Magazine Death Watch

Three-year-old Hallmark magazine announced yesterday that they are shutting down the magazine and website, siting "difficult economic times, especially for magazines".  The New York Post says that Conde Nast ad pages are down 30 percent, versus the industry average of 24 percent.  (Conde Nast is Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest, was Domino.)

However, Cathie Black, President of Hearst Magazines (O, the Oprah Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen) writes in Advertising Age on Monday, "Despite Recent Events, the American Magazine is Not an Endangered Species".  She says "According to the Magazine Publishers of America, only 32 magazines suspended publication in 2008 -- an infinitesimal percentage of the 19,500 magazines currently published in the U.S."  She compares this slow-down to what occurred in 1991, and discusses how magazines not only rebounded, but expanded significantly after that downturn. 

One, I am stunned that this country has 19,500 magazines.  Clearly, there is a magazine covering everything and apparently hundreds on each topic! 

Secondly, "I'm not sure I agree with you 100 percent on your police work there", Cathie.  I'm not sure you can use the comparison to 1991 as comfort.  The web media component is very different than it was 18 years ago.  (I was just at a web media seminar, you know, so after 48 hours, I am somewhat of an expert!)  I still say, magazines in their traditional print medium are going to continue to drop like flies.  Will the current titles survive in an on-line version?  If they know how to make the transition, they will.  (But they better hurry.)  Otherwise, their lunch is going to be eaten by the on-line presences that are already out there who understand how to use an "instant" medium and already have loyal readership.

So, for those of us that love lying around reading magazines on paper, buy a good printer or start collecting current issues.

Comments

[Melody]

Check this out. http://www.scrapbookupdate.com/scrapnancy/2009/02/trouble-at-ck-media.html
Someone just posted this on a yahoo group I belong to.

[Rory]

You know, I loved Budget Living mag while it lasted, maybe in this economy it would thrive. I am sad to see so many mags die. I keep getting postcards saying I will get Martha Stewart instead. WTH? Martha is nothing like Domino, Mary Engelbreit or Blueprint.

[bernadette]

The economy, low advertising revenue, high printing/ distribution/postal costs, and the GUT of new mags have all contributed to the sudden-death of mags. And I love mags!

That said, I have become very picky about which ones I buy. There are so many choices. Some have only one good project, really. Some actually have NO good projects and look thrown together just to make deadline! There is, sadly, a lot of rather bad crafting. As people develop skills, they want better designs.

I have seen this phenomenon before. In the 70's women still sewed and crafting became VERY popular. (I learned to sew, knit, crochet, macrame, etc.) There were some great mags and the projects became better and better. Then, starting in the 80's, women began to work outside the home in large numbers, with less free time, and soon crafting mags "dumbed down" to quickie projects - many involving glue. ( Admission - I still do not own a hot-glue gun.) I stopped buying new mags because the projects were just so lame. Craft Mags died.

( Making ANYTHING is fun but it is MORE fun if it looks great!)

I still have all the great mags, and buy new ones that meet standards to join my collection. But, frankly, I will NEVER catch up on all the projects I would like to do from them, LOL.

[bernadette]

(OK- It's "GLUT" , not "gut" - LOL)

[bernadette]

And there is so much great, free content on the internet! Plus, it's searchable! And Printable.

Some of my former magazine-perusing time has definitely gone over to surfing the web!

[j. caroline]

Bernadette,
I think I prefer "gut"!

[bernadette]

So. I just went to the Domino website and learned it is stopping publication. I just received my March 2009 issue, and my subscription was due to expire in Sept 2009 anyway. I was NOT planning to renew it. Why? Because, while I love the mag, it looks much the same from issue to issue. In fact, I have not even taken the past five issues out of their mailing bags yet! But I will -later - when there are no no new mags to take it's place. The ideas will still be good! Thanks, Domino, for all the good work.

[j. caroline]

Bernadette,
You must have missed my previous "death watch" post about Domino. I heard they are replacing your subscription with Architectural Digest, but if you would prefer something else, you can call Conde Nast and they'll change you to another mag. Here's the link:
http://bit.ly/17DCOq

(Link courtesy of Maison Luxe
http://maisonluxe.blogspot.com)

[Jemellia]

J, I thought that this post title was Magazine Death Witch a few days ago--were you referring to yourself? If you are, leave Real Simple alone, please.

[j. caroline]

Jem Jam,
Ha! I just report them, I don't cause them.

[Sarah]

A recent death, Country Home, was one of my design favorites, as well as a source of income for this freelance writer. Having participated in the launch of a couple new magazines as well as the running of a several well-established ones, I can only offer this wisdom: all parts of the magazine business take a tremendous amount of work. As more and more people from this industry move to web-based media (my blog, for example, http://cheapdecorating.blogspot.com) I think the contrast between the hardships of magazines and the relative ease of posting and publishing on the Web will draw more and more talented people out of traditional publishing. I do know, however, that readers loooooovvvve the tangible magazine they hold in their hands and will likely never give them up. There may be fewer and fewer to appreciate, but I truly believe there will always be magazines. And for this magazine junkie, that's good news.