7 Magazines Every Content Marketer Should Read (Yes, Print!)

Is print dead?

After all, blogs are a bit like Cheetos: convenient, delicious, and you can’t stop at just one.

But, like Cheetos, all those blogs have left us feeling a little bloated.

So it’s time for something meatier. That’s why I’ve rounded up these 7 magazines (printed on good old fashioned dead trees, or read ‘em on Kindle).

They’re my top picks to make you a better content marketer, a smarter citizen, and a more interesting date.

Here are the 7 magazines every content marketer should read: 

1. Career: Chief Content Officer Magazine

Tools, technology, and trends in content marketing from industry leaders. Stay on top of content marketing news (and catch all the articles your blog-gobbling peers missed). Be sure to check out the Unsolicited Advice column, where CCO dishes out guidance at unsuspecting targets. And of course, I always flip ahead to the Marketoonist.

Free/quarterly 

2. Career: Offscreen

Dedicated to the people who make the Internet, Offscreen is an up-and-coming indie mag that’s worth the read. Inside, you’ll find first-person interviews from writers, photographers, app developers, and startup founders (like Airbnb’s Joe Gebbia).  In case you’re in need of further inspiration, the quarterly mag is designed and edited by just one person.

$20 per issue/quarterly (print only)

3. Business: Fast Company

The magazine of upwardly-mobile professionals (best read on the subway or in the break room, in plain view of your upwardly-mobile peers). You’ll get an inside look at the future of energy, electric cars, and entrepreneurship. B2B marketers will admire Fast Company’s unboring approach to business writing.

$5/year (10 issues)

 4. General interest: The New Yorker

In-depth reporting and commentary on everything from politics to pop culture (plus a smorgasbord of poetry, short fiction, and humor). What I love most is their unwaveringly consistent editorial style. According to Mary Norris, Comma Queen and copy editor at The New Yorker, “We value clarity and conciseness. We try not to step on any jokes.” Take a page from their playbook and make every word count.

$69.99/year (47 issues)

5. World affairs: The Economist

Smart people deliver smarter information on complex topics like international news, politics, economy, and industry — with a healthy dose of British humor. Refreshingly opinionated and well-spoken, there’s nothing you could call “politically correct” here. Read it weekly, then challenge yourself to cut the faff and take sides in your own writing.

$12/12 weeks (12 issues)

6. Science & nature: National Geographic

Mummies, black holes, tornados, dolphins — you never know what’ll be inside the next issue, but you can be sure you’ll have a hard time putting it down. For content writers in medical, tech, or other complex industries, National Geographic is a stunning example of how to do storytelling right.

$15/year (12 issues)

 7. Just for fun: Afar

Not your typical travel magazine. Thoughtful stories that connect travelers with places, people, and their perspectives (and of course, drool-worthy photos). Plan your escape.

$20/year (6 issues)

What’s on your must-read list?

If I’ve missed a magazine you love, let me know in the comments below.