The first quarter of 2012 was indeed a busy one in terms of the introduction of new magazines, specials and book-a-zine. Approximately one quarter of the 192 new magazines launched had a frequency of at least quarterly or more.
These numbers are indeed better than those of the first quarter of 2011. There were four more magazine launches than the 188 new consumer magazine titles that appeared on the nation’s newsstands in the first quarter of 2011, and a total of 41 regularly published magazines making it two more than the 39 titles of the same period of 2011.
Publishing is believing, and believing is seeing… so, don’t take my word for it. Just check all the titles yourself on the Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor. The Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor has the cover images of each and every one of those 192 new magazines. Click here to see all the magazines.
Magazine media publishing today is more complicated than ever. The options are unlimited and the choices are endless. The world of technology has added more possibilities to the world of publishing, whether ink on paper or pixels on a screen. The latest count of the number of Apps available for the general public is over one billion… yes, you’ve read that right: 1,000,000,000 Apps. And the number of magazines available for the general public is over ten thousand… yes: 10,000 magazines.
So, what’s one to do with an idea for a new publication or an App in this media jungle world? I have been thinking about this topic lately, and the one major thing that keeps popping in my head is the fact that, in the midst of this ocean of publication and Apps, one thing seems to be missing from most of the discussions regarding new magazine media launches: common sense. We have become so blinded by all the wizardry that technology can do that we have fallen in love with the technology and left the customers (whether they are readers, users, viewers or listeners) behind. In addition to the customers, I’ve noticed that we’ve left the experience that our content creates behind as well. So, to help those who ask, and those who are lost in the technology jungle who have no time to ask, here are my five pure “common sense” pieces of advice to help you plan and execute your next great magazine or App ever created:
1. Focus on the Customer first: No matter how great your idea is, ideas don’t live in a vacuum. You need to find other folks, a lot of folks, who share the interest, the need, the want, the lust (you get my drift) for that idea. Identify and define that customer. Learn anything and everything you can about them. Before you even test the validity of your idea, find the customers.
2. Check your Idea: People who tell me that they have a novel idea are immediately told that there is a good reason for that: someone else has tried this idea and it never worked. Of course, there is a very slim chance, less than .01%, that you are a genius and yes, your idea will bring in millions upon millions of dollars, but remember the odds are, with all due respect, that you are not a genius. Ask yourself whether your idea is based on content or on experience. Remember the best ideas are those that create a great experience for the customers. You can’t afford to be just a content provider anymore, you have to be an experience maker.
3. Study the Competition: Once you are sure of your idea, start looking at what is out there (while remembering that there are a billion Apps and ten thousand magazines). Write down what the strengths and weaknesses of the competition are. Study and analyze the competition. As long as you know that there is nothing unique anymore, find out how can you be “Better and Different”. The B and D factor is going to be essential for your success in the future.
4. Dig in for the Money, but Don’t Quit your Day Job: No matter what your idea is, you will need lots and lots of money to execute the idea. Write a budget and quadruple it. Then and only then will you be able to be close to what the execution of your idea is going to cost. If that number is scary, rest assured, it is only the beginning. You are better off quitting here and shelving your idea if you do not have easy access to that money. Keep in mind, that no matter what you do, if you’re that individual entrepreneur who is hoping to make it big in the marketplace with this idea, do not quit your day job. Ideas come by the dozen and they are worth a dime. It is the execution of the idea that counts. That execution, with no exception, is very costly.
5. Follow your Guts (after you take steps 1 through 4): No matter what type of idea or plan you have so far, folks are going to tell YOU, “this idea will never work.” However, keep in mind that folks said that about some great ideas that were successful and conquered the world. There is not a single amount of statistics nor formulas that you can use or apply that will give you the assurance you will need to achieve success. At the end of the day, it is your gut feeling that will give you that final approval to go ahead with your idea. Not the numbers, not the formulas, and above all not the consultants (me included)… It is you and only you who will give yourself the green light to proceed. So, are you ready?
I know exactly what you are thinking now. You are telling yourself this is just common sense. I know, isn’t that the title of this piece: the five “common sense” strategies for success? The biggest problem we have in the magazine media industry today is the lack of common sense. We have driven that car called common sense and parked it in a garage, five floors below, and, guess what, we left the keys in the car. Go figure?!
The Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor recorded 55 new publications launched for the first time in Jan. 2012. For a complete list, images and details check the Mr. Magazine™ Launch Monitor here.
Vicki Wellington does not have to twitch her nose to bewitch you. The publisher of the Food Network Magazine, for whom Darren/Larry and the men at the ad agency from Bewitched were her “role model” growing up, is flying high with the most successful and hottest new magazine since 2009. Unlike Samantha, Wellington does not need a flying broom or a magic carpet to engage her customers with the hottest magazine on the marketplace today. All she needs is to feed the addiction of the American public to “food” and “celebrities.” Add a dash of pixels on a screen (make that a lot of screens) and a pinch of ink on paper (make that a lot of papers) and the result will be the Food Network Magazine –– led by the hottest, passionate and energetic magazine top chef Vicki Wellington.
The smile never departs from Vicki’s face. You could feel the vibrating energy radiating from her every time she mentions the magazine, the Food Network, the customers, the advertisers, the company and above all “her lean and very able staff.” To say she loves her job will be an understatement. She is as affectionate talking about the magazine and her job as her customers are affectionate about the magazine and the network behind it. It is a story of success second to none in today’s magazine world. It is a hot, hot, hot magazine and, of course, magazine publisher.
Watch below my interview with Vicki Wellington, publisher of the Food Network Magazine, followed by the sounds-bites of the interview and then read the entire (lightly edited) transcript of the interview.
The Sound-bites:
On the secret of Food Network Magazine success: An amazing brand, a super, powerful surround sound position in the market, and a beautifully translated magazine in print, great photography, great design.
It’s big, it’s growing, and we’re reaching the right types of people with the right kind of edit.
The minute it came out on the newsstand, as you know, it flew off the newsstand.
Food is on fire. So in our country, people who don’t even like to cook love Food Network.
On the expanding of the Food Network Magazine brand:
We’re creating a mini magazine called Food Network Magazine for Kids and it will run in our September back-to-school issue.
We’re creating in the May issue Food Network Magazine Travel, all edited through the eyes of our celebrity chefs.
On Vicki Wellington: I’m pretty happy here. It’s a pretty happy place. We have a great brand, we’re on fire; we really are.
On what keeps her up at night: Not having enough hours in the day.
And now, for the lightly edited transcript of the Mr. Magazine™ Interviews with Vicki Wellington, publisher of the Food Network Magazine.
Samir Husni: The Food Network Magazine has been one of few success stories we’ve seen in the last few years. What do you attribute that to?
Vicki Wellington: An amazing brand, a super, powerful surround sound position in the market and, as we just talked about, a beautifully translated magazine in print, great photography, great design. Food Network, as I said, has power on its own, plus the entertainment piece of it is absolutely non-stoppable. It’s a consumer favorite and that’s the lead point on all of it.
Samir Husni: But folks may say, ‘Oh this is just a fad. A year or two from now, people will be watching something else…people will be reading something else…’
Vicki Wellington: I don’t think so. I think that twenty years ago you didn’t even have a celebrity chef, now Food Network literally as a brand has created all these personalities. There’s young, there’s old, there’s someone for everyone. And as you know, we’ve had the TV for many, many years and we’ve got digital for many, many years, both very successful in their own right and we have many other pieces of the brand that surround sound a consumer, but consumers said they wanted this magazine. The minute it came out on the newsstand, as you know, it flew off the newsstand. We hit a million in circulation literally in 4 issues, which, as you know, is unheard of. Right now today, we’re at about 1.58 million over delivering, since we started, over 7 million readers. So I think this is the real deal.
Samir Husni: And you know your critics will say, ‘Well, you know, it’s because of the television the magazine is succeeding.’ Yet Hearst has ventured before into this area and published a magazine called Lifetime, which did not last long.
Vicki Wellington: I wasn’t here for that. That was obviously a whole different entity. I think for us, all of the stars are aligned here. Food is on fire. So in our country, people who don’t even like to cook love Food Network. I think again, this brand has something very special about it, and as we discussed, the interpretation of the brand. I think this is, obviously, a very different proposition. And from what I’m seeing, I think I told you, our Jan-Feb issue just did terrific on newsstand, and that’s not usually one of our biggest selling issues. The content, as you know, is completely integrated, 360, and of course, we do the same for advertising, there’s not a lot of brands, I don’t think there’s any, other than maybe one other, that can actually deliver that.
Samir Husni: Rumor has it that you’re expanding the brand; you’re bringing up a kids magazine, a travel magazine…
Vicki Wellington: Yes, yes, you’re very good with your rumors. I don’t know where you learned these things from, but we’re doing Food Network Magazine for kids, which is very exciting. I think I mentioned that literally over 12 million kids are watching Food Network programming, which is a huge amount. And we get letters all the time from women who read the magazine, we actually have more women readers than Real Simple has women readers and they’re cooking with their kids every single month. So we’re literally creating a mini magazine called Food Network Magazine for Kids and that will run in our September back-to-school issue and the consumers are really excited about it.
Samir Husni: And what about the travel magazine?
Vicki Wellington: Travel, another thing. When you go on vacation, I don’t know how the food is in Lebanon, I bet it’s good, but when people travel, it’s food-focused. If you go to Italy, it’s about the food. And so what our editors are doing, are creating in the May issue, Food Network Magazine Travel, all edited through the eyes of our celebrity chefs. So you’ll see Guy’s favorite…let’s say, breakfast haunt in San Francisco and where he recommends going and the hotel that he would recommend staying in, so it’ll be a lot of fun, it’ll be exciting and again, all edited through all of the various chefs eyes.
Samir Husni: Any downfalls? I mean, it sounds like one big success story after another.
Vicki Wellington: I’m pretty happy here. It’s a pretty happy place. We have a great brand, we’re on fire; we really are.
Samir Husni: So what keeps Vicki up at night?
Vicki Wellington: You always ask me that question. Honestly, and you laughed the last time I answered it, but it’s the truth; not having enough hours in the day. And that really is the truth. I wish there were more hours; we could be doing more work. You see what we put out, with a pretty lean team every single month. And we’re proud of all of it. But there’s not a lot to worry about, we’re excited. It’s big, it’s growing, and we’re reaching the right types of people with the right kind of edit. So it’s all good.
The Magazine Innovation Center at The University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism hosted the ACT 2 Experience last October. We asked 17 media experts who attended the ACT2 Experience their opinions about the future of the printed word in a digital age. Click on the link above to watch and listen to the experts’ answer to the question “What advice you will give someone who wants to start a magazine today?”
The experts are, in order of their appearances:
1. Sid Evans, Group Editor
Time Inc., Lifestyle Division
2. Bob Sacks, President
Precision Media Group
3. Vito Di Bari
Innovation Designer and Futurologist
4. Mark Pasetsky, Founder
Cover Awards
5. Phyllis Hoffman DePiano, CEO
Hoffman Media
6. Roy Reiman, Founder
Reiman Publications
7. David McDonald, CEO
True North Custom Media
8. Will Pearson, President
Mental Floss Inc.
9. Jeremy Leslie
Editorial Designer & Founder
magCulture.com
10. Sue Roman, President
The Taunton Press
11. James Elliott, President
The James G. Elliott Co., Inc.
12. John Harrington, Partner
Harrington Associates
13. Franska Stuy, Editor in Chief
Libelle
14. Frank Anton, CEO
Hanley-Wood
15. Scott Crystal, Former President
TV Guide
16. Steven Kotok, President
The Week, Felix Dennis Publications
17. Kent S. Johnson, CEO
Highlights For Children Inc.
Thanks are in order for all the experts and the journalism students at The University of Mississippi’s 2011-2012 magazine class who recorded the interviews.
When I select a magazine as a hot launch, it’s more of a status symbol or medal-of honor to celebrate that moment when all the DNA for a magazine comes to fruition.
It’s in the conception where a hot launch plays a big role. It’s the vision, values and voice of those magazines that deserve the honors and awards. From a field of over 800 new consumer titles, I looked over every magazine that has been published from October 2010 to September 2011 and went through a process similar to the creation of cream from a vat to whole vitamin A and D added milk.
—Dr. Samir Husni, Founder and Director, Magazine Innovation Center @ The University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media
“The magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle” and outlet for all the creative juices flowing from Leslie Colin Jones, the founder and creator of Elsie magazine. An ink on paper magazine where no two copies of the same issue are the same. Limited edition premieres, each one comes with its own serial number together with different cover designs and inserts. While the magazine is printed via the traditional litho method, it is still a true testament to what print, traditional and digital can do for you in this day and age.
Fueled by passion and energized by creativity, Elsie, the magazine, led me to get in touch with its founder to find out the origins of this new venture and the man behind the magazine. In typical Mr. Magazine™ Interviews, here are first the sound-bites followed by the complete interview with Mr. Jones.
The Sound-bites
On the outlet for work as a designer and photographer: The magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle for presenting the results to the outside world
On the reason for the magazine: My work is produced for the sheer joy of being creative
On the role of the magazine: I see Elsie as a vehicle to take me places and people that I would not ordinarily visit or meet.
On the future of print and digital: The emergence of digital print and online printing services has in a way democratized print
On what makes him tick and click daily: The great buzz of excitement that you get when the creative juices are flowing freely!
And now for the full interview with Leslie Colin Jones:
SH: You say Elsie is a one man’s creation, tell me about the conception and creation of Elsie.
LJ: As a designer and photographer I produce a lot of self initiated work. This portfolio of work has been building over the past few years and I wanted to create something that would be an outlet for this work but also a catalyst to new projects and interactions.
A lot of the work I do is based around themed briefs and the magazine format felt like the perfect vehicle for presenting the results to the outside world and also engaging people in the development of future content.
SH: Who is Elsie?
LJ: Elsie isn’t a real person. I chose the name for two reasons – firstly, I wanted a name that wasn’t in any way pretentious. My work is produced for the sheer joy of being creative – so I wanted a name that didn’t aspire to grander things. The reason I settled on Elsie, is because the initials of my first and middle names are L C (Leslie Colin) – and there it was!
SH: What is the vision and mission of Elsie?
LJ: Elsie the magazine is the first step towards a bigger vision. In the new year, I will be taking the magazine on the road with a series of live events. The live events will be interactive and members of the audience will be engaged in creating content for future issues of Elsie. There will also, hopefully, be exhibitions linked into the mag. I see Elsie as a vehicle to take me places and people that I would not ordinarily visit or meet. Ultimately, it’s all about creative expression and having fun.
SH: Is this the future of print (specialized, niche, limited editions, etc) or there is room for both big and small printed publications?
LJ: I think there’s room for both. The emergence of digital print and online printing services has in a way democratized print – making it available to the masses. There really no reason why anyone with the desire to express themselves in print should not do so. However, these small run exercises are unlikely to be profitable and people should be aware of this from the outset. As such, there will always be a market for the larger publications driven by higher circulations, wider distribution and advertising revenue.
SH: There is a lot of interactivity on the pages of Elsie, each cover is different, each page three is handwritten, post cards, surprise images, etc… What is the purpose of creating a magazine to the nth degree of interactivity?
LJ: For me, it’s about creating something unique and lasting. Many magazines are bought, read and then disposed of. I want Elsie to be something that people want to treasure and keep. The customization makes each copy personal to the buyer. They have something that no-one else has…which hopefully, makes the magazine feel special.
SH: What is the future of Elsie?
LJ: As mentioned above…Elsie will move into live events. I’m already planning the next issue, which will take the magazine to the next level, both in terms of content, volume and customization…so watch this space.
SH: What makes Les tick and click every morning? What is the energy behind the motivation to create an ink on paper magazine in this digital age?
LJ: Online stuff is great, but it’s transient. Print has longevity, it’s tactile – it’s not just about reading it’s also about holding, touching, displaying and storing. It’s permanence creates a different dynamic in the creative and design process – what’s committed to paper cannot be changed by the click of a mouse. I’ve just passed my 52nd birthday, but I actually feel like I’ve just got to the starting line – I’m excited about where Elsie might take me, and I’m looking forward to producing work that will stretch me and take me into new areas.
That’s what drives me…that, and the great buzz of excitement that you get when the creative juices are flowing freely!
From Amsterdam to Baku, from New York City to the Holy City of TSFAT, from London to Northampton and San Francisco seven new magazines and seven new reasons were added to the thousands other reasons that made me fall in love with those ink on paper magazines in the first place. Every time I discover a new magazine, I fall in love again and again. Magazines were, are and will continue to be my first and last love and those seven new ones from across the globe are nothing but yet another testament of my love affair with those ink on paper creatures…
Sharing the love are Vega magazine from The Netherlands, Baku. magazine from Azerbaijan, Sheer from the United Kingdom, Tzakkik magazine from Israel, and Style.com/Print, Auto Cult and Disney Family Fun Kids from the United States of America.
Vega, the magazine of Food, Fair and Future is, as the name suggests, a magazine for all things vegetarian. This new Dutch magazine, launched earlier this month with 148 beautiful and meat-free pages, quotes actress Natalie Portman, “I’m a strict vegetarian… I just really, really love animals and I act on my values. I’m really against cruelty to animals.”
Baku.: Art.Culture.Azerbaijan is a Condé Nast publication that celebrates all the aforementioned “on the edge of the Caspian Sea.” Leyla Aliyeva, Baku.’s editor-in-chief, writes in the premiere issue, which launched on the 20th anniversary of Azerbaijan’s independence, “Welcome to the first issue of Baku.the new international arts and culture magazine. Baku. Azerbaijan, is one of the world great cities – a place that combines the historic and the ultra contemporary, plus so much more.”
Sheer, the magazine that combines Fashion, Photography, Art & Culture, aims to “showcase young and new talent, through high fashion editorial, focusing on photography, art and culture.” Daniel Neale is the magazine editor who launched the magazine online in October 2010. He writes in the debut issue of Sheer, “In our first month the issue had reached over half a million views, and it was from that point, that I started to work on establishing my dream of launching a print version of Sheer.” Well, the dream is now a reality.
Tzaddik, the Healthy Jewish Living For Body and Soul, offers “Streamlined Kabbalah from the Holy City of TSFAT” and as its editor in chief Sharon Marson writes, “The magazine’s cornerstone message communicates, that we “reach for righteousness.” She adds, “Welcome to the release of the first issue. Welcome to what is possible. Welcome to the dream.”
Style.com/Print magazine is the latest website finding its way to print. The twice annual publication’s first issue comes in a luxurious over-sized 216 pages and is lead by editor in chief Dirk Standen’s report from New York, London, Milan and Paris. “Style.com and now Style.com/Print,” writes Standen in the premiere Spring 2012 issue, “live to celebrate fashion.” The magazine promises to deliver “two semi-annual issues of Style.com/Print right off the Fashion Week runways…” Another pixels on a screen discovering the power of ink on paper. Welcome aboard.
Autocult, the occidental lodge of underground motoring, arrives with a hefty priced premiere issue of $12.00. The magazine “pretty much embodies the cult of the automobile.” The editor’s mantra regarding magazine publishing should be a mantra to everyone thinking of launching a new magazine in this day and age. Dan Stoner writes, “If your magazine can be replaced with a website, it should be. And what kind of lessons can be learned from that? Well, it all boils down to making something that provides a memorable experience and moves the quality-of-life needle a skosh toward the ‘+’ end.” The editor continues, “If I make a magazine that you like to hold in your hands, that has a little weight to it, that you want to collect and couldn’t imagine just throwing out after a week, shows you things you never knew about before and does it in a way that inspires you to start a new project of your own, well, then I think that’s the kind of magazine that’ll stand the test of time. And the test of ever-changing new media that likes to feed on the weaker magazines.” All what I can add to his words is AMEN!
Disney Family Fun Kids, fun things to make and do. The new magazine from the folks at Disney’s Family Fun have packed every page of the new bimonthly “with fun stuff to do, like cutting out funny mustaches… making our own paper beads… and building can robots…” Jon Adolph and Moria Greto, the magazine’s editor and art director respectively write in the first issue, “We want this magazine to inspire kids to make and do things on their own. Still, some projects may require a little help from a grown-up.” Can’t be more interactive than that!
Every new day brings a new love or two or three. So, what are you waiting for? Sitting in front of your computer or tablet will never put a magazine in your hands and help you fall in love. Digital is fantastic and great, but a magazine IT IS NOT. So, get up, get out, visit a newsstand and buy a magazine or two and start falling in love. Don’t take my word for it… try it yourself, you will love it. Guaranteed.
Still looking for another reason to believe in print? You do not have to wait for Santa. Just check the latest announcement from the National Football League (NFL). The NFL is launching a new magazine in print and the first collector’s edition issue is hitting the newsstands in December, “just in time for the holidays.”
The amazing thing about the official NFL magazine is the subscription campaign the NFL is running on the magazine’s website. Plenty of comparisons to social media and the web, and not the highly complementary comparisons. Some of such comparisons:
“NFL Magazine covers the game with insight no tweet, click, or post can match.”
“NFL Magazine will tell you in ways you haven’t seen in a post or in a tweet.”
“We’ve got insider perspective. In-depth coverage from contributors who know every inch of the league.”
The ink on paper magazine will make its debut on December 13 and will publish monthly at the rate of $19.90 for 12 issues. By the way, subscriptions to the official magazine of the NFL includes a free subscription to the its digital issues. Check the latest on the NFL official magazine here.
This one is for the record books. At least 107 new titles arrived to the nation’s newsstands for the first time during the month of October. It has been a long long time since the number of new magazines arriving to the newsstands exceeded the 100 mark.
There were a lot of specials, a lot of book-a-zines and a lot of titles hoping to publish four times or more. In fact 24 titles from the 107 were launched with the hope that they will publish at least four times a year.
Feast your eye with a selection of the new October magazines, and remind yourself when you hear that newsstands’ sales are down, the magazine industry is in trouble, the marketplace is shrinking and we are surrounded by doom and gloom, remind yourself that there are still some brave souls out there who are still willing to take a gamble on launching a new magazine, an ink on paper magazine.
Rather than cursing the marketplace, light a candle and visit a newsstand near you. You will be surprised with what you will see. Go and judge for yourself, you do not have to take my word for it. Just see what the folks who produced these 107 new titles have to say about the magazine industry, whether their magazines are specials, one shots or 12 times a year. They are all out there and I have bought each and every one of them.
Mr. Magazine 