New Magazines

Why have I seen so many new magazines?  The amount it costs to start-up a magazine is astronomical.  The chances of success are slim.  We have entered a new world of on-line media which is exploding with personalized content daily.  So, why are there a variety of new magazines entering an old medium in this day and age? 

I am a magazine reader.  I have my favorites, way too many, that I receive every month.  I am also a hound for trivial information for your head.  God knows why.  I get Gourmet, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Elle and Vogue.  I sometimes pick up Travel and Leisure, and the kids get Teen People and Teen Cosmo.   I know, ridiculous.  But, I also read the New York Times cover to cover everyday and read a variety of my favorite blogs.  I love the blogs. 

As the future becomes the present, the next generation will become (or have already) on line readers for their information than in print.  I seriously doubt my kids will read magazines even though they do now.  They get the majority of their information online.  Information online, to them, is like picking up the phone and getting someone on the other end.  It is normal day to day life and has never been anything but that. 

The 3 new magazines that have passed my desk recently are Tango which is a magazine for relationships.  It is horrible.  Bad content, poor layout and too spread out on the audience they are supposedly trying to track.  That won't last.  Vital Woman is another one I just received.  It is like Lucky (a magazine all about purchasing the latest fashion items) but for extremely wealthy people.  The pages are so busy that it gives you a headache reading them.  Breathe is another new one.  Their audience is wealthy yoga people.  Hmmm. 

Bottom line, if you are starting a magazine today, yes there is always a new void to fill in a multi- billion dollar industry so wouldn't you think the magazines would be spectacular looking, well laid out, content that was intriguing, 21st century in design, etc.  None of the new magazines I have seen are.  The new blogs I have seen are.  That is the future.  Bring the success of analog magazines on line.  Aggregate fantastic content written by journalists or every day people, like me.

Listen, Oprah is a really well done magazine.  It isn't that old.  They spent time, money and intelligence in creating something that filled a void, had a great brand that could be extended but at the end of the day there is content in that magazine worth reading and it looks good. 

So, if a new magazine is going to start up with money being poured into it.  I recommend using the web, it's a helluva lot cheaper and the chance is your readership will expand regardless because the future is on the web.