3 Digital Magazine Success Stories [2025]
A digital magazine is an electronic publication that takes a digital format rather than printed on paper.
Ideally, digital publications and traditional print magazines are not all that different. The only difference is the medium of delivery. To start a digital publication, decide the publication’s goals and pick a topic or theme. Then, create a content strategy and choose the right software.
In this list, you'll find real-world digital magazine success stories and very profitable examples of starting a digital magazine that makes money.
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1. Flipsnack ($9.6M/year)
Janina Moza, Chief Marketing Officer of Flipsnack, joined the team a year after its launch and has been part of the project for almost 10 years. Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks, and it has seen impressive growth, with business revenue increasing by over 50% year over year. The idea for Flipsnack came from analyzing the needs of the target audience and recognizing the opportunity for an easy-to-use flipbook maker.
How much money it makes: $9.6M/year
How many people on the team: 70
Flipsnack is an online tool that allows anyone to create digital flipbooks and has increased its business revenue by over 50% year over year, with YoY growth rates between 50% - 84%, shifting from a B2C approach and focusing more on B2B.
2. SWAGGER Magazine ($600K/year)
Drew Williams came up with the idea for SWAGGER Magazine as a hobby in 2007, aiming to provide an alternative to traditional men's magazines and cater to the digital market. Through self-printed sample magazines and validation from local stores, he saw the potential of his brand. With limited funds, he hired writers and focused on producing high-quality content to attract and retain readers. Now, the magazine pulls in 1-2k per month, with revenue primarily coming from sponsored posts and celebrity features.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 25
SWAGGER Magazine is a digital lifestyle magazine for men, with a focus on lifestyle, fashion, gear, food, dating and business and careers, pulling in 1-2K per month in revenue through sponsored posts and celebrity features, and growing rapidly with 60k social media following and a growing audience.
3. Warrior Lodge Media ($252K/year)
Wes O'Donnell came up with the idea for Warrior Lodge Media out of frustration with the lack of simple military information online. He wanted to create a website that compiled every piece of unclassified U.S. military information in existence, and with the help of his network of military and veteran writers, he built Warrior Lodge slowly and organically. Today, the site earns between $18,000-$22,000 per month through ads, t-shirt sales, and affiliate links, and is almost completely hands-off, generating passive income for O'Donnell.
How much money it makes: $252K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2
This case study is about the founder of Warrior Lodge Media, Wes O'Donnell, who started an all-in-one informational website for military and veterans and turned it into a $21k/month media company and eCommerce store, almost completely hands-off and generating true passive income.
