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BETTER 2010: In addition to a challenging ad market, Self suffered another blow this fall when the magazine was criticized for over-retouching Kelly Clarkson on its September cover, digitally removing inches off of her frame. The issue was the magazine’s worst seller through September on newsstands, pulling in 220,000 copies and causing the magazine to miss its rate base that month, according to figures from Audit Bureau of Circulations’ Rapid Report.
But things are looking better for Self in 2010. Though the magazine will pull in 20 percent less advertising this year than in 2008, the January issue will carry more than 70 ad pages, the most for a January issue in 20 years. January is usually a month where most magazines don’t publish their largest issues — Self vice president and publisher Kim Kelleher said the average ad page count in a January issue is about 55, whereas September carries around 100 pages. But January’s 70 pages will outperform other January issues in boom times, such as in 2008 when Self carried 67 pages, and January 2009’s 48 pages. Several categories are driving growth, said Kelleher: Beauty remains strong; auto advertising has returned, with six pages from Chevrolet alone, and new clients including Alamo Rent-a-Car have entered the fray. An eight-page insert from Wal-Mart also has helped to boost business. — S.D.S.
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