The Queen is dead
Long live something better
I don’t quite know how to feel about the Queen’s passing. More than 10 hours from home in Cape Town, I feel like telling everyone ‘the Queen is dead’ even although I’ve spent most of my adult life arguing against the monarchy’s right to exist.
Thinking hard about it, the only thing I can come up with is she seemed to be a deeply decent human being in a world defined by venal public figures out for what they can get for themselves. She lived a privileged life, no doubt, but she paid for it with 70 years of unwavering public service.
I truly hope that in my lifetime the British monarchy quietly disappears, replaced by something more democratic, more representative of ordinary people. But right now, I am sad that we no longer have someone so dedicated to honest public service in our corner.
I’m sad that the Queen is gone, but hopeful for something better.
Bring on the bookazines
Buckle up! The newsstands are about to be flooded by souvenir specials laying out the Queen’s reign in minute four-colour detail. The usual suspects have had them ready to go for months, years, poised to cash in on people’s need to own part of this ‘Big Moment’.
As much as I hate the term bookazine, and the inevitable feeding frenzy that always accompanies Royal news, curated archive collections are a great way to make the most of content that you’ve already created. People will pay for comprehensive, well produced publications that lay out, end to end, the stories they are passionate about.
One word of advice from former People editor Larry Hacket, who I had the joy to interview in at the FIPP world congress in Las Vegas in 2019. He said you shouldn’t produce a bookazine that’s too close to what you deliver on a weekly or monthly basis. It has to be an extension of your brand.
If it’s really just kind of a half step away, the reader’s going to go: ‘Why am I getting this? And it costs six or seven bucks more?’
A sense of belonging
All the Royal commentators are talking about what a unifying force the Queen was. I don’t know about that; I think we’re in for bitter debate about the future of the institution she embodied. But there’s no denying that a sense of belonging is a powerful thing and, if the magazine industry has any more pivots left in the tank, then a pivot to community is very likely to be next on the list.
In his newsletter, Simon Owens outlines the foundations of this pivot - the power of connecting people. After walking away from open comments sections, Simon describes how publishers are bringing people back into their orbit on community platforms.
This is a great How-To piece, running through platform choice, jump-starting the conversation, building habits and deciding who to let in.
Campaigning covers
The first flurry of magazine covers to follow the Queen’s death will be focused on her era-spanning reign, her public service and her memory. But it won’t be long before we see covers questioning the future role of King Charles III and his heirs.
Campaigning covers are tackling the biggest issues of our time. From Trump to abortion rights, publishers are using the newsstand to show the world where they stand. This piece from Eye on Design lays out some of the most impactful covers of recent times, with leading art directors commenting on why they work so well.
Maybe you’re not ready to take on The Establishment quite yet, but I bet there are issues your audience feels really strongly about. Your cover might be the best way to let them know you are on their side.
I’m going back to a gentler time with this week’s Magazine Song. Irving Berlin’s The Girl on the Magazine Cover was written in 1915 and appeared in the 1948 movie Easter Parade.
Thanks for reading
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