It's Tuesday: Let's Just Put A Pin In That, OK? Issue #61

I'd like to say something to the people who keep writing columns that say, "Print is dead." Look, this is just tiresome 13 years on. Can we just not?

Print isn't dead. However, it has lost much of its clout and its allure to the large mainstream publishing houses and advertisers that produce them or feed them. What is bringing this reaction on from me? Condé Nast is eliminating the print edition of Allure Magazine at the end of the year and of course, we're seeing all sorts of writers with "feelings" about this.

For the record: This is not shocking. This is not the death of print. This is not the end of the world. People who work in the world of print (And, yes, Digital) magazines are not in mourning, walking the streets of Midtown Manhattan rending their garments and chanting funereal dirges.

Well, I should hope not. That would look really silly. But I bet they're updating their LinkedIn profiles.

Allure was launched thirty one years ago and that's a pretty long life for a magazine and a brand. It filled a very specific niche when it was launched. The original audience has aged out of the brand and the current audience for their editorial does not live in and with the world of print magazines. They're online. Allure will remain online.

Accept that. Or don't.

As a worker in the magazine world, it is disheartening to witness the loss of cultural clout. It is a hard thing to accept. You may still think your job is pretty cool, but the rest of the world has moved on.

On the bright side: There's a really good chance that Hollywood will never, ever, ever make another magazine based rom-com.

---

The premiere issue of Allure Magazine featured model Stephanie Seymour. It also cost $2.50 at the newsstand.

1___The Print Edition of Allure is Shuttered

BeautyMatter | Print Is Dead at Allure Magazine — beautymatter.com

Conde Nast continues its digital pivot with the publishing giant announcing plans to shutter the print edition of its beauty tome Allure, and the December 2022 magazine will be its last.

The total circulation for Allure Magazine in the most recent AAM report was 1,179,869 copies of which (if I did my maths right) 97% was print and more than 98% was paid. Total circulation was down less than 10,000 copies from the prior year. Ten years ago (2012), the AAM report for Allure showed a circulation of 1,087,006. So not a lot of growth over ten years. Allure was at best stagnant, but had at least found new sources of circulation b y replacing their newsstand sales. In 2012 single copy sales accounted for 130,000 copies of that 1 million plus. In 2022, less than 10,000. Most likely they gave up a lot of checkouts to more lucrative Condé Nast SIPs.

Is print dead, as the editors of Beauty Matter suggest? No. Allure’s print edition is scheduled for death. Why? See above. Note also all of the articles out there about declining print advertising revenue.

Is that sad? Well, yeah, kind of. If you like print magazines. Personally, I hate to see magazines die and I hate to see people lose their jobs.

Publishing a magazine is a very expensive prospect these days and you have to make sure you can justify what you’re doing.

2___Meanwhile, Over in the Catalog World...

Catalogers Need to Partner Even More Closely With Their Printer — www.mytotalretail.com There are new business rules being dictated by the paper companies and the shortage of paper. Work with your printer to manage your way through this crisis. Close cooperation with your printer will help you navigate your catalog marketing through the rest of 2022.

These rules are equally transferrable to print magazines. Costs are rising, paper is tight, postage can be a bear. Don’t be foolish and ignore everything that is going on. Have a plan.

Most importantly: Be willing to be flexible.

3___Google Blocks Truth Social from the Google Play Store

Trump's Truth Social barred from Google Play store over content moderation concerns — www.cnbc.com Truth Social, the would-be Twitter competitor created by Trump Media and Technology Group, remains unavailable on the Google Play store.

Scoop: Truth Social's Google Play Store holdup — www.axios.com Truth Social's CEO Devin Nunes and Google disagree on the current state of play.

I firmly believe that if you are a social media platform, you are a publisher. People are posting written, spoken or video’d words and using your platform to do so. Some of the content is just the opinion of the members, some of the content comes from professional news organizations.

Therefore, you are a publisher. You have put something out into the world that is intended to inform, entertain or motivate people. You have some responsibility for the content on your platform.

Don’t like that? Don’t be a publisher.

4___Virginia Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Challenging Sale of Two "Obscene" Books

Virginia judge dismisses lawsuit challenging sale of two 'obscene' books - The Washington Post — www.washingtonpost.com The two books being challenged in the lawsuit are Maia Kobabe’s “Gender Queer,” a memoir about identifying as nonbinary, and Sarah J. Maas’s fantasy novel “A Court of Mist and Fury".

A Virginia Republican’s Attempt to Ban Two Books Just Fell Apart. He Says Dobbs Will Keep Him Going. — slate.com The case is a warning shot.

Narrator: As we originally stated, the books are not obscene.

5___Meanwhile, In the World of Crazy, Brave Publishers Starting Indie Magazines...

I’m Starting a Print Magazine for Backpackers: Here’s Why | GearJunkie — gearjunkie.com Other magazines are closing up for a reason. Trails Magazine is out to solve that.

Random: If You Enjoyed 'Hand-Drawn Gaming Guides', This New Magazine Is Just For You | Nintendo Life — www.nintendolife.com

Patreon support now available - Phil Summers, the artist behind 'Hand-Drawn Game Guides', is venturing into the world of p...W

What was that about "Print is dead?"

For Your Moment of Magazine Zen...

Feast your eyes on the cover of the September "Style" issue of Washingtonian Magazine (Note: I am not affiliated with this publication).

Hey, guess what? It's September so it's now OK to add a little pumpkin spice to everything you eat and drink in the break room. Don't like pumpkin spice? Cool. It's September, so it's now OK to officially scorn everything pumpkin spice and let the world know you're a pumpkin spice hater.

At the Monday staff meeting, Franklin finally realized that working in magazine media wasn't at all like those movies he loved so much. Geordi regretted his choice of a turquoise tie and wished he could tell Veronica something good about the circulation numbers. Veronica didn't give a sh*t about his tie and silently wished she had gone on to law school. And Suzanna suddenly realized that her pumpkin spiced edible had kicked in...(Source: Pioneera.com)

That’s it. That’s all I have for you so early into the week. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please give it a boost by clicking “Like” and then subscribe. You’ll get a brand new release in your email in-box every Tuesday. 

If you’ve got a question or comment, please drop me a line. You can always reach me at joe.berger@newsstandpros.com.

Want to follow me on Twitter? You can find me here.

My Instagram link is here.

Want to feel all professional and see what I look like with a suit and tie? Here’s my LinkedIn.

I hope you have a great week!