LONDON—In an effort to build circulation in the Pacific Rim, Nature last month started printing in Japan. The press run of 3,500 copies— l0 percent of the weekly journal’s total circulation—is expected to reduce costs and speed delivery for subscribers.
“Our first objective is to get more readers in Japan,” said Nature editor John Maddox. “We hope that will lead to our attracting more Japanese scientists as contributors.
“What we are really up to is lowering the marginal costs, which are air freight and postage, to bring Nature within the reach of individuals,” he noted. He said almost all copies now go to libraries and institutions. “By printing locally,” he added, “we qualify for lower postage charges internally, and we shall be passing these savings on, too.”
