Story Published: Sep 16, 2008 at 6:33 PM MDT
Story Updated: Dec 18, 2008 at 4:00 PM MDT
At the time, the company thought it would be best to let the magazine ads sustain it. That way, it could be free to anybody who wanted to read it.
Since then, the magazine has far-reached expectations. Now they need to expand.
Currently, 15,000 magazines are printed every other month. The magazine has over 2,500 subscribers each year.
To keep up with this demand, the magazine has to expand their press runs, which cost money; so they are turning to subscriptions rather than pinch the advertisers.
"If we choose to stay the way we are, we're going to limit our growth and our potential, which I think we've hit that mark now. We have to change in order to, we like to say go to the next level, but to continue to grow and make the magazine bigger and do some different things, we just have to change," explains magazine publisher Jason Harris.
Subscription rates will be $12.95, which is 6 issues a year. If subscriptions continue, subsequent years will be discounted.
The magazine will soon be available on news stands in Pocatello, Boise and Jackson, among others.
"We couldn't be more excited about where we're headed so anything that helps us grow and gives readers more opportunities to be apart of the magazine, this is the direction we need to go," says editor Steve Smede.
They know some people will not be happy about the change, but hope to keep the readers.
"We'll have to tactfully handle that and carefully execute this plan without offending people, without going back on our word of what we said we were going to be which was a free publication but hopefully they'll understand," says Harris.
If you subscribe now, an extra incentive will be available. You'll be able to get the magazine at a six dollar rate which is half off.
The publisher hopes with the combination of other free publications and coupons inside Idaho Falls Magazine, the benefit will still be there for you to subscribe.