It's Tuesday: Five Things About the World of Magazines And Media - Issue #16
Last Wednesday, I woke up a few times in the pre-dawn to a driving rain. There’s not a lot of tree cover where we live and when it rains, the drops lash the windows and make a lot of noise. The dog doesn’t like the sound of that and when the nighttime rain is heavy she wakes us up and wants to be comforted.
That morning dawned cold and cloudy and I wondered when, exactly, Fall began. So I asked Siri.
And she very politely informed me that Fall began on that very day.
Here in Chicago, we take our weather seriously. The warm dry temperatures we’d been experiencing for a few weeks have dramatically ended with a nice plunge of 10 - 20 degrees and a cold soaking rain. It was as if Fall showed up as scheduled, pushed Summer aside and said, “Yo, get outta my way. That Malnati’s deep dish, it’s mine now!”
If you live in the the magazine world, the seasons have also changed for you. Reporting season is over except for the crying, editorial calendars are firmed up and adjusted. Ad materials are done and now turned into lovely little pdfs. It's selling season! So let's go schlep some space, put a few programs together, fill up those conference slots. Don't forget the merch!
So let’s dive into some longer reads, see what’s what and where it’s all happening.
#1. Yes, there's still a professional organization for publishers who sell magazines and books at retail. And, they're having a conference...
MBR.org Daily Newsletter — mymbr.org
And the Pandemic Publishing Roundtable will be there. What will we be talking about? Check it out and come see us!
Frankly, it would be very nice if publishers were less passive and more invested in how retail sales are managed. Don't like what's going on in the world of newsstand? Stop complaining. Join MBR, claim your space at the table and make your voice heard.
I'm just saying...
#2. Guess What? B&N is Doing Well With Book Sales.
The pandemic has sparked a book craze — and Barnes & Noble is cashing in — nypost.com The 125-year-old chain, taken private two years ago for $683 million by billionaire Paul Singer’s hedge fund Elliott Management, has reported double-digit sales growth in books this year so far compared to 2019, before the coronavirus outbreak.
As much as it pains me to admit it, the NY Post does a pretty good job covering the world of book and magazine publishing.
#3. Publisher's Weekly: Book Industry Looking at Supply Chain Disruptions
The Book Biz Tries to Avoid Supply Chain Disruptions — www.publishersweekly.com Shortages of truck drivers and trailers, congestion at ports, and escalating transportation costs have put more pressure on the supply chain than any time in recent memory.
We saw this addressed last week in the Retail Dive newsletter and we're now hearing about it both in the book business and with magazines. In my line of work we're worried about the availability of paper, transportation, proper packaging of shipments and receiving of shipments. Even getting copies from the wholesale warehouse to a retailer can be fraught with issues.
#4. NY Mag Launches E-Commerce Cover Store
Introducing New York Magazine’s Cover Store 2021 | The Strategist — nymag.com New York Magazine Cover Store launches today, with 50 of the magazine’s most iconic covers — including the very first 1968 issue of New York Magazine — now available to buy as prints or posters. They start at $19 and are available framed or unframed.
File this under: What a great idea!
Is this easy? No. Nothing about e-commerce is really all that easy.
Does this make sense? Yes. Even for many other publishers something like this could be a nice source of some extra revenue. Especially if you're already doing some online merch.
NY Mag is charging $19 for an unframed art print or poster. You can get them framed too.
#5. LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index surveyed workers. Who the least confident are will blow your mind!
LinkedIn News on LinkedIn: #WorkforceConfidenceIndex | 10 comments — www.linkedin.com Who are the most confident workers right now? LinkedIn’s latest Workforce Confidence Index, a bi-weekly survey of 5,000 U.S. members, reveals an interesting... 10 comments on LinkedIn
Ok, I'm sorta sorry that I was making a poor attempt at old school Buzzfeed clickbait. The results of the survey really aren't all that surprising if you think about it.
Small business leaders own their own companies, they may be, in many cases fine no matter what happens. And they have to be confident to be a business leader.
Enterprise executive level people are usually comfortable, but they do have higher-ups they answer to. Their employees would feel somewhat confident because at least they're working somewhere where there are resources.
Small biz and self employed folk? Yeah, you gotta look over your shoulder every now and then.
Check out the survey. If you're a LinkedIn member, subscribe. The data is interesting.
And now, for your moment of Magazine Zen...
And the moment of Magazine Agita is brought to you by...
I hope that you all have a really good week.
If you like what you've read, please be sure to subscribe. Got some questions, comments, bones to pick? Drop me a line.
One last thing....
Chicago photographer Barry Butler captured what is called "ChicagoHenge" last week. I've actually seen this a few times and it is spectacular.
Please enjoy his picture!
