image courtesy of Google
According to The Chicago Tribune, he is “the planet’s leading expert on magazines.” Today, it is my privilege to introduce you to the man known as Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni, Ph.D. Maybe you’ve already heard of him, perhaps not. As the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism, Husni has earned his title as the world’s leading tracker of magazine launches. The magazine buff spends nearly $15,000 on magazine publications each year as part of his research. Mr. Magazine is getting ready to publish the 24th edition of his noted book, Samir Husni’s Guide to New Magazines, and has authored several other guides on how to publish, design, and start your own magazine. He is a public intellectual in the realm of journalism and gives talks on trends present in today’s magazine industry to corporations such as Meredith and Hearst. Husni is a also regular judge of The National Magazine Awards.
So basically, he knows what he’s talking about. But he should be to be dubbed “Mr. Magazine”–right? Like us, Husni is an avid blogger on WordPress, where he gives his audience the inside scoop on the latest in periodicals. For example, did you know during the month of October over 100 magazines launched? So much for magazines being a dying industry. Although, Husni does admit that only 40 percent of new magazines celebrate their first anniversary. He also has his own Website, where you can get your fix of Mr. Magazine.
One of Husni’s major worries is the amount of “one-night stands” the magazine industry has been experiencing lately. Yes, you can start a magazine, and Mr. Magazine’s tips can help you, but that doesn’t mean you will spawn readership. ”We should be in the business of long lasting relationships if we are going to survive the future. The band-aids we are using today will not stop the bleeding, and if we can’t survive our present, do you really think the future will matter?,” says Husni in his latest blog entry.
Mr. Magazine is regularly interviewed by USA Today, New York Times, CNN–you name it. Get the low-down from Husni about all there is magazine, by just spending five minutes with him:
Do you think the magazine industry will bounce back and reignite the love flame with its readers? Do you trust Mr. Magazine?
5 responses so far ↓
emilycook // November 8, 2009 at 10:00 pm |
I think it’s hard not to trust this guy. I mean, come on, $15,000 a year on magazines? And I thought I had a big collection!
I was really shocked though by some of his numbers. It seems like we only hear bad news about magazines these days. That’s why I was shocked to hear that 100 launched in the month of October alone. I was not so surprised to read that over half never make it to one year.
I think magazines survive through their loyal audiences. These magazines that died must not have been able to really hook an audience and keep them wanting more. I’d be curious to know what the magazines are that didn’t make it compared to those that did.
Matthew H. Smith // November 9, 2009 at 7:00 pm |
This is insane. I’ve never heard of him. I want to know him. I want to be his best friend. But mostly, I want to skim through his inventory. Think of the knowledge that must be in this guy’s head. Has anyone called Guinness yet????
cfhaneberg // November 9, 2009 at 9:50 pm |
Emily- I completely agree with you. The magazines that have started and failed were obviously of no interest. With such titles and “Amish Rugs,” this only makes sense.
Matty- I am now Facebook friends with him. He is totally down to earth and approachable after I creeped his page.
eHogan (M/W) // November 10, 2009 at 4:54 pm |
I really liked hearing about Mr. Magazine.
I think the reasons magazines will survive, at least for awhile, is branding. It’s come to where magazines can represent culture and identity. For example, most people will know what you mean if you were to say, “She is more of a Martha Stewart Living than a Cosmo kind of girl.” Or “That skirt was more Seventeen than Vogue.” We associate images, values and lifestyles with magazines.
Magazines have taken this and run with it. Concepts like the “Good Housekeeping seal of approval” that is assigned to products keep the magazine’s identity alive and advertisers interested.
The only threat I see to magazines is that this content will eventually shift online and companies will move into the debate over how to make a profit online.
I think a good trick that not enough magazines use is the tease. In the magazine, they can tease to an article available only online, where you must type in some type of subscriber’s pin number or something to access it. That might make the shift online smoother without losing money on print copies for now.
I think Mr. Magazine will make it to retirement without being forced to give up his passion.
cfhaneberg // November 16, 2009 at 1:54 am |
Erin–I agree that some magazines, especially the ones who don’t make it to their first anniversary are completely disregarding the “tease factor.” They forget to lure their readers in and become too predictable. Titles are becoming to self-explanatory and are limiting the content that can be included. Yes, they are finding their “niche,” but no one wants to read 60 pages on different types of kitty litter in “Healthy Cat” magazine.