Magazine Production & Publishing

Kate Marin - New York University - Media and Communications Magazine Production & Publishing is a space to explore the business side of the magazine industry and the current events that surround it.

[businessofthemagazine]

New Magazine to Encourage Female Writers

Pashto fiction magazine is a new quarterly magazine intended to encourage women writers around the world. Each issue will features short stories and is around 70 pages in length.

Mr Dewan, the magazine’s editor says “I think we need to focus on fiction writing in Pashto, especially woman writers are being encouraged to contribute their pieces and the title picture on the cover page suggests our aim. My colleagues and I want to make another attempt.”

Contribution-based magazines are seen less frequently on news stands and o bookstore shelves, but the idea of having short-story title falls in line with the popularity of the “bookazine.” Perhaps this format will find Pashto success and readership within the fiction audience.

http://www.dawn.com/news/1181100/pashto-fiction-magazine-launched-to-encourage-women-writers

[businessofthemagazine]

United Airlines’ Newest Read

United Airlines has announced the launch of their first business-class-only in-flight read. The magazine will be published monthly, and offers readers a range of luxury topics from dining to art and theatre. It’s authors, to name a few, include Joyce Carol Oates, Emily St John Mandel, and Pulitzer Prize-winners Anthony Doerr and Rick Moody. Unfortunately, however, if customers do not fly in business class, the magazine is unaccessible. Each past-month’s issue will be featured online for curious readers who do not fly in business class (who actually may be their target audience...).

The marketing tactic seems a bit off by limiting this read to only business class. UA may in fact be cutting off their ideal targeted audience by doing so (i.e. average readers who are actually much more likely to read leisurely on a flight than a business man.. who probably has business tasks to do on his business flight..). Regardless, literature enthusiasts may jump at the chance to read content from these authors online, even if it is a month late, and in this case traffic would increase for UA.

http://www.theguardian.com/books/shortcuts/2015/may/04/the-in-flight-magazine-with-serious-literary-aspirations

[businessofthemagazine]

The First Feminist Magazine

There is no denying that niche content is slowly becoming the secret to success in the magazine industry, but how about a magazine dedicated to feminism? Catalyst the world’s first feminist magazine is launching its first issue this month, offering readers a glimpse into the reality of untraditional love and its growing presence in our modern world.

The magazine features editorials and interviews with unordinary couples who aced the wedding game. Catalyst gets the details on the preparation and planning that went into their marriage, from mixologists to wedding planners and insight from the parents-of-the-brides.

Catalyst’s website says, "Catalyst Wedding Magazine takes a critical look at weddings without sacrificing visual integrity. Catalyst holds the position that there is no such thing as 'the perfect wedding.' The written content is intellectually engaging (sometimes sarcastic), while the visual quality is stunning on the page and features under-represented communities throughout."

Is the feminist audience large enough and dedicated enough to bring success to the magazine? There is no doubt that it will attract attention from all angles however, feminist or not. Also, is it wrong to qualify a feminist magazine as a niche title? Regardless, I think the same strategy is at play here. Catalyst has the potential to gain dedicated readers and frequency simply for the one-of-a-kind subject matter, and the extreme relevance of the issue at hand. Just as same-sex marriage has become a necessary acceptance in our modern world, Catalyst may become a necessary read for those within the niche.

http://www.refinery29.com/2015/05/87158/catalyst-feminist-wedding-magazine

[businessofthemagazine]

Magazines for HIV Awareness

As the magazine has gained popularity as a medium that can reach across all industries, The Vangardist is using it to raise HIV awareness. The small Austrian men’s magazine did so by printing an entire issue in HIV-positive blood laced ink. 

The Vanguardist’s co-publisher Julian Wiehl explained that the purpose of printing the magazine with HIV-positive blood was to break the stigma that surrounds the disease. He says, “"If you see the magazine ... the first question that comes to your mind is, 'Would I touch it? Would I take it in my hands?' And the second question is, 'Why would I touch it?' or 'Why wouldn't I touch it?'"

Handling the magazine is actually completely harmless, as the blood was autoclaved before printing. The ink was used to highlight the lack of HIV coverage and the fact that the epidemic is still not under control.

The Vangardist publishes 10 digital magazines per year, this being a special edition issue that can be ordered online.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/05/04/this-entire-magazine-is-printed-using-hiv-positive-blood/

[businessofthemagazine]

Smithsonian Announces Magazine Launch

Smithsonian Enterprises announces the launch of their first magazine, highlighting 30 years of cultural travel. The quarterly publication is set to launch April 21, and each issue will feature an assortment of photographs, foods, and customs from a specific location. April’s edition is a spotlight on Paris-- its history and delicious croissants.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, who previously edited National Geographic and US News states, “We’re really combining some qualities of long-form writing with some consumer pieces that are very good with stuff about resources, what to do.” The goal is to create a publication more like a “bookazine” than a disposable magazine-- higher quality pages, longer editorials, and useful information on the city featured.

Each magazine is priced at $13.99, a much more reasonable price than popular quarterly magazines, and the Enterprise aims to distribute around 150,000 copies per quarter.

http://krqe.com/2015/04/12/smithsonian-to-launch-new-magazine-on-cultural-travel/

[businessofthemagazine]

Conde Nast Traveler Offers More

Starting this September, Conde Nast’s Traveler is growing in size-- bigger pages and more of them. The goal is to feel more “first class,” offering readers more space and luxury and exhibiting the rise of boutique publications.

The magazine’s publisher, Bill Wackermann states, “It’s going to feel like the luxury product that it is. What do you get in first class? You get more space.”

In the industry’s current state, readers appear to more inclined to buy a magazine that is high quality, something they can save and reread or even feature on their coffee table. To this Walkman explains that for the new Traveler, “There’s something tactile about it, and there’s something that feels great stocking it in your bookshelves and holding onto it.”

Conde Nast did not announce if this re-vamp will increase the price of Traveler.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/business/media/conde-nast-traveler-magazine-grows-voluptuous-in-lean-times.html?_r=0

[businessofthemagazine]

The end for Loaded Magazine

Loaded Magazine, a monthly magazine launched in 1994, has announced that this April’s issue will be its last.

In 2000, Loaded experienced record sales, with a yearly summary of over 350,000 copies. The internet and digitalized forms of media marked the downfall of Loaded.  In 2011, sales plummeted to only 35,000 copies for the year.

Loaded was a leading magazine for 21 years.

Loaded’s publisher stated, “As of the current April issue, published on March 26th, Loaded will cease to trade as a printed magazine. We would like to pay tribute to our customers, staff and especially our contributors and editorial team”.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/mar/27/loaded-close-21-years-lads-mag

[businessofthemagazine]

Fathers Quarterly: new life for an old niche

Fathers Quarterly is a new magazine published by Warsaw group Golden Brown that offers the sector with a breath of fresh air. The magazine’s founder and creative director, Wojtek Ponikowski, states, "Fathers Q was designed to inspire to fathers all around the world in many ways. We believe the idea of fatherhood is being reinvented all across the globe. It's for men who don't want to get into a single mode of fatherhood." Filled with vivd editorials of fathers at work, with their children, and exploring their surroundings, the magazine is a complete turn around from most other publications in this sector.

Usually GQ is the first exclusively-men’s magazine that comes to one’s mind, and even that ranked #62 on Audit Bureau of Circulation’s Top 100 publications list. The industry is not ignored, per-say, but oversaturated with ab-workouts, sex-tips and irrelevant images of women in bikinis. Once again, I find this lack of success from within the men’s-niche is due to a changed mindset. 

Fathers’ editor Ania Czajkowska states, “Our aim for Fathers is not to be only a magazine, we want to be a platform and marketplace for products dedicated to fathers and children. We also organise events in which we try to encourage fathers to spend precious time with their kids. We observe the reactions, we collect opinions. We know that it is not possible to satisfy all readers. However, we hope we will reach out to those who feel as we do, that being a father, a parent, it’s hard, but an amazing thing.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/relationships/fatherhood/11467134/Fathers-Quarterly-the-mens-magazine-its-OK-to-like.html

[businessofthemagazine]

Independent Publications Thrive in a “Dying Industry”

Printed niche publications such as Cherry Bombe and Hole&Corner are experiencing booming success. According to an independent-magazine subscription service called “Stack,” there was a 78% increase in revenue and a 76% increase amongst subscribers within the independent-magazine sector.

The Telegraph spoke to Sam Walton from Hole&Corner who stated “We felt there was a growing movement for well-crafted products and a holistic lifestyle, but there was nothing out there reflecting the scene in the way we do.” Hole&Corner pinpointed an empty space in the industry and filled it. One may say that its reader-base is narrow, no doubt, but the decline of the industry in general points to the fact that so narrow is the reader-base of gossip and general interest magazines as well. Those who enjoy exploring the topic of fine crafts and luxury products will buy the magazine not only out of interest, but because it is aesthetically and tactilely pleasing.

Perhaps the printed industry is not in as much distress as most people seem to think, and instead, there is simply a shift in readers’ mindset: if you are going to purchase a magazine, let it be one that is acute to your interests and let it be one that is printed on quality paper, allowing it to be revisited as if it were a book-- we can feed our need for fleeting celebrity gossip and beauty tips in a disposable way online.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/media/11478027/Why-a-new-wave-of-independent-magazines-are-thriving.html

[businessofthemagazine]

Stylist Magazine: The Secret to Success

Stylist is a free, hand-distributed fashion and beauty magazine in Paris and nine other French cities. Each week an astonishing number of copies are shared throughout these cities-- over 400,000- meaning over 1.6 million copies are distributed per month. Vogue Paris only distributes around 150,000.

Stylist's 60 page spread features the ads of distinguished brands and stores, articles on both high fashion and affordable labels, and editorials by luxury-level photographers. Sure the magazine is free, but the magazine's director Gwenaelle Thebault states, “Free is not cheap. We use young photographers who work for the luxury fashion magazines and top models. We had to start out at a very high level or it wouldn’t have worked. People would have thought it was trash because it was given out for free in the Métro.”

And after generating around $15 million in 2014, it appears that both readers and advertisers see that this is not a "cheap" publication. Stylist's syndicate director, Pascale Marie, tells the NYT that, “For consumers, the boundaries between free and paying don’t exist.” Stylist manages to unify the accessibility of free online media, the tactile pleasure of reading a magazine, and the actual receiving of it from a human being. And, by doing so, Stylist reaches their specified audience directly and without any effort for the reader. Thinking from an advertiser's perspective, printing in Stylist is an obvious decision-- their campaigns and spreads are falling so gracefully into the hands of the targeted reader.

Stylist is partnered with Marie Claire Group and ShortList Media, and they plan to launch in a new country each year. New York City will experience the effects of this decision starting the first week of April, when over 100,000 copies of TrendingNY, a Hearst publication, will be distributed throughout several NY cities. Last fall Hearst marketed a 4-issue pilot magazine, and according to Michael Clinton, its president marketing and publishing director, “The numbers we saw were off the charts.”

In our modern civilization where even printed material feels outdated, hand-distribution seems ancient and, to some, quite useless. But seeing the success of both Stylist and Heart's test-run of TrendingNY, moving back to the basics may just be the trick to maintaining a stable magazine publication.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/fashion/a-fashion-magazines-successful-business-model-hint-its-free.html?_r=0

[businessofthemagazine]

Uber Launches Quarterly Magazine

In attempt to better connect with its 150,000 riders, Uber has launched a quarterly magazine, Momentum. The magazine will be available in cars throughout five of its locations: Boston, New York City, Chicago, Ohio, Oklahoma and San Francisco.

Momentum will feature a range of articles, from Q&A's with Uber drivers and users to the best restaurants around the city. User's founder Ryan Graves says, "2014 was a monumental year: We expanded to 210 new cities, averaging a new launch every two days. We entered many new international markets and now serve 64 percent of the U.S. population. None of it would have been possible without your partnership."

Magazine off-branches have been a popular trend amongst other rising companies such as AirBnb, which launched a publication called Pineapple for its residents, and the airlines' more recognized but recently bankrupt Skymall. Graves and Uber's PR leaders recognize the availability of other cab services and are driven to establish a sense of differentiation and customer service within their own. Although a customized quarterly magazine is both an unexpected and simple offering, it gives users another form of connection to the company.

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-launches-momentum-magazine-2015-3

[businessofthemagazine]

Yahoo TV Converting to Digital Magazine Platform

Yahoo TV's news and review section has recently converted to a Tumblr-style, digital magazine format. In preparation for this change, Yahoo executives took advantage of the layoffs at Time Inc. (due to the layoffs at Entertainment Weekly), scouting for new talent within this recently unemployed body of editorial staffers.

Kristen Baldwin, Yahoo TV's editor-in-chief stated, "We have a great team for Yahoo TV, and now our news and reviews will be on this more visually pleasing platform that the other magazines are on."

The website is now more image-heavy and aesthetically pleasing, yet some may find it a bit unnecessary. There is an obvious shift from a straightforward delivery of news to read-this-article-because-of-its-photo. The format of the website is very reminiscent of a Tumblr photo blog.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/technology/technology_news/2015/03/yahoo_tv_converts_to_tumblr_based_digital_magazine

[businessofthemagazine]

WSJ Interviews Joe Ripp

The Washington Square Journal recently interviewed Time Inc.'s CEO, Joe Ripp to find out what was next for the world's largest magazine company.

Ripp's main argument was that the magazine industry is weakening- there is not a decline in readers, but readers are turning to different platforms to receive information. To this challenge, he asks, "So we’ve been looking at all of our properties, at our websites, our mobile platforms, and saying, how can we help our audiences engage with us in the way they want? Digital video is a key component, and you’re seeing a lot more from us. Our overall digital traffic is up dramatically over where we were last year, and we now reach nearly 100 million unique [users] a month."

So although less of Time Inc.'s printed publications are being bought, there seems to be no risk at hand-- they have a loyal body of readers who are simply keeping up with our modern age.

The article shared this series of charts above, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal, exhibiting advertising/circulation and revenue statistics for magazines in the US and for Time Inc. specifically. In terms of advertising, Ripp states that he is expecting print advertising to be at a slow, steady decline, and instead it will be strong in the digital realm.

The interviewer asked an interesting question regarding TV specials and paid conferences as a source of revenue for magazines. Ripp explained how revenue can definitely be generated outside of print, for example The Essence music festival makes more money than the magazine.

At this point in time I agree with Ripp and think that he is taking the correct approach in order to give Time Inc. a well rounded future. The magazine industry needs to expand and reach many aspects of the industry (including digital and these external events) in order to have a lasting business.

[businessofthemagazine]

New York Times Magazine Relaunch

New York Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Jake Silverstein published an article online discussing the relaunch of the Times' printed issue.

Silverstein stated, 'This magazine is 119 years old; nearly four million people read it in print every weekend. It did not need to be dismantled, sawed into pieces or drilled full of holes. Instead, we have set out to honor the shape of the magazine as it has been, while creating something that will, we hope, strike you as a version you have never read before.'

Has readership bet at a decline? Silverstein appears to be offering this relaunch with a "spring-clean-up" approach rather than one of "we-seriously-need-to-change-our-business-strategy." But it seems the latter may be the more dominant vision, as the editor-in-chief continues on to say that this Sunday's issue had more advertisements than any printed issue since 2007. I hate to say it, but it seems a bit desperate. This fact, no matter how casually put, weighs more heavily than any other "relaunch" aspects that the NYT is celebrating-- new typeface, edited logo, a weekly poem section, a Letter of Recommendation column... These are a nice distraction from the excess of advertising, and the underlying business issues that the company is implicitly experiencing.

My hypothesis may be completely off, and I'm beginning to think so after Silverstein states his team will launch NYTM online: "Starting this week, our website will feature regular online-only writing and photography. We admit it: We’re late to this party. But we plan on making up for lost time." Has New York Times Magazine really not had an online platform after all these years? Perhaps they are, in fact, innocently and desperately in need of a relaunch.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/22/magazine/behind-the-relaunch-of-the-new-york-times-magazine-by-jake-silverstein.html?_r=0

[businessofthemagazine]

7x7 Magazine Announces Last Printed Issue

Arts, culture, food, and fashion magazine 7x7 based out of San Francisco announces that their March issue will be their last printed edition.

For the last 13 years, 7x7 has printed 10 issues a year, but its online growth has overpowered its print audience. President and editor in chief Chloe Harris Hennen says, “I have loved every last hectic moment of publishing 7x7 these past 13 years, but just as our editorial mission has always been to report on and celebrate what’s new and innovative, we must also look forward at the business level. Print is our legacy and has been crucial to building the 7x7 brand. But our future is online.”

Eliminating this sector of the business implies layoffs, and further proves the state of the print industry.

http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/7x7-Magazine-to-cease-print-operations-focus-on-6086103.php

[businessofthemagazine]

People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly Merging Staff

Sometime in the next few weeks, People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly will begin to merge staffs, leaving US Weekly the last remaining publication in the celebrity weekly category with its own dedicated team.

Time Inc. CEO Joe Ripp reassures readers that this merge will not influence the content of the magazines-- the will "share more resources and (work) closely together," but, "will continue to be two very distinct titles with unique content and audiences." The merge includes both the print and digital staff.

Since breaking away from Time Warner in 2014, Time Inc. has done some major restructuring-- around 30 staffers total were let go from People and EW since 2008. Perhaps this merge appears as the next needed step.

After taking the bullet and uniting staffs, both publications seem to be implying a sense of financial anguish or even a need for internal innovation. The pressure is now on for US Weekly to carryout the celebrity weekly category, while Entertainment Weekly and People Magazine are faced with the challenge of maintaining their own identity with an overlapping writers, producers, creative directors, and researchers. Ripp claims that this collaboration will allow for each publication to thrive in their unique ways, but it is difficult to undermine the more obvious reasons for such a merge-- a decline in business, advertisers, and ultimately its audience.

[businessofthemagazine]

Lucky Magazine Lay-offs

Lucky Magazine axed 12 (sources say closer to 15) staffers last Thursday as an attempt to so some "readjusting on the editorial side," says President Gillian Gorman Round.

Lucky Magazine had a booming audience upon its launch in 2000, but experienced a decline due to online-retailing-- the magazine focuses on presenting apparel items and beauty products, but the internet soon took over this showcasing. The magazine was revamped in May of 2013 by its Editor-in-Chief, Brandon Holley, and Conde Nast's artistic director Anna Wintour in attempt to give it a more modern and sophisticated look. Without much avail, Wintour granted Eva Chen the role of Editor in 2013 who has since been conjuring up an e-commerce strategy to revive the life of the publication.

The internet and digital media pose not major threats to the success of print magazines, but push these companies to explore new platforms and expand their accessibility in order to keep up with the modern world. Almost at a point of desperation, Chen is turning to the source of the magazines downfall-- e-commerce-- to reintroduce and validate Lucky Magazine. It seems that if print magazines, in this day and age, have any desire to last, they must be ahead of all other forms of competition. They must have an e-commerce strategy before e-commerce takes them down, they must be accessible on all digital platforms before readers turn to another company, simply because they are doing what another is not.

Lucky's president did not state if these layoffs were an act of financial profit, but did claim that the magazine is not struggling in this department.