Fresh crop of magazine launches points to an evolving industry
The magazine industry has faced its fair share of hardships in recent years, reports Publishing Executive. The demise of Source Interlink has left newsstand inventory sparse and publishers reeling. The monetisation of digital content remains enduringly elusive. And all we hear is that mobile, mobile, mobile is the future.
Yet we continue to see new magazines emerge and existing magazines revamped. Are these anomalies? Hardly. New titles are evidence of cultural trends bubbling up to the surface and making a true mark on our times. It tells the world, “This is important (and I can gather enough eyeballs talking about it to make some cash.)”
Publishing Executive caught up with some of the most exciting new titles of the year, including print re-launches, digital brands re-envisioned in print, and brand-spanking-new titles. Individually and collectively these titles tell us a lot about an industry in flux and what it takes to thrive these days. All have a dedication to craftsmanship (from the quality of writing to the colourful imagery within the pages to the very pages they’re printed on), have found tremendous success connecting with their audiences, and understand the importance of creating buzz.
Some other common threads that emerge are the importance and power of hearty audience databases and the prerequisite to launch a magazine with multiple revenue streams – webinars, events, ecommerce – if not in place, at least in mind. Below publishers share the strategy behind their new titles and the secret to their rapid rise amid an industry in transition.
