FOLIO: Section Blogs by City and Regionals

UPDATE: Feeling the Pinch, Garden & Gun Skips an Issue

Jason Fell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:20:21 -0500

It’s been a whirlwind year for high-end Southern lifestyle magazine Garden & Gun. In January, rumors swirled that it was on course to run out of money and go out of business. Less than two months later, the magazine was acquired by Indigo Acquisition LLC, a company co-created by publisher Rebecca Darwin—effectively tossing the title a lifeline saving it from going out of business.

So why haven’t readers received their October/November issue? It was due out in mid-October and—nada. In an e-mail sent to readers Thursday, Darwin explained what happened:

To help shore up our business for 2010 and beyond, we recently made the difficult decision to skip our October/November issue. This was a painful thing for the G&G team, and we hate to disappoint you, our loyal subscribers. However, please rest assured that you will receive the full number of copies you ordered when you subscribed or joined one of our club levels. (We will handle that for you, so no need to call our customer service.) And know this: We will never compromise on the quality of the writing, the photography, or the beautiful paper that Garden & Gun is printed on.

In these tough economic times, it’s not unheard of (or unreasonable, really) for publishers to combine or skip an issue to cut production/distribution costs. What I haven’t heard of, at least off the top of my head, is a magazine that announces the elimination of an issue after the fact.

The next issue subscribers should expect is December/January [pictured], which is set to ship in late November and hit newsstands December 8. That is, if the magazine scrapes up enough money to publish it. UPDATE: In an e-mail, Darwin told me the December/January issue has indeed gone to press.

When we reported on its potential demise in January, and its subsequent saving in March, we received a number of comments praising the magazine (“the very best magazine I have ever had the pleasure of reading”). For its loyal readers, I hope Garden & Gun pulls through.

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‘You Should Be Able to Come to Work and Be Safe'

Jason Fell — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:07:52 -0400

I know it’s a wild time in magazine publishing, but this is just crazy.

Lori Lippman, publisher of Tuscon, Arizona-based Fitness Plus magazine, is said to be considering shutting down the nearly 25-year-old free monthly after one of her employees was violently attacked outside the magazine’s office—twice.

On September 3, Lippman’s receptionist was stabbed in the parking lot by a man she said was trying to break into a co-worker’s vehicle. The receptionist was apparently attacked again on Monday, but was not harmed. The attacker, who she said again had a knife, ran off after she sprayed him with pepper spray. Police weren’t able to locate him.

Hours after the attack Monday, Lippman sent her staff home and locked the doors to the magazine. The receptionist, understandably, quit.

Lippman apparently is thinking about relocating but said she may shut down the magazine altogether. "I just think you should be able to come to work at 9 in the morning and be safe," she told the Arizona Daily Star. "But instead, we are here with the doors locked. It should not be that way. It's not like we have big secrets in here—we're a fitness magazine."
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California Magazine Offers Promotion for Free Marijuana

Vanessa Voltolina — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:15:21 -0400

Kush L.A., a free monthly Southern California title that bills itself as the “Premiere Medical Marijuana Lifestyle Magazine,” may have launched one of the most controversial—and, for some, most sought-after—magazine promotion to date.
The magazine has partnered with medial marijuana organization The Rainforest Collective to offer a coupon for free medical marijuana. Kush L.A.’s August issue will tout a coupon for the first 100 “new patients” of The Rainforest Collective to receive a free 1/8-ounce of medical marijuana. And, for those who miss out on being one of the first 100 people on the September 1 giveaway, the next 100 coupon holders will get with a free gram; subsequent new patients will be eligible to spin a "420" prize wheel to win marijuana cigarettes and edibles.
Certainly, the entire promotion is controversial. But it doesn’t seem to bother Kush L.A. and Dailybuds.com publisher Michael Lerner. “At Kush L.A., we are excited to be promoting this new patient giveaway with The Rainforest Collective,” he said in a release. “We have done similar promotions with our other great magazine and Web site advertising partners and look forward to our continued involvement in this movement.”
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Jack Kliger: ‘At Least I’m Not Running a National Magazine’

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:54:19 -0400

NEW ORLEANS—The City and Regional Magazine Association’s annual conference concluded here Tuesday. (You can read FOLIO:’s coverage of the show here.)

Some leftover but timely quotes from event:

Author and speaker Orvel Ray Wilson, in a session on guerrilla marketing, quoting David Nour: “In social media, if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.”

Former Hachette Filipacchi CEO Jack Kliger, who spoke in the last session on the second day: “That’s where I always wanted to be—speaking at the last session of a conference where all the attendees are struggling through a recession and after they took a tour of Hurricane Katrina sites. I never followed Katrina before. Still, my opening line is good: ‘At least I’m not running a national magazine.’”

Famed designer Walter Bernard was asked what he’d do if he were art director of the New York Times. “I’d look for another job,” he retorted.

Question to one vendor: “How was this event?” Answer: “Pretty bad. I’ve had the least amount of conversations and interactions I’ve had at a show in some time. I feel like a printer!”
[PHOTO: Tony Silber]
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How One Regional Magazine is Avoiding Layoffs

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:55:57 -0500

The recession has found its way into every aspect of publishing—and regional and city publishers are no exception. Thankfully, I have not had to lay off anyone in the editorial or art departments and—most importantly—we are still publishing Southern Breeze on its regular schedule, albeit in a more concise format. (We’ve reduced the trim size, changed paper stock, and cut each issue by 16 pages)

While I’m not overjoyed about any of these changes, I would rather make them than face the alternative that I’ve faced before and that so many magazines are facing now: folding.

Here’s the e-mail I sent to my loyal stable of writers:
Hello All:

As you know, the country is in quite an economic pickle at the moment and publishing has been especially hard hit. Southern Breeze is certainly not immune to these trends and that’s why I am writing you.

For the rest of 2009, any freelance assignments are going to be highly scrutinized as to whether or not they can be done in-house. Those that will be assigned will be assigned under a new fee structure. So, essentially if you get a freelance assignment in the future, we will unfortunately not be able to pay the same rates as in the past.

Any of the smaller features such as Dish, Words & Notes, Cheers, et al. will all be done strictly in-house.

Also please note that we cannot cover any travel expenses, including mileage.

Regarding other Compass Marketing projects, those instances will be decided on a project-by-project basis but the rates will reflect a similar decrease.

While I realize that this is not exactly good news for any of you, please note that these reduced fees are—I hope—only temporary until the economy straightens itself out. I understand if these new rates are not feasible for your own business, but please understand that the reduction in fees is a necessary cost-containment measure I am instituting at Southern Breeze and all Compass Marketing publications in an effort to preserve the future of these award-winning products. Whether it is cutting the freelancer budget or doing more of the writing myself, I will do everything I can to maintain the quality and ensure the future of these publications.

Also, take it from someone who has been there; these fee cuts are a much better option than what many other magazines are being forced to do. This will at least help ensure that Southern Breeze will remain the best source where readers can learn all about “the Good Life on the Gulf Coast” for years to come.

Thanks for your continued support and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Regards,

Mark
Thankfully, the response has been very supportive from my writers. It seems everyone understands the current economic doldrums and is willing to sacrifice in order to preserve the future of the publications they care about.

If any other editors, art directors or publishers who’ve had to deliver similar bad news, feel free to share the methods (and memos) to your madness.
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Area Satirical Newspaper Launches Real Site to Compete With Other Area Sites

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:25:49 -0400

An area satirical newspaper calling itself America’s Finest News Source has unveiled something called the Decider, an online listing Web site that will help area men and women decide, among other things, where to drink heavily.

Via TechCrunch:
The site is initially launching with content for Chicago, with plans to support more cities over the next few months. The site has a clean (albeit somewhat generic) interface, with integrated Google Maps pinpointing each reviewed restaurant and a calendar for upcoming events. In addition to regular editorial content, users will be allowed to post their own reviews and comments.
Sound familiar? That’s because Citysearch has long owned this space, but has seen its grip slip in recent years as regional magazines have beefed up their Web sites to provide similar services to their loyal readers. (Earlier this year, for instance, Greenspun Media revealed it was building a “category-crushing” Web portal for the Vegas market which it plans to roll out to its other luxury regionals like Gotham and Capitol File.)

As fans of the Onion already know, it devotes roughly half of its weekly editorial space to music and film reviews and such cultural listings (see the Onion's A.V. Club). Still, that a satirical newspaper thinks it carve out a part of the listings space should be cause for concern for any regional magazine that hasn’t done this already.
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Emmis: Our Cuts are ‘Considerably More Thoughtful and Measured Than What We've Seen from Many of Our Peers’

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:13:17 -0400

As we reported late Thursday, Emmis Communications, publisher of the award-winning Texas Monthly, Los Angeles magazine and five other regional titles (I'm considering Country Sampler a Southern regional; you don't have to), is cutting roughly 40 jobs from its magazine publishing division. That's 4.5 percent of its workforce, which is a significant number when you consider Gannett, the newspaper publisher, just cut 3 percent—or 1,000 jobs—from its workforce, and I heard about that on a local morning radio broadcast driving to work.
More significant, though, was the announcement of Emmis’ 2 percent salary cut across the board for the remaining employees. We’ve heard about frozen salaries at plenty of publishing companies this year, but I can only recall one—Cygnus—that rolled them back, which was a bit of a PR and morale nightmare for them.
And this, despite Emmis reporting first quarter publishing division revenue of $22.6 million, up slightly from $22.2 million from the same period last year.
Here’s the official statement from Emmis:
Earlier this week, Emmis Publishing instituted a series of steps to better position its magazines for success. Those steps included a 4.5 percent workforce reduction, as well as a salary reduction for current employees, generally equaling two percent. Notified employees received generous severance packages and other support.
The publishing industry has seen a steady stream of staff reductions and expense cutting in recent months. We believe that the expense reductions we are implementing for the coming year are considerably more thoughtful and measured than what we've seen from many of our peers. Emmis Publishing employs some of the most talented people in our industry and is continually honored for excellence. We are very confident in the future of the city and regional magazine business.
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Obama Cover Causing Bad Blood in Denver

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 16:56:53 -0400

We work in an industry filled with some begrudging, petty, spitefully competitive people. Kind of like Washington.

Case in point: it may not be of Hillary-Barack proportions, but it appears that the lead-up to the Democratic National Convention is causing a bloodthirsty rivalry among the regional magazines in Denver.

Just to give you an idea of how catty the magazine industry—even the relatively small, bucolic Denver, Colorado market—can be, look no further than this e-mail—anonymous of course—I received after posting a story about 5280’s August cover, one designed by Shepard Fairey, a famous street artist, for the Democratic National Convention:
Mr. Stableford,

Your recent blog and Google alert this morning caught me off-guard. What 5280 has done with their cover is pompous and lacks in journalistic integrity. When Dan says he shot off a blind email to Fairey to produce a cover for his magazine, he failed to mention it was after he found out the competing city magazine in town was going to have Obama on the cover. Once he and his top edit staff realized that their competitors had an exclusive interview with Michelle and Barack, and would be placing Sen. Obama on the cover, Brogan shot off that blind email to Fairey and paid him (what I'm sure was) a staggering amount to produce. Check out denvermagazine.com if you'd like to see the cover that came out a week before Mr. Brogan and his $8 million juggernaut decided to release theirs.

Thank you.
No, please, thank you.
This is the third such toned e-mail I’ve gotten on the topic. To me, if this is true, it sounds like Brogan is guilty of … well, competing. It’s the friggin’ Democratic National Convention. Of course Denver’s regional magazines are going to go with Obama covers in August. Same thing will happen with McCain in September, when the Republicans gather in Minneapolis. (Mpls St Paul, Minnesota Monthly—that means you!)
And, knowing Fairey did the iconic Obama poster earlier this campaign season, I’ll take Brogan’s word that Fairey cut 5280 a decent rate.
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With Help From Lohan, Spitzer, New York Magazine Reports Strong Newsstand Sales

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:30:44 -0400

As the consumer magazine world braces for the release of the Audit Bureau of Circulations’ much-anticipated Fas-Fax newsstand figures on Monday (early returns indicate it’s gonna be ugly), publishers with actual good news to report are already touting it. Take, for instance, New York magazine, which is reporting a 3.4 percent increase in single copy sales for the first half of 2008 over first half 2007.

And this, they point out, with a 20 percent cover price increase (to an average of $4.16, with regular issues at $3.99 from $2.99 and double or perfect-bound issues at $4.99 from $3.99). Total circulation, increased by about one percentage point to 433,289.

A few issues in particular helped New York’s newsstand cause. Its February 25 issue, featuring a nude Lindsay Lohan-as-Marilyn Monroe photo shoot, sold 43,791 single copies, more than any other cover during the first half and nearly double its average of 22,572 single copies sold. New York’s Eliot Spitzer cover, featuring the disgraced governor with the word “BRAIN” and a simple arrow pointing to his crotch, sold 34,426 single copies, second most during the first six months of ‘08.
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The Most Expensive Regional Redesign Ever?

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 17:08:11 -0400

As we reported earlier this week, Manhattan Media, the community newspaper and magazine publisher that acquired irreverent Harvard alumni publication 02138 this summer, has hired legendary Esquire cover designer George Lois and noted Pentagram designer Luke Hayman to redesign the three-year-old magazine for a relaunch later this year.

The company also named former Maxim group publisher and Giant magazine founder Jamie Hooper as publisher and CEO, and David Blum as its editor-in-chief.

It's not unreasonable to say that this could be the most expensive relaunch for a city and regional magazine ever. But just how much are they actually spending? I tried to put that question to Tom Allon, Manhattan Media's CEO, but I gave up on the phone tag. I e-mailed Hayman—a speaker at the upcoming FOLIO: Show in Chicago (more info below)—but haven't heard back. I also asked a number of the industry's designers, most of whom declined to guesstimate.

One though, famed designer Roger Black, did:

I bet the number is 120K, 60 each. A workhorse studio like Don Morris's (cf: Bloomberg Markets) might do the whole thing for 40. I would ask for more, but I didn't get into Harvard. For any of us, back in 2000 it would have been double.

There you go.
Click here for more info on the 2008 FOLIO: Show ...
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Texas Monthly Has 80 Employees, 40 Interns!

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:51:37 -0400

CHICAGO—“We get ‘em from UT.”
The “‘em” that Texas Monthly senior vice president and general manager Lorelei Calvert was referring to is the 40 interns currently from the University of Texas scurrying around the company’s Austin, Texas offices. The number of regular staffers employed by Texas Monthly? Eighty.
So, let's see, that’s two employees per unpaid intern. Put another way, roughly a third of the staffers employed by Texas Monthly are young Turks. Real go-getters. No wonder why editor Evan Smith seems happy every time I see him.
Calvert, whose son is one of those 40 interns, was speaking during a CM show session here on how to keep your staffers happy while they are often stretched too thin.
Giving them each half an intern is a fine start.
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Is Chicago the Second City of Media?

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:04:48 -0400

[Photo taken by FOLIO: publisher Tony Silber late Sunday]

CHICAGO—Circulation Management, the yin to FOLIO:'s yang, is in Chicago this week for its annual show. (The pre-conference just kicked off, so I'm not sure if it'll buck the attendance drought that's starting to take effect for b-to-b publishers—we'll just have to wait and see on that.)

Chicago is an interesting place to be in publishing. You've got the Tribune Co.—which, along with News Corp., currently occupies the center of the newspaper world—and the Cubs. And when a team that hasn't won a World Series in 99 years looks in better long-term shape than its owner's newspapers, you known you're in a troubled industry.

You've got city guides-there's the weekly Time Out Chicago (which is not owned by Donald Trump) and the monthly Where Chicago, which is expanding to more cities.

You've got Chicago magazine. You've got Lake. And you've got Niche Media's luxe Michigan Avenue, which recently corralled Ivanka Trump for one of its high-end issue parties. (See some photos here.) And don't forget about Playboy, which Hugh Hefner launched here in 1953.

For a city that's really a glorified small town, that many magazines would seem to constitute "health." But, as BusinessWeek recently found out, just because a region appears to be healthy doesn't mean it can sustain a magazine. (BusinessWeek was recently forced to shutter BusinessWeek Chicago after just seven months.)

Look for more dispatches from the CM show here throughout the week.

Oh, and go Cubs!
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'I'm 77. It's Enough Already'

Sat, 24 May 2008 09:53:40 -0400

The quote of the week comes via Richard Ekstract, the owner of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens, who is putting that and three other regional shelter titles on the block. Clearly, Mr. Ekstract is not a graduate of the Hefner School of Publishing:
He said his decision to sell was motivated more by lifestyle timing than market timing, and that he reached the conclusion to sell while he recuperated from hip replacement surgery a year ago.

"I'm 77. It's enough already," he said. "I have nothing left to prove."

"I want to see New Zealand," he added.
And, really, who doesn't?

More here ...
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When Bad Publishers Happen to Good Magazines

Wed, 07 May 2008 15:28:06 -0400

[There Will Be Blood still, courtesy of Paramount.]
There is nothing that will create a bond between art and editorial quicker than a meddling publisher. Granted, editors and artisans should already be thick as thieves, but when a publisher starts needlessly getting involved in the creative aspects of a magazine, there will be blood!

Take the case of a design-driven b-to-b magazine. The creative staff worked together nicely throughout the production process, but almost like clockwork, the publisher would decide to put her two cents in. It basically happened every other issue.
Seriously, you could set your watch by it and it always involved cover art. Typically the magazine would run glossy, beautiful shots of a building’s interior or a statuesque shot of an exterior ... then along comes the publisher.
This particular publisher liked artwork on the cover. But not striking artwork. She would find stock art of a businessman going up a staircase or vague representations of dollars and cents or, worse yet, flow charts! Since the mag was a trade book, it’s not like newsstand sales were an issue, but the magazine still needed to be attractive. The problem was solved when the parent company was bought out by another company and all the individual magazine publishers were replaced with group publishers.

Now, there’s a nightmare nobody wants to go to sleep for!

Speaking of group publishers, consumer books have seemed to realize that the group publisher model just doesn’t work that great. It’s like a teacher with too many students or a single parent with too many kids; sooner or later somebody falls through the cracks and ends up on the streets. Magazines are no different ... I know this lesson firsthand.

Take the case of the group publisher who played favorites. After being acquired in a buyout, two b-to-b books found a new home at a big publisher. Both of the magazines’ publishers were fired and a new group publisher was brought in who had just seen the collapse of his venerable title after almost 100 years. (This magazine, by the way, survived two world wars and the Great Depression, but not this publisher!)
The new group publisher took a shine to one of the books that was more his style because it was glossier and more in line with what he was used to. The second book—the stepchild he got in the marriage, as the mag’s editor-in-chief termed it—was more nuts-and-bolts and technical, but highly respected and a leader in its field. Sales people were taken away from the tech-y book altogether.
Guess what happened? Sales plummeted! Go figure!

Then the tech-y book defied the odds and won a Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Business Journalism. The magazine’s reward from the big publisher? Pink slips! And the three staffers sent packing were not even placed in similar available jobs within the company (apparently that was against policy).

Then, of course, you have the publisher who is extremely hands-off, lets the creative staff do what it was hired to do. Then one day he gets an idea because he’s been talking to other publishers—no more sodas at your desk; all headlines should be in "Courier"; numbers must always be on the cover ... ALWAYS! And insists that the edit and art staff institute new changes or rules. Luckily these kinds of publishers get distracted by other trends ... or something shiny!

If any editors or art directors have “bad publisher” stories, feel free to share!
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Harvard Lifestyle Magazine Featured Eliot Spitzer, Wife 'In Happier Times'

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:28:42 -0400

That didn't take long.
A scant two hours and 17 minutes after the New York Times broke the story that linked governor Eliot Spitzer to a prostitution ring, I got this press release from a publicist for 02138, perhaps the last (only?) magazine to feature Spitzer and his wife on its cover.
From: [REDACTED]
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 6:03 PM
To: Dylan Stableford
Subject: Eliot Spitzer & wife Silda Wall on cover of 02138 ---in happier times

In Happier Times: Eliot Spitzer and wife Silda Wall on the “Power Couples” issue of 02138, the lifestyle magazine for Harvard influentials

Photo Credit: Jake Chessum at Capsule Studio in New York

Eliot Spitzer’s shocking admission about his involvement in a prostitution ring has rocked the political arena today.

Not long ago, Spitzer and his wife Silda Wall posed for the cover of the Winter 2007 “Power Couple” issue of 02138 magazine, the lifestyle magazine for Harvard influentials. The Harvard-educated couple, selected because of their influential careers and continued commitment to maintaining a strong and lasting relationship, seemed the picture of political marital bliss. The black-and-white cover photo showed a part of Spitzer and Wall’s relationship not often depicted in the public realm.

To read the full article from the “Power Couple” issue of 02138, go to http://www.02138mag.com/magazine/article/1113.html.

For a jpeg of the Winter 2007 02138 cover with Eliot Spitzer and Silda Wall, please contact me at [REDACTED] or [REDACTED].

Best,

[REDACTED]
Note: It appears Domino recently conducted a video interview and tour of the Governor's mansion with Silda. Perfect timing, that.
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