Hearst Corp., a big-name magazine and newspaper publisher, has announced that paid digital downloads of its titles have topped 300,000 per month, while a new study shows that tablet users have a higher e-commerce conversion rate than shoppers using a PC.

Peter Kafka of All Things D noted that Hearst had congratulated itself on passing the milestone while hinting that it will begin offering its titles on an Amazon tablet expected to be unveiled on Wednesday.

After pointing out that digital sales were spread across Apple's App Store, Barnes & Noble's Nook and the Zinio platform, Hearst President David Carey said on Tuesday that his company would “get a fourth distribution channel tomorrow."

The 300,000 downloads per month figure includes only paid downloads because the publisher has yet to offer print and digital bundles, Kafka noted. People familiar with the Hearst's operations said the company brings in an average of $15 to $20 in annual revenue per unit on a mix of annual subscriptions and individual sales.

Meanwhile, rival Condé Nast said its monthly digital circulation has reached 500,000, including 225,000 digital-only subscribers.

Hearst made its debut on Apple's iPad with the Esquire app last October. In May, the publisher reached an agreement with Apple to offer in-app subscriptions for some of its periodicals, including Esquire, Popular Mechanics and Oprah Magazine.