Paywall & metering
Metered, members-only or free-with-sign-up articles, with teasers that show enough to make people want the rest.
Magazine software: paywalls, subscriptions & ad bookings
Magazines: readers pay, advertisers book. More reading, less chasing.
Your best features are free online, subscribers live in a spreadsheet, ad bookings bounce around email and the artwork turns up wrong two days before print. We build paywall, subscription, advertising and back issue systems for magazines that all talk to each other. Then we host them and look after them.
Looking for magazine software that handles subscribers, paywalls and advertising?
A magazine is a few businesses stapled together: a publisher, a subscription service, an ad sales desk, an online shop and a mail-out operation. Most independent titles run each one on a different tool, plus a rate card PDF, a flatplan spreadsheet and an inbox full of artwork. Every issue means the same scramble to chase ads, fix files, update the mailing list and remember who renewed.
Wollopit builds custom magazine software around how your title actually runs. Readers hit a fair paywall and subscribe in a minute. Renewals bill themselves. Advertisers book a spot, upload artwork that gets checked on the way in and pay online. Back issues sell while you sleep. We connect the tools you already like, replace the ones holding you back and look after the lot on our own servers, so you can get back to making the magazine.
01The problems
What we hear from magazines
Does your magazine have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Most magazines we talk to make something people genuinely love to read. The money side runs on spreadsheets, goodwill and a very tired editor.
- The problemYour best stories are freeYears of features sit on the website for anyone to read while print subscribers wonder what they're paying for.How we fix itA metered or members-only paywall with free teasers, so casual readers get a taste and regulars get a reason to subscribe.
- The problemSubscribers live in a spreadsheetAddresses out of date, gift subs lost in a tab and nobody's sure who's paid for the next four issues.How we fix itA proper subscriber database with tiers, issue counts, gift subs and readers updating their own details.
- The problemRenewals rely on memoryA card expires, the reminder never goes out and a loyal reader quietly lapses.How we fix itAutomatic billing, failed card retries, renewal reminders and win-back emails that run on their own.
- The problemAd bookings by email threadRate card PDF out, fifteen emails back and forth. Then two advertisers both think they've got the inside front cover.How we fix itOnline ad bookings with live availability per issue, your rate card built in and payment or invoicing at checkout.
- The problemArtwork turns up wrongRGB files, no bleed and 72dpi logos land the night before the printer deadline.How we fix itAn artwork upload portal that checks size, bleed, resolution and colour mode against your specs before it's accepted.
- The problemChasing advertiser paymentsInvoices typed into Xero one by one, then weeks of polite follow-ups after the issue is already out.How we fix itInvoices created when the ad is booked, synced to Xero or MYOB, with payment links and automatic reminders.
- The problemBack issues in boxesCartons of old issues in the shed and no easy way for readers to buy the one they missed.How we fix itA back issue store with stock levels and postage built in, plus a digital archive members can read any time.
- The problemThe mailing list is a monthly nightmareExport, clean, remove the lapsed, add the new ones and hope the mailhouse gets the right file.How we fix itOne-click mailing files for your mailhouse or Australia Post with lapsed subs gone and new ones already in.
- The problemContributors managed by inboxPitches, briefs, word counts, photo credits and invoices scattered across a hundred emails.How we fix itA contributor portal with briefs, deadlines, file uploads and payment tracking for every writer and photographer.
- The problemNewsletter list and subscribers don't matchThe newsletter goes to people who cancelled while paying members miss the member-only offer.How we fix itYour subscriber list synced to Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor, segmented by tier, status and interests.
- The problemStockist orders by phoneNewsagents and shops ring for more copies, returns get counted on a scrap of paper and nobody tracks sell-through.How we fix itA stockist portal for orders, returns and invoices, with sell-through per store so you print the right number.
- The problemNo idea what actually earnsYou can't tell which articles bring in subscribers or which ad spots are worth the most.How we fix itA publisher dashboard showing paywall conversions, churn, ad revenue per issue and back issue sales.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for magazines. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Memberships & tiers
Digital, print, bundle and supporter tiers with their own perks, pricing and billing cycles.
Gift subscriptions
Gift subs with a start date, a printable or emailed card and a gentle nudge to renew when it runs out.
Subscriber self-service
Readers update addresses, swap cards, pause or upgrade without emailing you.
Ad booking portal
Advertisers pick an issue and placement, see what's available, book and pay or request an invoice.
Online media kit & rate card
Audience, specs, deadlines and pricing on a page you update once, not a PDF you resend weekly.
Artwork upload & checks
Files checked for size, bleed, resolution and colour mode on upload, with proofs and approvals.
Issue planner & flatplan
Every page of the next issue on one board, filling itself as ads are booked and stories are filed.
Contributor portal
Briefs, deadlines, word counts, uploads, credits and invoice tracking for writers and photographers.
Back issue store
Sell past issues and bundles online with stock levels, postage and Australia Post or Sendle labels.
Digital archive
Every past issue readable online for members, searchable by topic, writer or year.
Mailing & distribution files
Clean mailhouse files every issue, plus stockist orders, returns and sell-through.
Newsletter sync
Members, tiers and interests synced to Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor so the right email reaches the right reader.
Publisher dashboard
Subscribers, churn, ad revenue, back issue sales and top-converting articles on one screen.
A website made for reading
Hand-built, quick on mobile, lovely to read and built to rank for the topics your readers search.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole magazine, on one system.
These are the systems magazines ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly clever when they're joined up.
Paywalls & memberships
Give readers a taste. Make the rest worth paying for.
Choose what's free, what's metered and what's members-only, article by article. Readers subscribe in under a minute and a print subscriber logs straight in to the digital edition without a second account.
- Metered, members-only or sign-up walls
- Free teasers on locked articles
- Digital, print and bundle tiers
- Print subscribers unlocked online
- Supporter and patron tiers
- Student, concession and group pricing
- Promo codes and free trials
- Gift subscriptions
- Works on your existing website
- Conversions per article
Subscriber management
Every subscriber, renewal and address in one place.
No more spreadsheet tabs. Subscriptions bill themselves, cards retry when they fail and readers sort out their own address changes. When the issue goes to print the mailing file is ready in one click.
- Subscriber database with full history
- Automatic billing through Stripe
- Failed card retries and reminders
- Renewal and win-back emails
- Readers update their own details
- Pause, upgrade or cancel online
- Issues remaining per subscriber
- One-click mailhouse files
- Overseas postage rates
- Synced to Mailchimp or Campaign Monitor
Advertising bookings
Advertisers book, upload and pay. You just say yes.
Advertisers see what's left in each issue, book a placement at your rates and upload artwork that's checked on the way in. Invoices land in Xero the moment they book, so the money's not an afterthought.
- Live availability per issue
- Your rate card built in
- Print, online and newsletter placements
- Package and series discounts
- Pay online or request an invoice
- Artwork checked for size, bleed and dpi
- Proofs and approvals
- Material deadline reminders
- Invoices synced to Xero or MYOB
- Advertiser logins and booking history
Issue planning
The next issue, off the spreadsheet.
A flatplan everyone can see, filling itself as ads are booked and stories are filed. Contributors get their briefs and deadlines in a portal, upload their work there and you can see at a glance who's late and who needs paying.
- Drag-and-drop flatplan
- Ads drop in as they're booked
- Story status from pitch to final
- Contributor briefs and deadlines
- Word counts and image uploads
- Photo credits and captions
- Contributor payment tracking
- Print and digital deadlines
- Files shared to Dropbox or Google Drive
- Page count and ad ratio at a glance
Back issues & archive
Old issues that keep earning.
Sell the back catalogue from the shed and online at the same time. Print back issues come with stock levels and postage built in. The digital archive turns every past issue into a reason to become a member.
- Back issue store with stock levels
- Bundles and collector sets
- Postage with Australia Post or Sendle
- Digital archive for members
- Search by topic, writer or year
- Single digital issues for sale
- Low stock alerts
- Sold out issues go digital only
- Shopify or a custom store
- Sales per issue reported
04How it changes
Before and after
An issue deadline, wolloped.
Here's how print week could change. Every magazine is different, so we map yours first.
Before
- Chase three advertisers for artwork by email
- An RGB file with no bleed lands the night before print
- Update the flatplan spreadsheet nobody trusts
- Export the subscriber list and strip out the lapsed by hand
- Invoice every advertiser one at a time in Xero
- Post the new issue online where anyone can read it free
After
- Advertisers got automatic reminders a week ago
- Artwork was checked for size, bleed and colour on upload
- The flatplan filled itself as ads and stories landed
- The mailing file exports in one click with lapsed subs already gone
- Invoices went to Xero the moment each ad was booked
- The new issue goes behind the paywall with free teasers
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for magazines.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for magazines
Built around how your magazine actually runs: paywall & metering, memberships & tiers and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for magazines
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Magazine system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for magazines
Gift subscriptions and subscriber self-service: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Stripe, Xero and MYOB so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your magazine, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work alongside publishing platforms you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Stripe
- Xero
- MYOB
- Shopify
- WordPress
- Ghost
- Piano
- Memberful
- Mailchimp
- Campaign Monitor
- Adobe InDesign
- Adobe Creative Cloud
- Issuu
- Readly
- Zinio
- Dropbox
- Google Drive
- Google Ad Manager
- Australia Post
- Sendle
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your magazine: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We sit with your editor, ad sales and whoever wrangles the subscribers, then work out what's actually eating each issue.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your paywall rules, tiers, ad inventory, artwork specs, mailing files, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the most painful bit first, so you get a win before your next print deadline.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things magazines ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can advertisers book and pay online?
Yes. Advertisers choose an issue and placement, see what's still available, upload their artwork and pay or request an invoice. The booking lands on your flatplan and the invoice goes to Xero or MYOB.
Can it check artwork before it reaches our designer?
Yes. Files are checked against your specs for size, bleed, resolution and colour mode as they're uploaded. Anything that fails goes back to the advertiser with a clear reason.
Will a paywall scare off readers?
Not if it's set up well. You choose what's free, what's metered and what's members-only, with teasers that show enough to hook people. You'll see which articles actually bring in subscribers and can tweak it from there.
Can print subscribers read the digital edition too?
Yes. Print, digital and bundle tiers can all live in the one system, so a print subscriber logs in once and everything they've paid for is unlocked.
We already use WordPress, Ghost or Shopify. Do we have to switch?
No. If your website or shop is doing its job we build around it, adding the paywall, subscriptions, ad bookings and back issues on top. If something's holding you back we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
Can it produce the mailing file for our mailhouse?
Yes. Each issue you export a clean file in the format your mailhouse or Australia Post needs, with lapsed subscribers removed and new ones included.
How much does a magazine system cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like a back issue store or an ad booking page can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most magazines we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a magazine problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.