The Chicago Tribune has announced that it will be offering subscribers a new Sunday books section as a piece of premium paid content.

Printers Row, as the section will be called, will cost Tribune subscribers an additional $99 a year. Those who sign up will get a 24-page book supplement every Sunday, featuring reviews, interviews with authors and news from Chicago’s literary scene as well as a free book of short stories each week.

The Chicago Tribune describes the launch in its own business section as “a means to bolster revenue beyond the traditional subscription and advertising model” by offering readers with niche interests a high-quality targeted product that they will be willing to pay for. Gerould Kern, senior vice president and editor of the Chicago Tribune states that “audiences want very specialized information, and we are going to give them that”.

The Tribune compares its model to cable TV subscriptions, which encourage users to sign up to a basic package and then pay for extra premium channels. >>READ MORE

Print PDF