How should I deliver a digital magazine, give instant access AND collect email, etc.?

Sounds like a good plan so far. I have used woocommerce, but have not used the subscriptions option yet. Does it have a way to require people confirm their email address before they can get access? I ask that because most other membership site software I've tried don't do that well. Or I am not doing it correctly.

If your going to simply send a link each month, why use the subscriptions anyways? Seems over kill?

Also, as you might know, one email a month is not enough, most will forget who you are, and some might report it as spam. You need to have more contact.

You could just have a squeeze page, sends them a confirm email, they confirm, they get sent a download link. You don't have to have the woo, unless there is another reason.

[sidebar] my kids are watching the game right now

Yup, you're right. I do'nt need the Woo.

I could do it on one page with gravity forms and CC integration. Hmmmmmmm.

Not saying you can't or shouldn't use the woo option, just wondered if there was a good reason. Some times simple is better?

Plus with a regular squeeze page/optin it could be easier to test your forms (they should also be in testing), don't know if the woo has that option. Or your AR could do it I guess.

Also with the woo option, won't your potential subscribers have to provide more information, like register for an account? More you ask them to do, the more optin's you'll lose.

OK so you need this:

My company has a digital magazine.
It is free to "subscribe" to.
We want people to have "instant" access to the current issue.
Back issues are sold separately.
We also want to collect subscribers' email, address, etc.

I will go through each one of what I would do.

Gravity forms will work with several autoresponders/email clients. (I myself would skip forms and use a custom aweber built form so its all done on one platform) hire a developer from WF or freelancer to help.

I would use Aweber since its a service I am familiar with, I would set the confirmation link URL to a web page which has the download link for the first issue for free and also underneath has the sales copy about subscribing to future copies.

So they opt in and are directed to the download page for the free copy plus the upsell of paying for future copies. This can all be linked to paypal subscription buttons or whatever payment processor you are using. (The confirmation link on their email also sends them to the download/upsell page)

If they download the first copy and then click the cancel button on their web browser I would redirect them (using a pop up) to a downsell page (you would use a web script to so this embedded in the download page) this page would offer a discount for them subscribing to future copies, somewhere in the region of 25% off or so.

I would have the email client setup to broadcast future messages for each subsequent copy with payment links for each one or subscription links to receive each one monthly at a discounted rate. Anyone that pays for the future copies would be subscribed to a new list which would send out the copies for download. This also segments your buyers from the free list.

So as an example they could either pay say $10 per issue or pay $8 per month to subscribe to all future issues.

All this can be done using Aweber, paypal and a web developer.

Hope that makes sense!