Reader's Digest is not the only foreign magazine that failed to survive in the Chinese market. Rolling Stone and Scientific American both successfully entered the market but then floundered.

China has a flourishing market for print media, at a time when print has been on a decline in the US. Many non-Chinese magazines thus seek opportunities in the Chinese market. Fashion magazines, like Vogue and Elle, entered China years ago, with travel, life and music magazines following suit.

"China's market for print media is still growing," said Niu Wenyi, chief editor of TimeOut Beijing.

"Many people may think the market for say, a music magazine is small. But Q survived in the UK as a Rock'N'Roll magazine for decades. The potential market in China is not a niche one," said Hu Pan, the editorial director of Q China.

Bygone days

When Chinese writer Ye Qingcheng posted on her Sina Weibo in May that Puzhi, the Chinese version of Reader's Digest magazine may end its run, she solicited over two thousand comments.

Some neitzens complained about the relatively high price of Puzhi and its inconsistent writing style, while others placed the blame on the magazine's parent company, Reader's Digest Association (RDA), going bankrupt in 2009.

Reader's Digest was famous in China long before the Chinese version was published. Gansu People's Publishing House (GPPH) produced a Chinese magazine called Duzhe Wenzhai (a literal translation of Reader's Digest) before RDA registered its Chinese name in 1982. After a long lawsuit between the American and Chinese Reader's Digest, GPPH changed the name of their magazine to Reader, in 1993.

RDA officially launched the magazine in China in 2008, in cooperation with Shanghai Press and Publication. The style remained the same as the American version, with the content covering a wide range of topics, mostly family-friendly. Many articles were translated directly from the English edition.

"It is hard to aptly transfer Western humor into the [Chinese edition]," said a reader surnamed Wu. He also finds that the publication does not have a defined audience. "The cost, at 12 yuan ($1.9) suggests that the magazine is targeting businessmen or white collar workers, but their content seems to [attract] ordinary families living in cities."

China Media Weekly stated on its official blog that the success of the US edition of Reader's Digest relied on its massive customer database, a difficult concept to apply to the Chinese market.

RDA builds a customer network by direct mailing, sending free magazines and gifts to attract subscribers.

By promoting not only the magazine but a variety of products such as books, music, television products and some door-to-door services, the company reaped a high number of subscribers.

But most Chinese magazines profit through advertisements and cooperating with commercial event organizers. The US business model of Reader's Digest does not fit China.

Customer service is also a factor that needs attention in China. Most of the customer reviews on douban.com of Puzhi's service are negative. One reader posted about his subpar experience with Puzhi on douban.com:

"I subscribed in August, and I waited two months for the magazine to arrive. The one they finally sent me had mold on the cover!"

Evolution of print

Editors have discussed how to stay afloat in the Chinese market, arriving at different conclusions. Hao Fang, the former chief editor of Rolling Stone China edition, said that the marketing and advertising team are crucial players.

"Content is not a priority," he once said.

"Branding and marketing are important," said Niu. TimeOut Beijing, Niu added, pays a fee to the London office every year for the use of their logo and design. Many Chinese media companies cooperate with famous foreign magazine mainly to use their brand.

"Content always comes first for me," said Hu, editorial director of Q. "The advertising agency is also a reader. They care about the quality of our magazine as well."

Russ said that Reader's Digest may circulate as an e-magazine in China in the future, as the Internet age is the main determinant in print media's future. iTune downloads; iPhone application, e-magazine and other forms of media are opening new markets for print publications.

"Advertising and circulation are not the only ways to profit. New media will bring US more opportunities," said Hu.

TimeOut London is operating an e-commerce model at the moment. Customers can book restaurants and tickets, making the payments on the TimeOut site. But for most other newspapers or magazines expanding their services, new media is still in the trial stages.

 "The development of new media is incomplete in China and internationally. But we will consider developing this field in the future," said Niu.

An insider source at Puzhi said that 80 percent of the content was directly translated from the English edition of Reader's Digest. The Beijing team has little control over the magazine, with orders coming from both RDA and the Hong Kong office.

"Many foreign media companies might find dissatisfactory the way we cooperate with TimeOut London. They would hope to really step in," said Niu.

But as TimeOut Beijing and Q China localize their content and offer more than just lifted articles, they provide good models for future print publications hoping to enter China.