Hard Life

Not even this old pessimist saw this one coming, but HRH Nicholas Coleridge has just announced the closure of Easy Living. Although, of course, it’s not closing, it’s suspended. And it’s definitely not closing, it’s going digital only. From the press release:

The print publication of Easy Living will be suspended from the July issue, …  Condé Nast will now enter a period of statutory consultation with the title’s team, following which a final decision will be made on the future of the print publication. [I think we probably know what this decision will be don't we boys and girls?]

Quoth his Nicholasness “… we see few encouraging signs in this part of the market, with challenges at newsstand and an increasing reliance in the sector on multi-bagged offerings.  Easy Living’s print edition has a significant loyal fan base and subscriber base whom we will be reluctant to disappoint, and a particularly talented editorial and publishing staff.  ”

Presumably, therefore, the “particularly talented editorial and publishing staff” have nothing to fear from the “period of statutory consultation”?

Clapped Out Old Bangers

So the inevitable has happened at Autotrader with five of their titles -Autotrader, Top Marques (geddit), Truck and Plant, Van Trader and Farm Trader – going to that great breakers yard in the sky. Even two years ago Autotrader was selling over 60,000 copies a week, but it is now down to just 27,000 – a stunning illustration of how cyberspace ((c) HM the Queen) has devastated the classifieds business, whether that is small ads, recruitment or listings.

Looking more broadly at the motoring category we can see that there are some vulnerable big names, with Dennis, Haymarket and Bauer all having multiple products that are leaking readers and advertisers like oil from a Mark 1 Escort. What, really, is the point of a weekly car magazine? Or a monthly ‘motoring news’ title? Exactly.

Troubled Water

After 87 years it looks like Bridge magazine have discarded their ink on paper edition and gone digital only.

Who’s playing dummy?

There’s no art to find

ArtsProfessional, the magazine of news, information and features about management, development and administration of the arts has gone digital only with no paywall and no subscription, and funded entirely by advertising.

They say “[T]he rapid trend towards digital consumption, the 24-hour online news culture, the sharp contraction of the cultural sector …, the squeezing of arts organisations’ budgets … and the rising costs of print and postage have conspired against the economics of print publishing.”

Private Frazer has a couple of other appropriate quotes: “Making money is art.” (Andy Warhol); “Art is the elimination of the unnecessary.” (Picasso)

Rock Off

The latest print publication to go digital only is Artrocker magazine and, what would you know, this isn’t a setback, according to Tom Fawcett the editor in chief, it’s a reason for jubilation:

“When people were still ‘clubbing’  … we started a rock’n’roll night …. When people were saying the music industry was dead we launched a record label …. People were saying ‘Magazines are over’ so we started a magazine”

And when people were saying “the printer’s bill needs paying”, we went digital only.

 

Qube Flattened

To complete this week’s hat trick of print titles going ‘digital only’, Qube magazine – “proud to service the Facilities Management sector” (no, me neither) – has announced that its December issue was the last in the old, boring, fuddy-duddy ink on paper format.

It is venturing boldly into the future: “we are concentrating on our digital magazine and online presence that will give us more 21st century appeal and abilities”.

Bless.

 

 

[h/t to Norman for the link]

Punch Drunk

Print is on the receiving end of another knockdown as Newsquest’s Fighting Fit magazine has thrown in the towel on its dead tree edition.

Print: floats like a bee, stings like a butterfly.