“It is about time to celebrate our industry, to light a candle rather than cursing the dark [the decline of single-copy sales]. Print is still, by far, generating more stories, more news, more emotions, more reactions that any digital platform,” says Samir Husni (aka Mr. Magazine) in last week’s article on the recent magazine circulation figures announced by AAM.
“The problem is not with print or with numbers, the problem is with the folks who have preconceived ideas of the future of print. They are writing to fit their preconceived notions,” he continues.
Husni’s article “Woman’s World Dethrones Cosmopolitan as the Single Copy Sales Queen… and the Facts Behind the Magazine Circulation Figures” somewhat breathlessly outlines the good news and surprising leaders in individual titles and publishers in the AAM Snapshot.
He’s right to be encouraged. Overall the numbers look good. Not great, not best ever, but certainly there is enough good news to share. And digital’s share of the market sits at just 3.3% of overall circulation, certainly not the kill switch some predicted.
We also like BoSack’s level-headed response to Husni.
“I believe that print will survive and be very profitable for many publishers for several generations,” BoSacks prognosticated. “I believe that there will literally be billions of dollars of print advertising revenue for the print industry going out as far as 2020.”
He points out, and rightly so, that the industry has taken a hit, along with so many other industries since 2007. And he cautions, “Enthusiasm alone is not a good business model. You actually need consistent revenue growth in both product sales and revenue dollars earned to survive.”
Yet his belief in print publishing remains solid. As does ours.
Magazine publishers continue to launch new print titles and invest in their key product. Advertisers continue to take out spreads to reach their audience. And printers continue to bring magazines to life for the readers to devour. And that is the magazine industry as it stands today, and well into the future.