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ASME Calls for the Year’s Best Covers
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| The New Yorker's September 11th fifth anniversary cover was the 2006 Cover of the Year. | The American Society of Magazine Editors continues its tradition of celebrating excellence in magazine cover design and creativity through the 2008 Best Cover Contest, now in its third year. Winner’s this year’s competition will be announced at the American Magazine Conference, slated for October 5-7 in San Francisco, CA.
A panel of renowned magazine editors, design directors, art directors and photo editors will name the top covers in the following categories: Cover of the Year, Best Celebrity Cover, Best News Cover, Best Fashion Cover, Best Concept Cover, Best Personal Service Cover, and Best Leisure Interest Cover.
Judges will also give special recognition to the year's Best Coverline.
The Best Cover Contest is open exclusively to MPA and ASME members, and the deadline for entries is July 31. There is a flat entry fee of $95 per magazine, regardless of the number of categories entered. For additional details and to download the entry form, visit www.magazine.org/bestcover.
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Hachette's Masterson Named Chair for Retail Conference 09 in Miami
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| Retail Conference 09 will be at Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami | Tom Masterson, SVP-Consumer Marketing and Manufacturing at Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., will be the Chairperson of the 2009 Retail Conference: Marketing Magazines and Books, which will be held March 22-24, at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa in Miami, Florida.
“I am delighted to take on this responsibility and am determined to make the 2009 Retail Conference a thought-provoking, productive, and enjoyable event," said Masterson. "There are many challenges facing this industry, not the least of which is ourselves. The time has come to address our problems so we can move this business forward."
Co-sponsored by the International Periodicals Distributors Association and the MPA, the conference is the premier event bringing together all the trading partners within the retail supply chain—from retailers and publishers to national distributors and wholesalers. Stayed tuned for more details.
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The Four Questions with Margaret Brown of Cowboys & Indians
An MPA-IMAG Exclusive
Cowboys & Indians, launched in 1993 as a magazine primarily for those interested in western collectibles, American Indian art and travel, is now "an upscale western lifestyle magazine" targeting affluent men and women, according to Dallas-based Margaret Brown, the title's Executive Editor. These readers, mostly in their late 40s and early 50s, own two or three homes in the western US, enjoy traveling in the western states and like western fashion, she adds.
Brown celebrates her sixth year as Cowboys & Indians' Executive Editor come August. Published eight times yearly, the magazine has entered its 15th year with average paid circulation at a record 147,400 for the 2007 second half, up 22% from 2006. Cowboys & Indians is owned by USFR Media Group, Houston, which also owns America One Television Network.
Q. The July edition is your 15th anniversary issue, but do you have plans for additional special issues or promotional events?
A. Yes. In keeping with the anniversary theme, our July issue features Tom Selleck as one of "the top 15 actors we love in a western," as well as our 15 bestselling covers, 15 notable cowboys, 15 great pairs of boots and the top 15 national parks in the West. We'll continue that "top 15" theme in our September, October and December issues as well, with the latter, our holiday issue, featuring 15 top gifts in a 20-to-30-page gift guide, plus a list of 15 more great cowboys.
Q. How much coverage is dedicated to the “Indians” part of the title?
A. Our September issue, which we just finished, each year is our "Indian Art" issue that's tied into an Indian art event in Santa Fe. It will also feature 15 notable Indians—ranging from Sequoyah, who developed the Cherokee alphabet, to Lori Piestewa, a 23-year-old Hopi and the first native American woman killed in war and the first U.S. woman killed in the Iraq war.
However, it's a lot easier to find someone doing a western or some other cowboy project. But we do have Native American coverage in every issue, whether related to films like HBO's recent Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, or food, fashion designers or jewelry. One of our popular covers featured a Native American actor from Steven Spielberg's [TNT miniseries] “Into the West.”
Q. Speaking of western art, Frederic Remington probably rates as the preeminent sculptor of the American West, especially during the Reagan and George W. Bush presidencies. Is his art, or western art in general, something you cover on a regular basis?
A. Western art is presented in every issue. Our October issue will feature 15 great western paintings found in museums by such artists as Remington, Charles Russell and Georgia O'Keeffe. Prior to Cowboys & Indians, I was the Editor of Southwest Art for 10 years, so that's something I'm interested in. The prices people pay for Remington and Russell art is skyrocketing at auctions and galleries. Western art is thriving right now.
Q. Country music artists have also figured prominently in your print and web coverage—from Johnny Cash and Brooks & Dunn to Billy Ray Cyrus and Tim McGraw. Might you also consider featuring their songs on your website?
A. Having country music audio and the ability to stream video are things we're looking at. We're in the process of working on a major relaunch of our website (http://www.cowboysindians.com/) as the primary initiative for this year. We hope to have the launch ready by the end of this year. As part of that relaunch, I think there will be an expansion of the kind of e-commerce content found on the [sister company] America One site, such as "the 100 best western movies ever made" (http://www.americaone.com/cni/westerns/).
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Hot Topics Set for Two More 'TGIF' Summer Webinars for Indy Mags
Two additional MPA-IMAG "TGIF" web seminars are en route this summer, slated for July 25 and August 22—the first concentrating on podcasting and video, the latter on newsstand cover testing.
On July 25, the focus will be on how best to use podcasts and video to extend a magazine's brand, while informing and entertaining readers and gaining ad share. Bradford Fayfield, Publisher of Storm Mountain Publishing's Freeskier and Snowboard, along with Interactive Services Manager Dave Amirault, and Video Content Manager Mike Thomas, will detail what indy magazines need to get started in this area. They’ll also explain how online and mobile media fit into Storm Mountain’s plans for the future.
The August 22 webinar on newsstand cover testing features Kristy Kaus, Active Interest Media’s (AIM) Media Research Director.
At a time when many publishers are seeing a drop in newsstand sales, AIM, whose magazines include Yoga Journal, Vegetarian Times and Backpacker, is seeing sales increase on an average of one to five percent from the same issue, year to year, according to Kaus. Much of this success is due to the publisher’s newsstand cover testing model, which Kaus developed when she transitioned from consultant to full-time staff member in 2007.
“The AIM approach to cover testing is one of many," Kaus said. "We design our method to complement art/editorial expertise—never to replace it. Our process doesn’t necessarily create perfect covers, but it certainly helps to eliminate the poorest performing covers. Ultimately, our testing has created more demand for the enthusiast content we offer because we’re putting the interest of the reader first.”
Kaus will discuss AIM’s cover testing model, how it was implemented, and how indy publishers can develop their own model to improve your newsstand sales.
For each web seminar, there will be time for questions from the online attendees—including those submitted in advance to Roberta Gorman, MPA Director, Member Services, at rgorman@magazine.org.
Each two-hour online session runs from noon till 2 p.m. For registration information on the July 25 webinar, click here: MPA-IMAG TGIF: Explore the world of Podcasting and Video. For the August 22 webinar, click here: MPA-IMAG TGIF: Improve your Newsstand Cover Testing.
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A Spotlight on Magazine Leaders of Color
Edwin Avent
President/Publisher
Heart & Soul Enterprises, LLC
Magazines have a mystical pull on Edwin V. Avent. Every since he was a teen, Avent would pick up Black Enterprise and Ebony, awed not only by the images he saw in the pages, but also by their founders.
Yet he never truly planned on being in the magazine industry, he said. It just happened. He had planned on being an entrepreneur. “I just had that entrepreneurial spirit,” he says. “And I followed those who had the same kind if spirit.”
Of course, individuals like Black Enterprise founder, Earl Graves, and Ebony/Jet founder, John H. Johnson would stand out to him as entrepreneurial heroes. “I kind of followed in their footsteps,” he said. “Things could have easily gone another way.”
It was during his sophomore year at Cornell University—through a publication called Equity—that he got started with magazines. From there he worked with a number of other titles, and it was then that he took notice of Heart & Soul. “I would like to own that brand one day,” he had told himself.
Today, as the President/Publisher of Heart & Soul Enterprises, Avent recognizes that publications can no longer be narrowly focused. And becoming web-relevant is not the only means of survival.
He has a degree of concern about the future of diverse magazines, especially those that are owned largely by people of color. “A lot of magazines have been feeling a hit,” he said. “We are having a tougher time keeping advertisers in our magazines.”
With more than 20 years of experience in magazine publishing, advertising, marketing and sales, Avent agrees that putting more emphasis on the web increases their traffic. However, he believes that the industry cannot totally rely on just the web and advertising. Brand expansion, he said, is very necessary in order to survive.
To address this challenge, the company developed and launched the Heart & Soul Healthy Weight Plan. In addition, they have created the social networking site, http://www.myheartandsoul.net/. “We are making a link between the web and the magazine,” he said, “And creating a community with our readers.”
The media as a whole is in a dynamic time where there is a lot of influx. “There may be some changes that cause there to be a decline in the way people are engaged,” he said. “But there are people who are still attached to magazines because they want to hold and feel the product. Not everyone wants to read everything on a computer screen. It is up to us to make our brands relevant, entertaining and interactive.”
For those who want to break into the business, he says they have to want to be in the industry because they enjoy it and are not there just to get a paycheck. And in order to work for him, there is one major requirement: You have to be passionate. Well, maybe two: They also have to have a hustler’s mentality.
“They cannot rest on their laurels,” he said. “They must be hardworking, assertive, knowledgeable and great communicators; not just as writers, but also as speakers.”
The Masthead Mosaic series puts a spotlight on leaders who are helping to make magazines rich and relevant to the increasingly multicultural American marketplace. These profiles are meant to serve as a source of inspiration, motivation and guidance for seasoned professionals and novices alike within the magazine industry. For more interviews with of leading magazine executives, visit the Masthead Mosaic section on the MPA website.
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Learn How to Integrate Print and Digital Publishing Teams
A three-hour seminar, "Integrating Print and Online Publishing Teams," is set for July 29 at 9 a.m. Don Nicholas, an Internet marketing consultant and Managing Partner in Mequoda Group, LLC, will lead the discussion, during which attendees will learn how a range of publishers like Forbes, People, Cook's Illustrated and Ceramics Monthly are making the transition to integrated media management.
The first step in understanding how to integrate print and digital teams is to know how one's online business model affects staffing requirements. Editorial, business, keyword, website, email and reporting strategies must all be considered before staffing decisions can be made.
A continental breakfast will be served prior to the event's 9 a.m. start at the 24th floor MPA Conference Center at 810 Seventh Avenue in Manhattan. To register, click here: Integrating Print And Online Publishing Teams.
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Save the Dates for Three Fall/Winter MPA Events
Start planning now to attend this trio of marquee MPA events scheduled for fall into winter:
- American Magazine Conference, set for October 5-7 at the Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, featuring an afternoon at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. Early registration rates now available! Go to www.magazine.org/amc.
- Magazine Marketing Coalition Rally, due November 12 at the Time & Life Building in Manhattan
- The 2009 Magazine Lifetime Achievement Awards Luncheon, slated for January 29, 2009, at the Plaza Hotel's newly renovated Grand Ballroom in New York City.
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