Click here to read CoverAwards’ exclusive interview with EIC Maer Roshan!
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You’ll find out his connection to Ronald Reagan.
Roshan Talks Covers, Challenges and Who He Once Supported!
CoverAwards checked in with Radar’s Editor in Chief Maer Roshan for this exclusive interview.
How are things going at Radar?
Things have been going very well. Start-ups are never easy, and we had to work harder than usual to convince readers and advertisers that we were back to stay. But we now have a circulation of 200,000 and a growing stable of high profile advertisers from Marc Jacobs to Motorola to MSNBC. The website, which has been instrumental in the magazine’s success, is growing each month. And getting nominated for a general excellence award by ASME was incredibly exciting.
How do you decide on your cover topics?
We try as best as we can to cover things that are topical and current and funny. We like to be provocative and make news. In the past we’ve done a lot of PhotoShopped covers, like Prince Harry in his boxers, or Colin Farrell in bed. More recently however, we’re doing many more live shoots, like the cover with Pam Anderson, which was shot for us by Terry Richardson.
Which cover sold the best on the newsstand?
The current bestseller is shaping up to be the Pam issue, the first since our redesign. But our Michelle Obama issue, now on the stands, might give Pam a run for her money.
When do you know that you have a winning cover?
When it sells.
What type of photo do you look to use for your cover?
We try to come up with provocative, irreverent images that separate us from other magazines on the stands. And funny. Funny is always good.
How do you develop the perfect cover line?
It’s a kind of tortuous process, actually. I lock up my staff in my office and we all throw out hundreds of possibilities and then we spend a week rewriting them a thousand times.
What’s the cover story that best represents Radar?
I think the Pam Anderson cover best represents the direction we’re taking the Magazine now. It’s sexy and provocative and edgy and beautiful. The story itself―by Andrew Goldman―is dishy and funny and unexpected―a far cry from the celebrity profiles that run in most magazines. Actually, though we sometimes like to have fun with them, we’ve found that celebrities as a group tend to love Radar…for the most part they’re in on the joke. We’ve got an exclusive with Shannen Doherty next month and I think its one the funniest and most revealing interviews she’s done.
What is your advice for those that want to become an Editor in Chief?
Be careful what you wish for. : ) I think the most important attribute for an editor in chief is to stay curious and engaged in the world around you.
There are so many interesting things going on in the world, politically, socially and culturally. It’s exciting to be a part of the national conversation. I also think it’s important to be looking for and promoting new talent so you can keep the magazine fresh and connected.
What’s the biggest challenge you face as Editor in Chief?
The bureaucratic elements of being an editor in chief―managing people, dealing with circulation and advertising issues, take up a lot more time than I had expected. Life was a lot easier when I was simply assigning and editing stories. That’s still the most rewarding part of this job for me.
What is it like for you to be covered by the blogs, etc?
Occasionally annoying, sometimes flattering. The attention certainly raises the magazine’s profile. In general, I don’t much care what they write about me, as long as they use a good picture.
What’s the most difficult hurdle you faced in launching Radar?
Billionaires. Seriously, finding the money you need to start an independent, opinionated magazine like Radar was not easy, especially in this difficult economic climate. So we’ve had to operate leaner and meaner than a lot of magazines, which I think is ultimately a good thing for us. We don’t let too much go to waste.
Do you have any new features that you plan on launching?
We just launched a horoscope page―a rather wicked variation on traditional astrology columns. Also, we’re planning a big redesign of the website in October, to streamline it and bring it closer and more in line with Luke Hayman’s recent design of the magazine.
How’s the website going?
The website is doing great. August is traditionally a slow month for most sites―but RadarOnline had its best month ever―drawing 1.5 million unique visitors and over five million page views. We are a bit different than most magazines in that RadarOnline was conceived as its own vehicle rather than as just a portal for the magazine. We have new information up hourly and breaking new stories every day. I’m a little surprised by how quickly the website established itself. We’re on the blogrolls of both the Huffington Post and The Drudge Report, in the company of such august news organizations as the Wall Street Journal, the BBC and the Washington Post.
Can you share something that your employees would be surprised to hear about you?
