Just a little plug for an increasingly useful online store: Fictionwise eBooks. I first visited Fictionwise because they published the digital version of the Asimov’s Science Fiction my story was in. It was great to be able to tell folks who live far from bookstores, or who don’t do much brick-n-mortar shopping, or who just couldn’t wait any longer, “Hey, you can buy a pdf of the magazine right now for a little off the cover price.”

Since then, I’ve noticed more and more periodicals adding Fictionwise links to their sites. I don’t think I know anyone who uses an eReader, and I’ve never bought an electronic version of a book, so I may be an odd niche market for Fictionwise. However, I have been using them regularly as a way to get hold of magazines. Back issues are as easy to get as current issues; they carry everything from Asimov’s and Analog to the once-elusive Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet, and I don’t have to pay shipping and handling. Reading one story or article at a time on a screen doesn’t grate on me as reading an entire book on the computer would.

So, if you missed one issue of a magazine, want to see if you like a magazine well enough to subscribe, or are stuck in an airport without decent reading material, I highly recommend browsing their magazine selection. It’s convenient, inexpensive, and laziness-compliant.