Show Mummy the Money is the kind of independent magazine I had in mind when I wrote my blog post about helping independent magazines a week back. We received the new title yesterday – but no support material. The website for the magazine is packed with information. This could have easily been adjusted to help newsagents promote the title.
At the website I found the publisher pitching for subscriptions ahead of promoting newsagents. The page with this gives off a mixed message about price, even more mixed than I usually see around subscription versus retail offers.
The website also lists newsagents stocking the title. The static list is cumbersome to navigate – I ought to be able to enter my postcode and the site lists my closest newsagent stockist.
On the title itself, the magazine distributor has coded this to be placed in the parenting section. While this makes sense, Show Mummy the Money is the kind of title which is better launched to people who do not usually shop the parenting section – among the weeklies or, if the space is available, at the counter.
What newsagents need to make Show Mummy the Money and other new independent magazines successful is not much. To properyl launch this title I’d like to have been given:
- Cover run-ons.
- A product information sheet for my team.
- A poster or two.
- A competition to focus my mind on promoting the title.
- Inserted putaway cards to help build our business as opposed to subscription business.
Publishers need to treat newsagents as partners. We are investing our labour and real-estate to support this new title. We’re taking considerable risk – for the opportunity to make 25% of cover price. It’s reasonable for us to demand support from the publisher.