How Niche Magazines Survive and Thrive Through an Industry in Turmoil

Abstract

In recent years, many general-interest magazine publishers have had problems maintaining stability. What can these publications learn from smaller, niche titles that have remained successful through the same industry changes? This paper will examine three major strengths for niche magazines that general-interest magazine publishers lack: their reader devotion, their careful approaches to digitalization, and their use of paid digital content. These strengths are analyzed in three case studies from different sub-genres of niche publishing: a city magazine, a luxury product magazine, and a hobby magazine. This paper offers practical suggestions general-interest magazines can implement. Looking at the successful practices suggests the potential to address industry-wide problems and to potentially yield more stable magazine publishing environments.