One of the most annoying things about magazine people (myself included) is the desire to point out magazine faults and fine points to other people. Usually those people are friends and family. Usually they don't care.
The conversation goes something like this:
Me: Did you see that crap from Geico masquerading as a magazine?
Family Member: What are you talking about?
Me: That "magazine" from Geico
Family Member: Geico, the insurance company?
Me: Yes.
Family Member: Um, no, I must have missed it.
Me: 10 minute rant about the magazine.
Family Member: You need a hobby.
There are other variations of that conversation where I might want to point out how the annotated Table of Contents trend is becoming overused. Or how an article on Esquire was the best thing I've read in 10 years. At best I'm met with polite nodding and distracted acknowledgement.
This blog is to do just what the title suggests: It's to talk about magazines, preferably with people who actually care about such things
Now I don't have a Madison Ave publishing pedigree. Let's get that out up front. But I've been writing and editing magazines for more than 20 years. I learned from some great editorial wordsmiths in Roger Longman and David Cassak, and along the way, have tried to soak up as much as I can from the many great editors, strategists, writers, art directors, production managers, and yes, even publishers with whom I've worked.
Over the years, I've worked on publications from luxury shelter to debt collecting; from automotive to biotechnology; from travel to cancer research. Having spent so many years at a custom publishing agency, I've had the good fortune of working on more than 60 different titles -- and countless other pitches!
Although I'll always have a bias toward print, for the purpose of this blog, I'm going to define a magazine as a collection of content that is written, edited, designed and delivered to a community of readers on a regular schedule. I'll talk about corporate magazines and custom magazines, consumer magazines and trade magazines, association magazines and non-profit magazines.
I hope we'll have a good dialogue here, but if nothing else, it'll keep me from annoying my family and friends just a little bit.
--michael
