CoverAwards’ Exclusive Interview: Men’s Fitness Editor Roy S. Johnson
Johnson’s Goal: Building the “Premier Fitness Magazine for Men”
CoverAwards spoke exclusively with Men’s Fitness Editor in Chief Roy S. Johnson (photo above) about his latest cover hitting newsstands featuring Strauss Zelnick as well as his cover development approach.
Johnson, formerly of Sports Illustrated, took over as EIC of Men’s Fitness in 2007. His goal was to make the magazine “the premier fitness magazine for men.”
According to Johnson, men are taking much better care of themselves and are looking for improvements in their workouts as well as how to handle stress in the workplace.
We began our discussion with a focus on this new issue of Men’s Fitness:
What was the rationale behind putting someone like Strauss Zelnick on the cover?
As a successful businessman with a passion for fitness, Strauss embodies our reader, or who our reader aspires to be. Despite the stresses of being the Chairman of TTI, he manages to stay fit with regular training in the gym (“I schedule my workouts like I schedule meetings,” he says) and by cycling both leisurely and competitively. It also gave us an opportunity to address the future of video games and fitness, which has been sparked by the success of Wii Fit.
In general, who are you looking for as a main cover topic?
Fit men – typically popular celebrities or athletes - whom our readers admire, aspire to emulate, and want to have a beer (or related libation) with! Men who embody the rewards of hard work.
What attributes do you look for in a cover photo?
Attitude and physicality, men whose look tells the reader, “Yes, you can!”
How do you develop your cover lines?
The purpose of cover lines is to convey to potential newsstand buyers and subscribers the value of investing their time and money with the issue. So I create lines that clearly state what you can gain by buying and reading the issue, then following our workouts, training and nutritional strategies. I then craft about a dozen lines based on those stories ( “The Burn Fat, Build Muscle Diet”), strategies (“Lift More than Ever”) or ideals (“Get Your Best Body Back!”). They’re then tested with panel of newsstand buyers and final versions are created based on the results.
What are your best selling covers/favorite covers?
Covers are like your children: You like each of them for different reasons. Our best sellers (in calendar order) are…
Chuck Liddell (April ‘07)
Tiger Woods (August ‘07)
Matt Hughes (Dec/Jan ‘07-’08)
Dana White (June/July ‘08)
and LL Cool J (August ‘08)
Your Favorite Cover (besides Men’s Fitness)
Esquire’s Halle Berry. Duh.
What’s the biggest challenge you face as EIC?
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LL Cool J’s Shocking Offer
Dear LL Cool J,
I tried looking up your number but can’t find it. I need to get in better shape and would like to get abs like yours.
On the cover of Men’s Fitness, you said, “If I can help America be in better shape…I am here.” So, How do I find you?
Thanks.
Mark
Posted by: Mark Pasetsky
