First Round Exit

Last July Ken Monkou (“an ex-Chelsea player of the year”) launched a glossy quarterly magazine called Football Life.

It appears Mr Monkou’s concept of time is as elastic as stoppage time at Old Trafford as issue 2 has yet to haul itself off the bench, and the web address is redirecting to a design agency (www.footballlifemagazine.com).

From the launch PR:

In the football magazine genre, there is not a single publication that successfully gives a 360 degree world-view of the human stories and real life personalities behind the sport’s glamorous image.

And there still isn’t.

Back of the net!

(H/T to Michael)

Smaller World

Globeland, the magazine for 8-13 year old children, has stopped the world and got off after just six months.

No Pulse

News from the homeland, and it appears that the vital signs of Pulse magazine have started flatlining.

Described as ‘a monthly celebration of the very best Edinburgh has to offer’ (Private Frazer hopes that The Tempting Tattie is top of the list), the magazine  “has struggled throughout the year to achieve expected advertising revenues” and is expected to be canned by the middle of next month.

A free events magazine that can’t gain the necessary advertising revenue? I wonder if that’s any sort of lesson for anyone?

(hat tip to FlippingPages for this)

Pray for them

Press release from the InPublishing site

Saint Michael Studios launches ‘I Love Christian Music Magazine’ – the new bi-monthly A4 glossy featuring the latest Contemporary Christian Music news, interviews, articles, reviews, competitions and more.

Jesus wept.

I’m Out

From Press Gazette

Star of BBC TV show Dragons’ Den is James Caan is backing the launch of a new monthly business magazine called The Market.

The publishers describe the new title as “Grazia meets the Economist”.

“Grazia meets the Economist.” Nope, makes even less sense the second time.

To close by issue five

Press Gazette reports that publisher Public Matters is launching Elected - a new magazine for politicians aimed at “promoting best practice and innovation in public services”.

“The first three editions of the new monthly magazine will be sent free to every elected politician in the country…After that the magazine will be available via subscription.”

Oh dear. Vote of confidence anyone?

Take me to your reader

If it’s true that no one ever went broke by underestimating the intelligence of the public, then the new UFO Matrix magazine should be on to a winner.

Private Frazer is a wee bit more sceptical – both about little grey men and about the title’s chances of survival. The truth is out there, but the readers probably aren’t.

The clue’s in the name

Launched two weeks ago and a perfect example of “are you sure that’s wise sir”, ladies and genetlemen we give you Eulogy magazine “The world’s first magazine to celebrate life and death”. A great attitude – we can celebrate the launch now and the closure in three months’ time.

Are you sure that’s wise sir? (17/11/09)

From Media Week (RIP)

Former Chelsea football ace Ken Monkou is preparing to launch a quarterly aspirational glossy magazine in the UK called Life After Football. …[Monkou]claims launch circulation “will exceed 90,000 copies”

And Falkirk will win the Scottish Premiership.

Are you sure that’s wise sir? (01/06/09)

Is it just me, or does this seem like it’s got ‘doomed’ written all over it in six foot high letters?

22-year-old to launch free glossy fashion magazine

There’s the combination of a hugely competitive market (one that needs very expensive content and production values), a small circulation and a product that’s entirely advertising funded (notwithstanding HRH’s few quid).

And I’d like to be fair and balanced and say that lots of top magazines have been launched by people with very little experience, but even so…“After completing a fashion history degree, Thomas-Ismond worked as a fashion assistant [intern]at Grazia … then became a buyer and merchandiser for Liberty.”