Citing immediate benefits for advertisers and ease of use for readers, Report on Mining magazine is launching a digital edition of their print magazine as well as two digital only titles. The three quarterlies – Report on Cleantech, Report on Oil and Gas, and Report on Mining – will be run on a fully ad-based revenue model.

The flip-book-style magazines, produced by Fusion Publishing, will be created in-house and available for free to readers who opt-in, said Fusion publisher Terry Tremaine. “The model we are moving to is that each magazine will have a digital edition and that they will be free to subscribe to,” he said. “Personally, I think with the culture on the web everyone expects things for free anyway so we are going to follow that lead.”

Starting the online editions from a zero revenue base, Tremaine said they will not be hiring more staff until profits increase. He noted that advertisers have much to gain from the online editions with tools that give immediate feedback on readership. “There are lots of analytical tools we can offer advertisers so they get a better return on investment,” he said. “The instant feedback is phenomenal.”