(image: Mr Magazine)
I went out to find a Sporting News College Basketball magazine for my father who parks it next to his TV for game reference, and could find only two magazine stands in San Francisco. Yes, Borders and Barnes & Noble have them, but the fact is there is no longer any retail distribution for magazines. So how does a startup magazine market itself at launch? Usually by initially sending them free to a mailing list of potential subscribers. Talk about a risky business model – raise capital, hire editors, writers, design and S&M staff, absorb costs for printing and distribution, give the first advertisers a break or free ads, and see if it gains traction over an extended period of time. It’s like the New York restaurant business.
“Old” media must have a lot of “old” money to invest because according to Mr. Magazine (it’s great to see blog writers of arcane topics), 52 new magazines launched (published 4x or more) in September and October. It proves old business models are entrenched in the practices of media moguls and managers who know their product, but may not be considering the shifting reading habits of their readers. Or they may be tying their old media print launch with an online campaign, and believe the one-two punch is the optimal new brand launch strategy today. I don’t know the magazine business well enough, so I decline to comment on how successful this strategy is.
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Magazines & newspapers are different. Aren’t these magazines speciality publiciations with premium prices. Newspapers are cheap and politically bias toward a readership that doesn’t necessary agree in views. Newspapers are best serving us online with general information. Leave opinions to premium, chic publicans.