Digital publishing news for December 19, 2013
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has just launched a new online multimedia magazine. Lewis Lazare for the Chicago Business Journal writes, “It is believed to be the first dedicated music journalism site ever launched by an American symphony orchestra.”
The CSO wants to be seen where people are and that’s online and on mobile devices. Media coverage isn’t what it used to be, Philip Koester, vice president of sales and marketing for the CSO states,”Publications now have fewer resources to devote to the arts, it is more difficult for the CSO to obtain media coverage, especially previews of coming programs. Therefore, we are using brand journalism and content to tell our stories.”
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BlackBook Magazine is Back in Print and Digital
BlackBook Magazine is back, and they’re relaunching as a digital-print hybrid at BBook.com. The website itself even looks a little like a magazine, with a scrolling “news and happenings” list of content on the right-hand side of the page. “Next fall, the first bi-annual print issue will arrive, retailing for $10,” reports MediaBistro. Subscriptions are $17.
“The trick is transporting a respected, known arts & culture periodical to a successful and scalable daily digital execution,” says founder Evanly Schindler. “The maintenance of provocation, intelligence and curation is much more difficult within the context of an ongoing conversation.”
The Number of Magazines Closing Continues to Decline
Magazine launches outnumbered closures 3 to 1 in 2013 according to a new report from Media Finder. Michael Rondon from FOLIO reports, “With 185 new magazines in 2013, there were 18-percent fewer launches than there were in 2012, but closures fell almost twice as far. Just 56 titles shuttered in 2013, down more than 30 percent from the prior year and over 60 percent from 2011.” The top categories for magazine launches were food which included 23 new magazines, 17 regional publications and 13 woman themed magazines. For b to b publishers Rondon adds, “20 new magazines were launched, with 14 closures. Those numbers were also both down in 2013, from 31 and 16, respectively.”
Ad Free Bookazines are Challenging Magazines
Keith J. Kelly from the New York Post has a new report on how bookazines are challenging magazines at the newsstand. Kelly writes, “Bookazines — with cover prices of $9.99 or higher and virtually no ads — are a cross between magazines and paperback books.” A notable bookazine launch from this year was Meredith’s Allrecipes title. Expect to see many bookazine launches in 2014.
Bonnier Names New CMO
Elizabeth Burnham Murphy has been named as the chief marketing officer of the Bonnier Corporation. Chris O’Shea from FishBowl NY writes, “She most recently served as CMO of Bonnier’s Men’s Group, which includes Popular Science, Popular Photography, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life and American Photo.”
