Category / 100 Words

by Magdiaries

Expert voices

I head up creation of 100s of magazines a year, but am also an avid consumer.

The Face, Grand Royal and Jack Magazine produced highly emotive content that had cult followings, rarely seen in magazine publishing today.

I now only buy the NME. Having tried the web site for several months I returned to buying the curated form, putting my trust in a small editorial team to enthuse me through their content selection.

Content that requires an expert voice and that’s delivered to engage and entertain will live on in “paid for” curated form, whether that’s digital, print or otherwise.

Ian Robson | Head of T3, Science Uncovered and Computing Group, Future



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

An odd decision

Launching a print magazine in January 2011 was a strange business decision.

The economy was in tatters, circulations were in sharp decline, and every day brought stories of layoffs and closures. But while bigger titles struggled, a number of fleet-footed indie magazines have flourished.

I launched Delayed Gratification with a group of friends who shared a love for print magazines and original journalism – and it’s been encouraging to discover we’re not alone. It’s hard work but it’s immensely rewarding, and there’s a real sense of passion, cooperation and innovation in our industry.

These are odd but exciting times for magazines.

Rob Orchard | Director, The Slow Journalism Company; Publisher, Delayed Gratification



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

The magazine drives the brand

Magazines were a dirty word when my title, Travel Trade Gazette, and our associated products came under the jurisdiction of our previous corporate owner. No investment, no attention, no love…

Now as part of TTG Media, an independent business I formed to take over our brand in 2013, the B2B magazine is thriving, and sales are up after years of decline.

Our associated products – our portfolio of events and websites, led by the TTG Travel Awards, TTG On Tour roadshows and ttgdigital.com – drive the profit.

Yet it’s our magazine, still powered out weekly 61 years after launch, which drives the brand.

 



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

They shot a horse, did they?

They shot a horse, did they?

Yes, a white horse. On 35mm film. And nobody remembers.

27 July 1999: Bite me is launched at the Glasgow Film Theatre, with Wesley Snipe’s Blade. Hundreds turn up in vampire costume. The white horse arrives on Rose Street. A sword-wielding warrior woman from a Viking Re-enactment group sits astride it.

But in a pre-digital era, no tweets, no instagrams, no camera phones, capture the scene.

And so it exists in memory only. Unless I re-launch. Join the digital magazine revolution. Repeat the whole escapade and give the horse the digital immortality it deserves.

Arlene Russo | Editor, Bite Me magazine



Grub Street Journal
by Magdiaries

Loose cattle

“Skip it, click there, the next article will be more rewarding”, whispers the mind of the internet user.

The grass is always greener behind the next link, but the cud is abandoned, the infinite nature of it all prevents us from engaging with the author, the photographer or, dare I say, the advertiser.

Where quality and codswallop remain unabsorbed, receiving short shrift, traffic is king and standards fall.

100 words. What message could be conveyed clearly in such a space? Well it must, because you’ll be off, drawn by a twinkle…

…still reading? Print magazines may provide you solace.

David Atkins | Newsstand

 

 



Grub Street Journal