Frequently Asked Questions
Does Scientific American publish eBooks?
Scientific American publishes new eBooks every month. To view our latest releases and to sign up for our eBooks newsletter, please visit ScientificAmerican.com/eBooks. eBooks may be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, or Barnes&Noble.
I don't have an eReader. How do I read your eBooks?
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes all offer free apps with which to read eBooks. If you purchase an eBook from Amazon, there is a free Kindle app you can put on your tablet, smartphone, or desktop. The free app for Barnes & Noble is the Nook app, and the free app for iTunes customers is iBook.
What are Scientific American “Classics”?
Scientific American Classics is an Anthology Series that draws on Scientific American’s archive. Each anthology includes 70+ pages that is published in PDF format. To see the releases in this series, please visit the Classics page.
How do I get more information about Scientific American Travel and Cruises?
Log on to the web site of Insight Cruises, Scientific American’s Cruise and Travel partner, here.
I saw a Scientific American "Special Collector's Edition" in the store. How do I buy one?
Releases in Scientific American’s “Special Collector’s Edition” series are published 2 or 3 times per year and are sold at bookstores, airport and transportation shops, and leading supermarkets and pharmacies. Each release is a hybrid between a trade paperback book and a magazine, featuring heavy weight paper and deluxe cover stock. Each Special Collector's Edition contains articles previously published in our subscription issues, as well as online and supplementary articles.
Special Collector’s Editions are available for purchase in digital format and in print, and are not included with a subscription.
If purchasing in print, please call 800-333-1199 for pricing information. Please note that phone sales inventory of Special Collector's Editions is very limited.
I downloaded an issue that I purchased and now I can't find it. What do I do?
Single issue purchases are available for download anytime in your account history. If you need help configuring where downloads go in your browser, please consult your browser’s help desk.
How do I purchase a back issue of Scientific American?
Every issue Scientific American and Scientific American Mind in digital format is available for purchase. Search our Archive to view and purchase single issues, a subscription package or give a gift.
Alternatively, we maintain a limited inventory of back issues in print available for purchase. For availability and pricing information, please call 800-333-1199 in the United States/Canada and 515-248-7684 for everywhere else. Please have complete issue (Magazine/Month/Year) information when you call.
Print issues are not available online.
Where can I purchase a newsstand copy of Scientific American or Scientific American Mind?
Scientific American and Scientific American Mind magazines are sold at Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Hudson News, Books A Million, and other leading magazine retailers in the United States and Canada.
The English language version of Scientific American is available at news agents around the world, particularly at news agents located at airports and other transportation terminals.
For a directory of stores and News Agents that sell Scientific American in the United Kingdom, click here.
Do you publish your magazines in other languages?
Scientific American partners with other publishers to allow them to reproduce our content in other languages. These editions are independently published and sold. To see what international editions are available, complete with links to their websites, please click here.
