Stars without Make-up

News Plastic Surgery Nightmares

With the massive financial crisis happening in the United States, it would be wise for the celebrity weekly editors to look to the UK for inspiration this week.

This week, Heat serves up a “stars without make-up” cover and New features “plastic surgery disasters.”

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The once hot celebrity weekly category is definitely (beyond) cooling off.

Larry Hackett’s People Magazine is up 5 percent to date, averaging 1.5 million copies on newsstands for the two-month period ended in February, according to ABC’s rapid report expected to be released today.  (Where would People be without spending millions of dollars on baby photos?)

According to the NY Post’s Keith Kelly,  “US Weekly’s Janice Min has looked a little rattled in the early part of the year.  Two of the four issues missed the rate base. ”  This is bad news since the mag upped its rate base to 1.9 million at the start of the year.

Sarah Iven’s OK Magazine missed its 900,000 rate base in six out of seven issues.  The only issue that was a big seller was the Jamie Lynn Spears cover, with 1.125 million copies sold.

NY Post also reports that Bauer Publishing’s titles “are still reeling.”  Richard Spencer’s In Touch Weekly’s “newsstand sales are down 26 percent year to date and the title missed the new lower rate base of 1 million copies three times according to ABC.”   Life & Style Weekly, also edited by Richard Spencer, “fell 21 percent at newsstands and missed its rate base four times.”

Strangely, AMI’s titles were left out of this article??? 

(NY Post)

Stop by throughout the day for the latest celebrity weekly covers hitting newsstands today! 

Dear Celebrity Weekly Editors,

Are you stressed out trying to close your issue and create the best cover of the week?

Here are some helpful suggestion to strengthen your cover and give it a better chance on the competitive newsstand!

• Think about your reader first. How do your readers feel about the stars you are writing about and featuring on your cover?

• Pick an emotional photo that connects with the reader. Look for eye contact. Select photos that are new and don’t look like they are from ten years ago.

• Make your cover line specific. Readers are tired of generic lines and want to know that their celebrity weekly is delivering NEW news! Plus, write lines that are clear and make sense to the AVERAGE reader. Forget clever lines that only other editors would understand.

• Try various approaches. It might drive your creative director and photo director nuts, but that’s OK! You might hit on a cover that you never dreamed of in the first place.

Want some more tips, feel free to email mark@coverawards.com any time!

xoxo
Mark