Mr. Magazine announces his yearly Top 30 new magazine titles, with a solid mix of big brands and new publishers.
“New magazine launches have seen no slow down. I think we’ve done a respectable job of proving that fact over the last 12 months,” writes Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni in his blog. “And if you don’t agree, maybe the actual numbers will convince you. Between October 2014 and the end of September 2015 there was a total of 830 new magazine launches – with 215 of those promising frequency. For a print industry that has been written by some as dead or declining, that sounds extremely healthy to me. What about you?”
We couldn’t agree more.
Like Husni, we applaud the passion and vision of the teams that put together the 830 new titles that launched this year, whether they made Husni’s Top 30 list or not.
The list includes titles from big names in the publishing world as well as start-ups and entrepreneurs, all of which speak to the ongoing vitality of the medium.
“These people aren’t in the business of wasting dollars on something that has no value, especially when those new babies are some of the absolutely best of the best,” he writes regarding the launches from the big media brands. “This time around some of the mega giants of the publishing world, from Bauer to Meredith to Smithsonian to National Geographic and Rodale, have managed to recreate magic once again with titles that are content-engaging and design-brilliant.”
“And the entrepreneurs, with their vision and determination to launch their magazine no matter the cost to their wallets and their emotions, are no less amazing. Some of the best titles I’ve seen in a long time are among our Top 30 and they come from relatively unknown publishers who are not without experience, just without the stolid names that audiences know so well. Magazines such as: Big Life, Marijuana Venture, Take and Creativ,” Husni continues.
So what is the hottest launch of this year? You’ll have to wait and see. Husni will unveil the winner at the Media Industry Newsletter breakfast in NYC in December. We’ll let you know then!