With Page Six Magazine quickly approaching its one-year anniversary, I thought it would be a good time to check in with Margi Conklin, Editor in Chief of Page Six Magazine. Here’s what she had to say about the first year:

CoverAwards: How’s everything going with Page Six Magazine?

Conklin: Really great. We’re coming up on our first anniversary at the end of September, and our bumper Fashion Issue is out on September 7, which will be the second biggest issue we’ve produced to date.

CoverAwards: What is your favorite cover so far/least favorite cover?

Conklin: I’m still very proud of the launch cover. We were the first to put the Gossip Girls on a magazine cover, and we shot them in a very New York setting — on a rooftop next to the Empire State Building. It screamed New York City, and really captured the fun, punchy essence of the magazine.

Looking back, there are a couple of celebrities I wouldn’t put on the cover again, but it would be impolite of me to say exactly who.

CoverAwards: How do you decide on the cover topics?

Conklin: We are eternally interested in hot, fascinating people who are either from New York, or are emblematic of New York in some way. Of course, some stars transcend the city — we featured Gavin Rossdale in June, but he’s still captivating to the reader. I love that Page Six Magazine can celebrate a range of stars from all different professions and ages and even genders.

CoverAwards: Can you share with us how you are approaching the design of the cover?

Conklin: We are aiming for a very clean, upscale look that still has a hint of sexiness or sensationalism to it. Tilted fonts or bright yellows and reds can add just enough pizzazz to a beautiful image, and create the right balance.

CoverAwards: Do you think Page Six Magazine will ever be made available as a stand-alone product on the newsstand?

Conklin: That’s a good question. It certainly has a point of difference from everything else in the marketplace, which is one reason to consider that possibility. But great success can also be achieved with a Sunday supplement. The UK, for example, is teeming with amazingly profitable publications that, like ours, are inserted into newspapers.

CoverAwards: What’s your best advice for editors in developing a strong cover?

Conklin: My advice would be different for newsstand editors than supplement editors. When I was Editor of New Woman in Britain, I was extremely focused on creating super-commercial coverlines that would either shock or raise a smile in a second. With Page Six Magazine, I don’t have to be so strict. It’s enough for the magazine to have visual impact and look beautiful. The coverlines should still be witty, but there’s not as much pressure to be immediate, concise and exact.

CoverAwards: How do you measure Page Six Magazine’s success? Have sales of the paper been up since the magazine’s launch?

Conklin: We’ve seen more and more people talking about the magazine right now. It’s notoriously hard for a launch to become famous, but within six months publicists were calling us and offering us great celebrities for the cover rather than us having to contact them. Lately we have had enormous pick-up with our stories, too. Our recent Rumer Willis cover generated tremendous buzz on TV and the internet.

CoverAwards: How should publicists approach Page Six Magazine?

Conklin: Always read the magazine first to understand what it’s about (hot trends, buzzy people). Look at the magazine’s section openers to find out which editor is overseeing lifestyle or fashion, etc., and then send a quick and brief email pitch to the right editor. Never send out a mass email. Those just get binned.

CoverAwards: What are your plans for online?

Conklin: We’ve only just got the site up and running so it’s still in its incipient phase. Obviously it would be great to develop it further and we have lots of ideas, but the magazine is the main focus for us at the moment.

CoverAwards: What’s your advice for students who want to cover celebrities and style?

Conklin: Don’t take it too seriously. Definitely absorb all there is to know about everything and everyone (and make sure you learn how to spell every celebrity’s name correctly!), but you should cultivate a sense of fun about these topics too. If you enjoy covering celebrities and style, you will entertain the reader, and that’s what it’s all about.

CoverAwards: Anything else you would like to add?

Conklin: Look out for our anniversary issue on September 21. It will be a celebration of New York and include our 25 Best Dressed at NY Fashion Week feature, which has already become a popular bi-annual fixture in the magazine.

For more information on Page Six Magazine, click here.

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