While it is true that several smartly made, resilient outfits will get through the financially rocky 2009 with no problem whatsoever, alas, not all magazines are created equal. Next year will not be an enjoyable one for many, many publications.
Here are five mags you shouldn't be surprised to see close in the coming months.
MaximCirculation: 2.5 million
Mission: "Guys' ultimate guide."
Why it could fail: We're surprised it's made it this long. Two comparable titles, FHM and Stuff, have both shuttered in as many years years. It would make sense for Maxim, which has recently failed in everything from opening a casino to publishing a Black Crowes record review (they ran it without even hearing the album), to follow suit. What's one less article per month on how to get chicks at a Superbowl party?
CITY MagazineCirculation: 200,000
Mission: "Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2009, CITY is the undisputed destination for style."
Why it could fail: Because, despite its press materials, this magazine is a hugely disputed destination for style, competing for its ad money with millions of other bloated fashion publications. With things as bad as they are, it would be surprising if the luxury brands on which CITY relies continued dropping ad dollars into such a relatively small vanity project.
The AdvocateCirculation: 175,000
Mission: "The Advocate … reports on the people, events, and experiences that impact the lives of gay men and lesbians across the country."
Why it could fail: You hate to see America's oldest continuous gay publication die, but there's really no other way—The Advocate is obsolete. When it opened its doors in 1967, the newsmag provided a unique service, as mainstream media largely avoided LGBT issues. Nowadays, not only are stories about Prop 8 on the cover of every American paper worth its salt, gay media online is flourishing. The market for a biweekly, gay-oriented newsmagazine like The Advocate is dwindling quicker than you can say Queerty.
GlamourCirculation: 2,397,508
Mission: "Every month, Glamour empowers … modern readers with the best choices on how to live, look and feel their very best. "
Why it could fail: Keep in mind that we just said Glamour because we needed to put a name to the faceless mass of slipping, unnecessary women's magazines; Allure, Elle and Marie Claire would also have worked. Geez, talk about a flooded market. Eventually, one of these is going to have to give so that the others may survive.
Life & StyleCirculation: 681,723
Mission: "Life & Style is the celebrity style authority, with more pages devoted to style than any other celebrity weekly."
Why it could fail: Tabloids and women's magazines are facing a similar problem: there's too fucking many of them. That said, Life & Style, which just canned five staffers last month, is a true zero amongst many other zeros. Luckily, it was only launched in 2004, so nobody will miss it much.
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OK will go away. All those double issues, slashing their price again, etc–they're in their last days.
Some of us have said it a million times, even in meetings in New York, L.A. and D.C., and of course stupid publishing suits dumbly refuse to listen, but they seem to be suddenly paying attention to what many of us in the biz have said for years: Simply put, there are too many magazines, and there are too many bad, stupid magazines. It's that simple. There are too many. There are too many that are bad–and stupid. Stupid may be a strong word, but it applies: Stupid because they are bad, stupid because they were not needed or wanted by any demographic base, stupid because their literal production, layout, copy, editing and even ads were stupid. Stupid because they were duplicative. Stupid because they were just simply a huge waste of time, effort and money. Sorry for people who want to work in journalism, but blame the publishing suits for putting out too many magazines, and for putting out too many bad magazines. Most magazines on the shelves for the past 25 years deserve to die. They are just not needed, or wanted.
Ouch. Glamour? No way. How am I going to get a bloody job? Haha
You're just slamming Advocate cuz it's your competitor. It'll no doubt survive, whether you bash it or not. Advocate has much better writing & is much more informative than this shitty site.
…just like MOLLY GOOD never saw 2009! Idiots.
OK will go before Life & Style. L and S makes money. Ok loses money.
You do make a valid point about online site giving The Advocate a run for their money. It would be to bad to see them go under, they were a ground breaking magazine.
As long as there are frat guys guys Maxim will be around. I read it when it first came out but after awhile it was just the same old stuff over and over again.
I do find it interesting that the reason you foresee the death of The Advocate is the web. It seems like everyday you guys are posting on the death of newspapers. I think the web is the reason so many newspapers are in trouble. Most people are fine with going online for their news. The same sword that may cut The Advocate down you seem so glib over with your self promotion has just as likely chance of cutting into newspapers.
Would you be so worried for the state of newspapers if there was a Jossip News Journal?
No more Maxim?
Who's going to tell me once and for all if Jessica Alba is hotter than Jessica Biel?
Lol Hawkeye.
All across the great country men will look at photos of Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel undecided. Someone will point to Jessica Alba and say "Dude" in a serious tone causing his brethren to take pause. The silence will only be broken when another points at Jessica Biel and counters, "Yeah…but DUDE!"
@Hawkeye:
I KNOW
Woul be a pity re Advocate. One should try to keep that..for history's sake. It does alot..