kapookababy:

Recently I picked up a copy of new Australia title Corker Magazine but found it to be fairly disappointing. Average writing, lacklustre editorial direction and uninspired design. Honestly, I don’t understand why you’d ever launch a new print magazine these days. It’s about as smart an idea as opening a new record store. [Read the rest here. Bold added by me.]

No one should start a new magazine if you’ve only got average writers, lackluster editorial direction and uninspired design. Anything with that kind of effort put forth is destined to fail, even an online publication. I wholeheartedly agree that newspapers are going down in flames with no extinguishers on board, but magazines can be different. One main reason is that no one wants to sit at their computer to read a 20,000 word feature in something like Vanity Fair or Esquire. Computers are best for quick, bare essentials reading. There are far too many distractions. I certainly wouldn’t be able to stare at my screen for hours to take in a novel.

There are plenty of great magazines out there that started print-only and ended up big. Stop Smiling is the best example I can think of. J.C. Gabel started it as a small zine out of his college dorm room, and it’s grown into a giant. Each issue gets printed with multiple covers, and many people buy all three as collector’s items. It’s got great interviews, amazing design, and J.C. knows exactly what he wants as the editor and publisher. They also host and sponsor many events around Chicago.

If I were starting a publication, I would certainly get everything going online first to attract advertisers and whatnot, but just because you’re printed in ink on paper doesn’t mean you’re destined to fail. The internet is the new frontier, but print isn’t dead yet. At least not for magazines.