FOLIO: Personalities -- The Blog People Page

Some good news from the ailing music magazine industry: No Depression, the Seattle-based alternative country music publication that folded earlier this year due to declining advertising revenue, will relaunch as what the publishers call a “bookazine”—a large format paperback book featuring long form music journalism.

With a cover price of $20, No Depression will be published twice per year without any advertising, according to a story on North Carolina’s News and Observer Web site. It will be produced as part of a collaboration with the University of Texas Pres More...

It’s another bleak day on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrials tumbled more than 700 points, slipping below 10,000 for the first time in four years. Analysts are worried the $700 billion bailout package approved by the House and Senate last week might not provide the immediate reprieve consumers had hoped for.

Not to fear. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has announced … the Your Money Bus Tour, a 52-week road trip during which financial advisors will offer free advice to consumers across the country “to show Americans that they can take control of their finances More...

Even as the Senate approved the revised economic bailout package and hopes were high for a quick passage through the House, more bad economic news trickled out: U.S. auto sales dropped 26.6 percent in September over the same period last year—a 15-month low.

According to custom automotive statistical data provider Autodata Corp., there were 964,873 new car sales in September, down from 1.31 million last September. Year-to-date, auto sales are down nearly 13 percent from last year.

Consume More...

It looked like the U.S. financial markets were on the rebound Tuesday afternoon with the Dow Jones industrial average jumping nearly 400 points on expectations that Washington would rework a $700 billion Wall Street rescue plan. The rebound comes a day after the Dow plunged nearly 800 points on Monday—the largest one-day point drop in its history (it was down 7 percent, the lowest close in about three years).

While some magazine stocks have weathered the economic rollercoaster so far (publishers like Me More...

After less than a year in print, Jewish Living magazine has suspended publication, becoming the latest victim of the failing financial market. The magazine published just five issues.

In a letter to subscribers posted on its Web site, Jewish Living publisher Dan Zimmerman says that although the bi-monthly had attracted a significant subscriber base and committed advertisers, “it has become increasingly difficult to ensure sustainable funding” in the current condition of the economy.

Prior to its debut, Zimmerman told More...

CHICAGO—Relating two things he knows well, Backpacker publisher Kent Ebersole says selling print advertising in 2008 is like climbing a mountain. During a morning FOLIO: Show session here, Ebersole said he often takes potential clients climbing (of course) to help seal the deal.

“Up 13,000 feet on a mountain, with the air thin—it gets pretty hairy,” he said. “Actually, though, it’s a lot like making a sale.”

Mountain climbers need to think clearly and “know your brand awareness,” Ebersole said. “You have to know your strengths and weaknesses. You need to have clear and concise communications. It’s the same More...

For FOLIO:’s September issue, the edit team here did a feature story called Go Your Own Way: Editors Turn Entrepreneurs. We spoke to three traditional print editors who went out on their own to launch their own online startup. They all had some great insight and advice to others who might, someday, do the same.

One we didn’t profile, Harry McCracken—who stepped down as PC World editor in May to launch technology news site Technologizer.com—wrote a More...

RELATED POST: Will Esquire's Cover Really 'Revolutionize' the Way We Read Magazines?

Esquire celebrated its 75th anniversary last night with a swanky party at New York City’s Gotham Hall, with some 600 partygoers turning out—including Bill Murray, Lebron James and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales—enjoying the open bar (there were five bars, actually, arranged by type of alcohol) and quite possibly the best food of any maga More...

Truly revolutionary. A breakthrough issue. Historic. A game-changer. A milestone in the publishing industry.

That's how a gushing vice president and publisher Kevin O'Malley described Esquire's much-hyped 75th anniversary issue cover—the first to use flexible electronic "paper"—during a press conference in New York City Monday.

Editor-in-chief David Granger—a frequent proponent of innovation—called the issue "a beginning."

"As Esquire does this again, and as more Hearst magazines get into the act, I think the More...

Us Weekly’s Sarah Palin “Babies, Lies and Scandal” cover—as timely as it may have been—appears to have backfired.

As many as 10,000 people are said to have cancelled their subscriptions to the Wenner Media title last week after the issue hit newsstands, according to a report on MSNBC.com that cites a “well-placed” industry source. Some of those who supposedly called in their cancellations did so before even receiving their copy in the mail, the report said.

A Wenner spokesperson did not return a FOLIO: request for confirmation and/or comment.

If ther More...

During a recent FOLIO: magazine finance Webinar, DeSilva + Phillips managing partner Reed Phillips said that he remains concerned about the credit market and doesn't see leverage multiples for debt financing improving over the next several months.

"There are far fewer lending sources that are active now than there were a year ago," Phillips said. "That means, in terms of supply and demand, they can charge more and they can be tougher on terms. A year ago, borrowers were really in control and could dictate terms and it really got out of hand. Now, it's completely rever More...

Are better times coming for boating magazines?

Citing the latest report from marine, manufactured housing, and RV industry market data firm Statistical Surveys, boating trade publication Soundings Trade Only says the intense decline in boat sales may be slowing.

"Declines in every segment are slowing compared to the activity recorded in June," Statistical Surveys national marine sales manager Aarn Rosen reportedly said in a statement. The report is based on registration data from 26 states, or about 60 percent of the U. More...