Reflections on the folding of a favorite magazine and what the future might hold for magazine writers.
By Lisa Abeyta
The first tweet I read this morning was from one of my former editors who let me experiment and create recipes which she then published. She taught me to not just love creating food but to love the exquisite way words could blend together to create a torrid love affair with food.
Her tweet at first caught me off guard—she was mourning the demise of one of the anchors the food magazine industry, Conde Nast’s Gourmet Magazine. The conversation on Twitter buzzed all day—if Gourmet couldn’t survive the blood-letting, who could?
“For me, reading now of their closure is almost like reading the obituary of a former lover.”
It is indeed sad to see Gourmet go, a real loss for the publishing industry. But to be honest, my own love affair with several of the major publications ended a few years ago. For me, reading now of their closure is almost like reading the obituary of a former lover. You remember with fondness the good times shared, savor one or two special moments and then? Then you turn the obituary page and begin to read the funnies. Not out of callousness, but because you’d moved on from that part of your life long before it became official that there was no going back.
Getting Real
How did what was once a torrid love affair for me grow cold? The magazine didn’t grow with me— and by grow, I really mean shrink. When times were getting tight, the new issues were still glorifying a life of luxury. And when my spouse’s company closed the entire office, leaving us to retool and rethink our own futures, the magazine was still sending their staff on press junkets to sandy beaches and five-star hotels … and rubbing the end result in my nose, that is, whenever I could pull it away from the grindstone long enough to feel envious.
And so I moved on. I found publications that talked about my reality, my hopes and dreams. They celebrated life, no doubt, but with more grace and restraint. And most of those turned out to be regional publications, which were owned and managed by folks in the same boat that we as a nation were in, hanging on to what security was left and figuring out how to enjoy life without being too irresponsible.
Another stumbling block for many of the giants we now see falling is that many did not retool in time to accommodate a more mobile generation. People today don’t spend nearly as much time reading magazines as they used to. Magazine racks in the family bathroom used to mean that the periodicals were thumbed through on a daily basis. I can remember in the not so distant past searching for the Reader’s Digest before camping out in the restroom, plowing through story after story despite my siblings banging on the door for their own turn. Now? People carry their smart phones into that inner sanctum where they Tweet and Facebook and catch up on their mail. They instant-message and scroll through specialized iPhone apps which deliver content tailored to their individual interests. And the magazines? They became coffee table decorations about the same time as smart phones made it possible to carry interactive media in our pocket.
My own prediction is that one of the largest growths in the publishing industry will be in the mobile platform. Kindle has been far more successful than many of us skeptics expected—perhaps not as successful as Amazon had hoped, but still enough of a presence to become a recognized household name. iPhone apps are proliferating at a thundering pace. Why? Because people enjoy the exclusive environment provided in a single app—not too much information, but delivered in a pleasant environment with just enough detail to get the job done.
I am putting my money where my mouth is. For the past few months, I’ve spent hours upon hours in research, design and developing content for a new iPhone App, ABQCityLife. In just a few short weeks, my first foray into the world of writing for the mobile platform will launch as a city guide which caters to the interests and needs of locals while providing useful content to tourists.
Evoking Magazine Style
From the beginning of this project, my goal has remained the same—to evoke the luxurious, glossy feel of a magazine with content which locals can use every day to live, work and play—and feel a little better about themselves at the end of that day. To that end, there will be content to reduce stress like finding the stupid post office that you thought was right around the corner, or the polling place for the local election. Fun events, local festivals and all the things that make people laugh and play, those will be there as well. And, of course, fresh content—best bets, profiles, news, and issues.
I read the epitaph this morning in the headlines, and yes, I grieved. I learned to eat well from reading such staples as Gourmet and Bon Appetit. Today, I remembered one or two of my favorite issues still tucked away in my pantry. But then I moved on. Because if I don’t keep moving on and changing, I’ll be left behind as well. It’s a fast, mobile world. And that’s where I plan set up shop in hopes of becoming the love affair for a new generation of readers.
Lisa Abeyta is a freelance writer and columnist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Published in Writer’s Market, Writer’s Digest, New Mexico Magazine and many others, she also provides innovative online content for corporate clients. Check out her blog at ABQCityLife.
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Lisa,
Great comments as always. Your new ABQCityLife sounds like a perfect match for your skills. Watched the Balloon photos on TV and thought of you and New Mexico. Would have loved to have you for a resource when we visited NM.
I have a couple of their magazines in my pantry too. They will probably be collectors’ items before I actually make any of the recipes, but OHHHH how the pictures could make me drool. Guess one way to look at their closing is that it will be good for my diet–yea right!
I share your same sense of loss, Lisa. Only my loss? It’s a magazine that’s not yet dead. Its attempts of late to speak to its readership on a more one-on-one level leaves me feeling it’s too little too late. A fashion magazine – used to high-end fashion that only the elite few can afford. In a recession, how’s that going for you? They devoted one issue to fashions under $100, but they’re missing the point. Their demographic is NOT based in Manhattan, where finding something under $100 is a challenge. We’re from everywhere else, where $1,200 party dresses are things we flip by on our way to the coupons.
It speaks to the larger issue in publishing – the evolution of a publication. If we don’t evolve with the times and the audience, how long will we survive in a good market let alone a lousy one?
Thanks for making me think today. :)
Interesting response! You are the first person I’ve heard say anything less than the-world-is-ending about Gourmet closing, so I am fascinated. You make some very good points about the luxury lifestyle vs. reality in America today – I also wondered if they could’ve reached out in social media more. Like, Bon Appetit, for example, has Orangette blogger Molly Wizenberg writing a column, and I can’t tell you how many people I know read the magazine just for that column. Perfect example of being aware of your readership and, as you said, growing with them.
Can’t say we haven’t seen all this coming for 5 or 10 years. Print publishers and writers need to migrate online — and monetize — or die.
Maybe I’m anachronistic but there is something about curling tactilely with a glossie slick and beautifully produced publication like Gourmet. Rich with evocative photography that leaps off the page and inviting me to flip back and forth I find magazines a guilty pleasure that simply can’t be replicated let alone replaced by electronic mediums.
This is particularly true when stuck at the dentists or in a cramped middle seat on an airplane. I find I’m comforted by and enjoy the good old fashioned, old media glossie magazine.
Am I a dinosaur? Perhaps, but I own a Kindle (love it) and spend several hours a day online writing, reading, blogging and tweeting. I love iPhones and the world of possibilities they offer but can’t help feeling that culturally we are losing something with the demise of print media both magazines and traditional daily journals. yes they have to continue to evolve and change and maintain their relevance but I can’t help but feel that we (media consumers) will pay (literally) when the no revenue streams of some of these formats prove untenable and they figure out how to get our money.
Unlike commercials on TV, I enjoy a well produced print ad and gain information, albeit propaganda – I can at least turn the page.