Podcast Summary: Decoder Ring – Can the “Bookazine” Save Magazines?

Podcast: Slow Burn (Decoder Ring segment)
Host: Willa Paskin, Slate Podcasts
Date: April 10, 2024
Episode Theme: An investigation into the rise of “bookazines”—single-topic, one-off publications filling checkout racks—and whether they represent a lifeline, a transformation, or a last gasp for the magazine industry.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the evolving world of print magazines by examining the proliferation of “bookazines”: glossy, single-topic publications stacked near supermarket checkout lines. Host Willa Paskin embarks on a journalistic quest—prompted by the odd sight of a Robert Redford-focused magazine—to understand who's creating these publications, who's buying them, and how (and why) they're thriving even as traditional magazines vanish from shelves.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Bookazines on the Rise: What Are They?

• [01:30–05:00]
  • Changing Magazine Racks: The once-vibrant magazine racks of stores like CVS and Walgreens are now dominated by single-topic titles—bookazines.
  • Willa’s Discovery: The realization that a Robert Redford-themed magazine wasn’t the defunct Redbook, but a bookazine, prompts deeper inquiry.
  • Bookazine Characteristics: No advertising, just 100 pages about a singular person or theme; lush with images and quotes.

“The innocuous looking bookazine is either a way forward for the magazine or a last gasp for a format trying to survive on the very racks that used to be its natural habitat.”
— Willa Paskin [04:45]

2. Behind the Scenes: The Creators of Bookazines

• [06:45–13:30]
  • Kara Donnelly’s Story: Veteran magazine journalist Kara Donnelly (formerly of People) discusses her transition from editorial staff to freelance bookazine creator after the collapse of traditional magazine jobs.
  • Editorial Craft: Bookazines aren’t mere “copy and paste” jobs; many are researched and written by seasoned professionals, though the process is compressed—with less pay and tighter deadlines.

“My professional resume is, I think, a textbook example of what’s happened to journalism and my bank account as well.”
— Kara Donnelly [07:02]

• Economics: Teams of freelancers produce a bookazine for a lump sum ($17,000–$30,000), split among writers, editors, and designers.

“The new world is you don’t get paid nearly as much and your deadlines are much faster.”
— Kara Donnelly [13:05]

3. The Business Model: How Do Bookazines Make Money?

• [15:06–24:44]
  • Single Revenue Stream: Unlike traditional magazines—with advertising, subscription, and retail income—bookazines rely solely on retail sales.
  • Sales Figures: Bookazines sell 25,000–100,000 copies per issue, far below traditional magazines, but command higher prices ($12.99–$18.99).
  • Longevity & Cost: Bookazines stay on racks for up to 90 days, cost less to produce, and often repurpose content, enhancing profitability.

“They are lower Cirque...special interest publications are selling anywhere from 25 to 100,000 copies per issue.”
— Eric Zegda, Executive VP, A360 Media [18:49]

• Niche Appeal: They cater to fans' “intense niche interest” (e.g., Taylor Swift, Star Wars), acting as collectible deep dives.
• Vertical Integration: A few companies, led by A360 Media (formerly AMI, publisher of National Enquirer), dominate production, distribution, and even the logistics of getting bookazines onto retail racks—maximizing their revenue.

“That’s what a bookazine tries to do, is tap into that fandom and create a product for these consumers.”
— Eric Zegda [20:50]

4. Reader Perspective: A New Kind of Experience

• [25:05–28:50]
  • Nostalgia for Magazines: Many readers grew up with magazines as a staple. As newsstands dwindled, bookazines filled a void, albeit imperfectly.
  • Discovery During the Pandemic: Writer Eric Radvon describes the joy of “impulse buying” a Star Wars bookazine and subsequently becoming a fan of their depth and tactile experience.

“I was just really impressed, like, how much research and thought and care there was put into this thing that was on the shelf at CVS.”
— Eric Radvon [27:18]

• Editorial Variation: Some bookazines are thoughtful and well-curated; others are more repurposed filler. For passionate fans, the “keepsake” quality and focused editorial voice are appealing.

5. Bookazines: A Career Lifeline—And a Compromise

• [28:58–30:47]
  • For Creators: Making bookazines is a lifeline for experienced journalists looking to ply their craft amid shrinking opportunities, though with less job security and pay.
  • Personal Story: Kara Donnelly appears on the Kelly Clarkson show to discuss coming out as transgender, reinforcing that human stories and hard work underpin these publications—even in a streamlined format.

“The plus with everything now is at least it’s a facsimile of what I used to do … and it’s still a chance to have fun.”
— Kara Donnelly [30:47]

6. The Future: Survival, Not Renaissance

• [31:05–32:39]
  • Magazine Nostalgia: Willa Paskin muses on what would fill checkout racks if magazines vanished—chocolate, chapstick? She concludes that, flawed though they are, bookazines preserve some virtues of print magazines—persistence, curation, physicality—in a changed landscape.

“For now, they have something that a lot of magazines don’t: the undeniable virtue of still being here.”
— Willa Paskin [32:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Magazine Industry Change:
  “Advertising dollars disappeared and revenue tumbled, leading to mass layoffs and consolidation.”
  — Willa Paskin [08:26]

• On the Bookazine’s Appeal:
  "It's because this is 100% focused on a topic they are extremely passionate about."
  — Eric Zegda [20:13]

• On Personal Connection to Magazines:
  "Way before I worked at one, I read them, I pored over the articles and the pictures... I thrilled to pick one out before getting on an airplane."
  — Willa Paskin [31:05]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bookazines in the wild / Discovery – [01:30–05:00]
• Profile: Kara Donnelly, bookazine writer – [06:45–13:30]
• Bookazine business model and vertical integration – [15:06–24:44]
• Reader experience and perspectives (Eric Radvon) – [25:05–28:50]
• What bookazines mean for creators (Kara’s story) – [28:58–30:47]
• Reflections and the future of magazine racks – [31:05–32:39]

Conclusion

Can the bookazine save magazines?
Bookazines are flourishing in the ruins of old magazine empires—not by resurrecting substantive magazine journalism, but by creating collectible, single-subject souvenirs for passionate fans. For creators like Kara Donnelly, they offer both continuity and compromise; for companies like A360 Media, they are a profitable adaptation. For readers, they offer a curated, tactile respite from bottomless digital content.

Ultimately, bookazines are not a rebirth for magazines—but a clever mutation, keeping a fragment of the old spirit alive for now, as Willa Paskin sums up:

“For now, they have something that a lot of magazines don’t: the undeniable virtue of still being here.” [32:16]

End of Summary.