Don't know if we'd be able to implement anything, but we're willing to try.

Issues 3 and 4 are not in the Kindle store (at least, not yet). If you have a Sony Reader or Nook or don't mind running a conversion program (or reading on your PC), you can get the epub of issue 3 HERE completely free.

Click HERE to pick up the other issues as PDF's. You'll have to purchase them one at a time (via PayPal), rather than picking them all up in one transaction.

Fictionwise Magazine Sale

As some of you know, I tend to buy my fiction/short story magazines from Fictionwise. They are DRM-Free, in multiple formats (multiformat) and stay on your bookshelf "forever" (or as long as the store lasts), rather than being limited to just the last few copies. You can read them on any of your readers or your PC, also, rather than being limited to a single device, as is true of the subscriptions in the Amazon store.

This week (thru Sunday), Fictionwise is having a sale on their magazines - all of their one subscriptions have a 25% micropay rebate and and two year subscriptions get a 20% rebate (members get an additional 15% off the list price, as well). This is an instant credit to your account, which can then be used towards the purchase of any other books or subscriptions (although some rebates, including this one, don't work when you pay with Micropay Credit, the smaller percentages do).

They also have a good deal on back issues of Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine: From now until November 30, get all 2008 issues in a half-priced bundle for ONLY $24.00 ($20.40 for members).

Because of the way their searches work, I can't give you a link just to the subscriptions, but if you click HERE and then enter SUBSCRIPTION in the title search, you'll get a quick list of all the one and two year subscriptions.

To give you a quick idea of how the prices compare, Amazon charges $2.99/month for Analog Science Fiction & Fact, or $35.88/year. You can then read this on one Kindle device, but not on the iPhone or PC App and up to six issues remain on your device (although it could be fewer) unless you save them manually to your PC. Fictionwise charges $32.97/year for a subscription, so you save some right off the bat. This is then discounted to $28.02/year for members. If you pay by credit card/paypal, you get 25% of the price back as a credit ($8.24 or $7.01). If you were to purchase 4 subscriptions by credit card, you would have enough in your micropay account to then purchase a fifth subscription with credit (for which you would not get a rebate, in the current sale). Or, just save it and use on another book in the future.

If you happen to be a five-year member (which they charge for), you also get a 100% rebate on all books (not on magazines) paid for via credit card, up to $300, this week (on top of the usual 15% discount). Most of their books do have DRM and are not compatible with the Kindle, but their multiformat books (and magazines) are. Their ereader format will work with the upcoming Nook and their epub format works with the Nook and most of the Sony devices (and some others, as well). All the formats have at least one reader that works on PC's, as well.

If you have existing micropay credit, the magazine sale isn't as good a deal, since you'll accumulate more credit when extending your subscriptions ... in this case, I'd wait (unless you are about to expire) to see if they have another sale later on that lets you use your credit and still get the discount/rebate.

The Economist now Available on Kindle

From reading the discussion boards over at Amazon, I think this must be one of the most desired magazines that has been missing from the Kindle. At least once a week (around Christmas, once a day), someone asks why The Economist isn't available for the Kindle and when it will be showing up. I'm not entirely certain how great a "bargain" this is - at $10.49/month, the price is more in line with a newspaper subscription, instead of a magazine; then again, you do get four issues a month. It's the same price as a print subscription - but you get it wherever you are and without worrying about it being lost in the mail. It's only been out a day and there are already some reviews at Amazon - all five star from those who have read the first issue (and some one and three star reviews from those who haven't but seem to think that's a valid way of protesting the price). Remember - you get a two week free trial with any subscription - that means two and possibly three issues before you have to decide whether you want to keep the subscription and your credit card is charged.

The Economist is the premier source for the analysis of world business and current affairs, providing authoritative insight and opinion on international news, world politics, business, finance, science and technology, as well as overviews of cultural trends and regular Special reports on industries and countries.

Established in 1843 to campaign against the protectionist corn laws, The Economist remains, in the second half of its second century, true to the liberal principles of its founder. James Wilson, a hat maker from the small Scottish town of Hawick, believed in free trade, internationalism and minimum interference by government, especially in the affairs of the market. The Economist also takes a fiercely independent stance on social issues, from gay marriage to the legalisation of drugs, but its main service to its readers is as a global newspaper: To uncover new ideas from all around the world.