The newsstand experience continues to evolve, with an ever-changing façade of new titles in several categories — like Smithsonian Journeys, a gorgeous newcomer this year, and Adventure Outdoors Magazine, which puts a survival spin on the great wide world.
“In the first half of 2015, 60 magazines launched and 23 magazines closed, reported MediaFinder.com-the largest online database of U.S. and Canadian publications,” cites a MediaFinder press release just posted in Publishing Exec.
“Compared to the first six months of 2014, the number of magazine closures was down from 30 last year to 23 this year. At the same time, 93 new magazines launched last year, compared to 60 launches in the first half of 2015,” the release continues.
The MediaFinder stats do vary slightly from Mr. Magazine’s six-month launch figures, but both show more launches than closures, by a long shot. (Mr. Magazine counts as many magazines as he can literally get his hands on, while Media Finder is thorough, but not quite as comprehensive.)
Either way you slice the numbers, it’s clear that publishers are not afraid of launching in print, and readers are welcoming the additions to the marketplace. Lifestyle magazines are hot, and are a large reason behind the success of highly specialized and niche titles, as consumers continue their transition from mass market to tightly relevant reads.
We are thrilled to see the launch figures so far for 2015, and encouraged that the industry continues to grow and evolve in ways that make sense for readers, advertisers and the men and women who put these brilliant creatures out into the world month after month.