It's Tuesday: 5 Things About the World of Magazines & Media - Issue #28
It's that mysteriously quiet, but not so quiet time of the year in the world of work. On the one hand, you may be busy trying to wrap up all of those projects that were due back in September (Remember September?). On the other, no one is returning your calls and a lot of your emails are going unanswered.
The last two weeks of the year are an excellent time to shut it all down, downshift into a lower gear. Let your mind drift and try out some new ways of looking at things. Maybe think about something other than work.
For this week's review, I thought it may be a bit of fun to pick five magazine covers that I really liked this year and let you know why I liked them. Let's see if you have anything you'd like to add or share.
So here we go!
The Five Best Magazine Covers of 2021: The Subjective Edition
#1. Chicago Magazine - January 2021 - "Get Outside!"
Look, I'm a sucker for an illustrated cover. And even though the vampire equity firm Alden Capital may be sucking the life out of the venerable Chicago Tribune, the staff at Chicago Magazine continues to put out an engaging and worthy read every single month.
This issue from the beginning of the year is a great example of using the front cover to both brand the title to all readers on all platforms, and, not ignore the potential of selling the title at the newsstand. The cover is colorful, recognizable and incredibly engaging.
What Virgil Abloh Meant to Me — www.chicagomag.com Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. Subscribe for free today!
#2. Sesi Magazine - Spring 2021 - Spring Fashion
I try (hard) not to be cynical when I hear large corporations talk about how " entrepreneurial" they are. How can you be an entrepreneur when you work for a large organization that has a lot of staff, resources, clout and brand recognition?
In the world of magazines, you can find real true entrepreneurs almost everywhere once you skim past the surface layer of the big organizations.
Sesi Magazine in one of those. Founder and Editor Andrea Butler has filled a niche with a vibrant, timely and very relatable publication for young black women.
The Spring 2021 cover featuring actress Malia Baker breaks one of my rules - proving that magazine cover rules aren't hard and fast. The colors may not be bright and vibrant, but it all works well and I bet the Sesi audience ate it up.
Sesi Magazine: Covering The Black Girl's Mainstream™ — sesimag.com Sesi is the teen magazine for Black girls. Stay up on the latest beauty, fashion, health, social issues, dream jobs, love -- all that (and more).
#3. In Pickleball - Premiere Issue
As far as I knew up until January of this year, Pickleball was this odd sport played by old people at country clubs and city parks. Apparently not. I learned some more about the sport when Pandemic Publishing Roundtable (Of which I'm a member), interviewed former B2B publisher Carl Landau about his new podcasting venture which is titled, appropriately, "Pickleball Media".
And then we learn that a brand new magazine is being launched by former Meredith exec, Dick Porter and here we are with In Pickleball Magazine.
Yes, the cover is somewhat traditional in layout and organization. However, I'm a fan of blue backgrounds and a human face that is facing forward with some suggestion of movement.
In other words, I just really like this cover and wish the new title a long and successful life.
Home - InPickleball — inpickleball.com InPickleball Magazine offers an independent and inclusive look at America’s fastest-growing sport, geared toward players of all skill levels.
#4. Vogue Magazine - May 2021
Platforms like Twitter and Reddit are full of fanboys who hoot and holler every time one of the bigger publishing houses stumbles or falls on hard times. Early in the last decade, news articles marveled over the extravagance of the pre-2008 Condé Nast corporate life and those of us who had never been employed by the company may have felt a certain slight satisfaction at the difficulties their executives found themselves in.
But that does not, and never has, negated the beauty of the magazines that the company creates. Celebrated titles like Vogue, featured above, or Vanity Fair or The New Yorker are treasures of the American magazine industry.
Poet Amanda Gorman made an incredible splash at the presidential inauguration this year and deservedly earned this cover. You don't get to see a lot of greens and golds in cover treatments and this one completely captures the essence of this wonderful young writer.
Vogue: Fashion, Beauty, Celebrity, Fashion Shows | Vogue — www.vogue.com The latest fashion news, beauty coverage, celebrity style, fashion week updates, culture reviews, and videos on Vogue.com.
#5. Hour Detroit - September 2021
I admit it. I'm a fan of regional city magazines and Hour Detroit is one I've kept an eye on for many years. Mostly because I'm always taken by the can-do spirit of the title and the city and the sometimes really clever covers they produce, like the one above.
City magazines often follow a specific pattern: Best restaurants, doctors, lawyers, home remodeling, wedding venues, things to do.
So how do you promote a feature article, then, about six local standup comedians?
See above.
HOUR Detroit Magazine | Best Regional Events, Restaurants & Resources — www.hourdetroit.com Hour Detroit Magazine brings you stories of regional interest along with the best restaurants, clubs, events and useful resources.
This week's moment of Magazine Zen is brought to you by...
This is the January 2011 cover of Vogue Magazine and my choice on my blog for "Best Cover" of the year.
And because it's almost Christmas, here's this week's magazine agita...
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That’s it! That’s all we’ve got so get back to your almost empty in-box, silent smart phone, and light calendar. My your holiday season be filled with joy, friends and family.
That kind of sounds neat, no?