Think Nationally Act Regionally: The Changing Face of Design Magazines
It’s no secret that the media landscape for interior design magazines is in the midst of a sea change. Publications print fewer issues, some have switched to digital, others closed their doors altogether. To survive, editors and writers continually move around or freelance for several publications. The current situation makes it difficult to track the internal process of even surviving magazines.
This widespread change calls for more innovative PR strategies and different types of media exposure. The digital press is worthwhile and beneficial since it lives online indefinitely and is easily shareable. However, there’s still the novelty and accomplishment of holding and touching a printed article. How do design professionals get published during these challenging times?
California Homes Magazine captured Martin Young Design’s St. Francis Tudor Wood residence in the January/February issue.
Regional magazines and franchisees with regional issues are a dark horse in the publication race. While national magazines are being cut left and right by parent companies, regional perseveres. These local outlets aren’t entirely immune to the changes, but with less corporate structure and overhead, they are more adaptable and can take some significant risks. Big-name publications such as Architectural Digest or Elle Decor need to fill their pages with boldface celebrities to generate advertising revenue and circulation.
JKA Design’sEclectic Edwardian residence is featured on the cover of Luxe’s January/February 2019 issue.
For houses sans famous homeowners, it is more of a gamble to get published nationally. Putting effort towards pitching these projects to local outlets can save time and money. National editors inundated with pitches rarely respond. Regional editors have a higher response rate and are more accessible at networking events. In San Francisco, we are fortunate to have an array of talented publishers, editors, and writers who craft engaging stories about the Bay Area design community and their projects.
