Best Magazines of 2005

By Clayton A. Couch & Linda Van Sistine-Yost -- Library Journal, 5/1/2006

Techno-seers who predict that the Internet will spell the demise of print media could be accused of being oblivious to the very real pleasures of leisurely leafing through the glossy pages of well-produced magazines. Certainly, the continued appeal of print publications would seem to indicate that there are visceral and emotional realities that have yet to be addressed by their electronic counterparts. While the emergence of quality DVD and CD-ROM publications (some included in this year's roundup), along with an ever-increasing number of small-press online titles, indicates that new media formats are beginning to catch on with niche audiences, the more than 1000 new print magazine launches in 2005 suggest that sunny skies are still ahead.

In short, it was another good year for print magazine publishers: according to medialifemagazine.com, 2005 advertising revenues were up 7.2 percent from 2004, and major publishing players like Hearst Corporation, Meredith Publishing, Condé Nast, Reader's Digest Association, and Time, Inc. continued to develop notable offerings, with celebrity weeklies—a genre perfected in the UK market—serving as the flavor of the year. Lifestyle, women's, and teen publications also performed well, and continued growth in these three areas shouldn't surprise any observers. Additionally, gaming and hobbyist titles that cater to specialized leisure interests such as poker, knitting, and crossword puzzles should continue to show excellent returns in 2006.

Circulation from spin-offs

Spin-offs grabbed attention in 2005. WebMD arose from the web site of the same name, while Vogue, the ever-popular fashion magazine for women, developed its masculine counterpart, Men's Vogue. Every Day with Rachael Ray extended the celebrity chef's empire beyond the Food Network and her series of cookbooks, and ESPN and Prevention mined the Hispanic market with ESPN Deportes and Prevention en Espanol. Growing attention to brand loyalty and name recognition by major media conglomerates guarantees that these offspring won't be going away.

There are some gray clouds, however. One particularly noticeable area of concern, according to an article from Advertising Age (“You May Already Be a Winner in the Mile-High Circ Club!” by Simon Dumenco and Ann Marie Kerwin, 10/3/05), is major publishers' tendency to zero in on large numbers of subscribers as the sole indicator of success. Indeed, a “bigger is best” mentality has led to the demise or decline of several promising new titles in recent years, mainly because these publications weren't allowed to attract their audiences and advertisers organically. Precipitous up-ticks in magazine circulation figures, achieved artificially by means of discount subscriptions, do tend to attract high-end advertisers, but discount subscribers are a notoriously unreliable audience, with a perpetual penchant for greener pastures.

Amid all the temporary flash and thunder, what's a loyal magazine reader to do? One hopes 2006 will usher in a new era of responsibility for circulation-reporting practices. But it's equally likely that the industry will have to hit some sort of nadir before it changes.

Cookie. bi-m. $9.97. Ed: Pilar Guzman. www.cookiemag.com. ISSN 1556-410X.
Even if Mom is the only member of the clan who reads this family lifestyle magazine, it's a sure bet that Dad and the kids will benefit from it. Quality of life is Cookie's overall theme; to that end, it provides not only a consumer approach to family life's pleasures but a creative one as well. Articles feature distinctive and innovative advice about all the things that comprise family life. Cookie is a real treat.

Dell Extreme Sudoku. bi-m. $14.97. Ed: Abby Meher Taylor. www.dellmagazines.com.
Dell Magazines' puzzle digests are a fixture on U.S. newsstands. Its latest publication, Dell Extreme Sudoku, features Sudoku, the wildly popular number puzzle that—believe it or not—requires no math skills. Readers can choose their puzzles by order of difficulty, ranging from “Easy” to “Hard.” Unlike other puzzle-magazine publishers, Dell Magazines doesn't weigh down its titles with unnecessary advertisements or filler articles. It's no puzzle that this is highly recommended.

Every Day with Rachael Ray. bi-m. $18. Ed: Rachael Ray. www.rachaelraymag.com.
Tempting as it is to say, “Enough already!” to yet another venue that features Food Network star Ray, it's probably better to ignore a few episodes of her TV show than to miss out on this Reader's Digest Association publication. This glossy is decidedly not “all about Rachael”; instead, it's a worthwhile ensemble effort that takes, as one of Every Day's editors, Silvana Nardone, puts it, “a blue jeans approach to cooking, traveling, and entertaining.” Another comfortable fit for public libraries.

The Journal of Short Film. q. $36. Ed: Susan B. Halpern, Paul Hill, & Jennifer Lange. www.thejsf.org. DVD ISSN 1558-9846.
In this age of the Hollywood blockbuster and big box office, well-made short films rarely receive the attention or respect they deserve. The DVD publication The Journal of Short Film reveals that this genre is nonetheless alive and well and seeks to provide a venue for viewing excellent shorts—like the feature issue's Bludren, Final Lap, and We're Just Walking—all in one place. Recommended for most libraries.

Knitscene. q. $7.99/issue (newsstand only). Ed: Pam Allen. www.knitscene.com.
Knitscene—Interweave Press's beautiful full-color glossy all about (you guessed it) knitting—appeals to both beginners and the more advanced. It positively bursts at the seams with detailed instructional articles on how to create simple accessories like neck warmers, alpaca gloves, and clutch purses; then it ups the ante with more complicated items such as crochet slippers, posh cardigans, mesh tunics, and lace-edge skirts. Rich photographs and detailed illustrations round out this most reader-friendly hobbyist magazine. (LJ 1/06)

Make. q. $34.95. Ed: Mark Frauenfelder. www.makezine.com. ISSN 1556-2336.
Makewill grab the attention of technology-oriented library patrons with its return to the do-it-yourself theme abandoned by Popular Mechanicsand other publications years ago. These patrons are also likely to be drawn by Make's approach: it treats its readers as intelligent producers, not mere consumers, of technology. Refreshing, entertaining, and eminently educational, this one's highly recommended. (LJ 11/1/05)

Publio. q. $49. Ed: Imad Atalla. www.publio.com.
Like its mission “to reveal the happy conundrum of modern identity,” this cross-cultural magazine is a punchy pastiche of articles, poems, full-color mixed-media presentations, and short narratives that, sure enough, reflect the harried pace at which cultural identities are transformed in America today. Graphically sophisticated and gorgeously presented, Publio is well worth the subscription price for libraries with solid visual arts–related collections. (LJ 3/1/06)

Quick & Simple. w. $1.49/issue. Ed: Susan Toepfer. www.quickandsimple.com. ISSN 1556-7397.
In the familiar tradition of women's service magazines, Hearst Corporation's new Quick & Simplefeatures recipes, coupons, contests, fashion and beauty tips, and short pieces about home, health, and finances. This full-color weekly's focus is familiar (the day-to-day activities of modern family life), but its lively articles are both bite-sized and helpful and packaged in an easy-to-read, oversized format. Although currently only available at newsstands, Quick & Simpleshould welcome subscribers into the fold in no time.

Sacred History Magazine. q. $19.99. Ed: James D. Rietveld. www.sacredhistorymagazine.com.
In this era of megachurches, the ACLU, and the Christian Coalition, Christianity is a politically fraught subject, likely to intimidate even the most educated of readers. Thank heaven, then, for the arrival of Sacred History, a magazine that uses exquisite full-color photos, engaging and authoritative articles, and a nondogmatic editorial viewpoint to help a general audience make sense of this tough topic. Recommended for most public libraries. (LJ 11/1/05)

Verb. 2005. q. $50. Ed: Daren Wang. www.verb.org. CD-ROM ISBN 0-9765625-0-2.
Verb, a CD-ROM publication billed as one of the world's first audio-only literary journals, makes a strong case for listening to poetry and fiction being read aloud. Hear Thomas Lux, Marjorie Wentworth, Tom Franklin, the late James Dickey, and others articulate and explore the sonic qualities of their works, and you'll become an active participant in the creation of literary art. Engaging and novel, Verb is highly recommended for most libraries. (LJ 11/1/05)