Interweave Merges Beading Magazines

Interweave, a unit of Loveland, Colorado-based Aspire Media, has decided to merge two of its bead crafter and jewelry-making enthusiast magazines.

Step by Step Beads, a bimonthly title Interweave acquired from Primedia’s GEMS Group in 2006, will be merged with Beadwork, another bimonthly title Interweave launched in 1998. The January/February issue of Step by Step Beads will be its last.

According to Interweave’s art, jewelry and yarn division vice president and publisher David Pyle, it “has become plain that the market and our readers will be better served through a merger. This move lessens the competitive pressure upon our other beading and jewelry titles, offers greater efficiencies across the market and within our internal operations, and should offer a boost to Beadwork in circulation and advertising reach.”

Step by Step Beads’ total paid circulation (subscriptions and newsstand) is 26,676. Beadwork’s total paid circulation is 56,526. It was not immediately clear exactly how much Beadwork’s circulation would increase as a result of the merger, an Interweave spokesperson told FOLIO:.

Jane Dickerson, editor of Step by Step Beads, will remain with Interweave as a contributing editor to Step by Step Wire Jewelry magazine. Leslie Rogalski, who Dickerson succeeded as editor, will take on the role of online editor for Beading Daily.

Melinda Barta will continue to serve as editor of Beadwork.

No layoffs were associated with the merger as most of the staff “work on multiple publications in the category,” the spokesperson said. In addition to Beadwork and Step by Step Wire Jewelry, Interweave publishes Stringing, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist and Colored Stone, as well as several special-issue newsstand-only publications such as Handcrafted Jewelry, Bead Star and Creative Jewelry.

Post Comment / Discuss This Story - Info/Rules