Covers Sell

The Magnolia Journal remains a hot seller in Canada.

Launched in the Fall of 2016, the first issue sold 11,100 copies, on a draw of 24,180, for a 46% sell-through at a $9.99 cover price.  That’s impressive!

• In 2017, the Spring issue sold 12,580 copies at a 53.7% sell-through
• The Summer 2017 issue sold 12,481 copies at a 46.2% sell-through
• The Fall 2017 issue sold 11,882 copies at a 45.6% sell-through
• The Winter 2017 issue sold 16,071 copies at an incredible 57.1% sell-through

And the magazine remained on a roll in 2018, with sales up 47% in total.

• In 2018, the Spring issue sold 15,452 copies at a 54.3% sell-through
• The Summer 2018 issue sold 14,558 copies at a 49.2% sell-through
• The Fall 2018 issue sold 22,915 copies at a 38% sell-through
• The Winter 2018 issue sold 25,248 copies at a 40% sell-through

And the magazine remained on a roll in 2019, with sales up 70% in total.

• In 2019, the Spring issue sold 22,966 copies at a 37.5% sell-through
• The Summer 2019 issue sold 19,927 copies at a 32% sell-through
• The Fall 2019 issue sold 221,432 copies at a 33.1% sell-through
• The Winter 2019 issue sold 25,930 copies at a 40.3% sell-through…a new all-time high.

Despite Covid-19, both 2020 issues are poised to continue to sell more copies then prior year.

• In 2020, the Spring issue sold 24,678 copies at a 34.8% sell-through…up 7%
• The Summer 2020 issue currently sits at 24,186 copies (not final yet) copies at a 39.7% sell-through

Starting in 2018, Hearst launched Pioneer Woman magazine in Canada.   The magazine was built around celebrity blogger Ree Drumond, who lives on a working ranch in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

According to Wikipedia:  “Capitalizing on the success of her blog, Drummond currently stars in her own television program, also entitled The Pioneer Woman, on The Food Network which began in 2011.”

The magazine was an instant success in Canada.

• The Spring 2018 issue sold 14,611 copies at a 47% sell-through.
• The Summer 2018 issue sold 15,922 copies at a 45% sell-through.
• The Fall 2018 issue sold 17,903 copies at a 40% sell-through.
• The Winter 2018 issue sold 20,299 copies at a 44% sell-through.

The magazine remained on an upward trajectory in 2019.

• The Spring 2019 issue sold 17,279 copies at a 38% sell-through…up 18.3% from prior year.
• The Summer 2019 issue sold 18,346 copies at a 43% sell-through…up 15.2% from prior year.
• The Fall 2019 issue sold 15,282 copies at a 35.3% sell-through…down 14.6% when they inexplicably cut 1,149 stores or 30% off distribution.
• The Winter 2019 issue sold 20,346 copies at a 47% sell-through…up modestly from prior year, and best-selling issue ever!

Sadly, Covid-19 has taken its toll on the Spring 2020 issue.

• The Spring 2020 issue sold 14,999 copies at a 36% sell-through…down 13.2% from prior year.  It went on sale March 2nd…bad timing, but still a very respectable outcome.

The covers are all “celebrity based” and beautifully composed.  This magazine is a shining example of excellence in difficult times. Covers are in chronological order from launch to current, left to right.

The Fall 2020 issue of Fly Fusion is set to hit newsstands on August 24th, 2020.

Some magazines do a separate cover for subscribers, and this is one of them. Checkout the two versions below.

Canadian Geographic‘s annual Best Wildlife Photography issue is set to hit newsstands on August 10th.

This year art Director Javier Frutos has created the ultimate stare-down eye-contact cover ever, with this fierce image.

Top predators typically perform well above other animals, birds, reptiles or fish.

Look for this one to sell.  It retails for $12.95.

The latest Legion SIP, featuring the BATTLE OF BRITAIN, is set to hit newsstands on August 3rd.

This is our 3rd of 4 Specials in 2020.

Our first SIP (1945 The War Ends) sold nearly 4,900 copies, up 18% from prior year.

Our second SIP (The Netherlands) is on track to post a similar sale.

All Legion SIPs retail for $14.95.

This cover has all the hallmarks of what works:

• White Background
• Great Subject Matter
• Bold Type Treatment
• Strong use of left hand “real estate”
• Button call out for Map Premium
• Good use of color for other Sell Lines

Watch this one sell!

The Sep/Oct 2020 issue of Maximum Yield Cannabis is set to hit newsstands on August 2nd.

Art Director Dionne Hurd has created another electrifying cover that is impossible to ignore.

This Canadian gem, published out of BC, has quickly become a top seller in the category, and is also available at Barnes & Noble and Books A Million in the USA.

The publication is distributed by Disticor.

The Aug/Sep issue of Canadian Woodworking is set to hit newsstands on July 20th.

Art Director Johnathan Cresswell-Jones has created another “hard-to-miss” cover.

• The sky bar is extremely lively with 4 compelling hooks
• The central image and main sell line work in tandem
• And the texture of the cover is executed beautifully

Canadian Woodworking is on an amazing roll, the best I’ve ever seen, with 21 of their past 27 covers outselling the previous year’s issue!

• 2016 sales up 49% (5 of 6 up)
• 2017 sales up 21%  (5 of 6 up)
• 2018 sales up 39% (5 of 6 up)
• 2019 sales up 17%  (4 of 6 up)
• 2020 sales up 10% (2 of 3 up after 3 issues)

The 2020 Kitchen + Baths SIP from Canadian House & Home is on newsstands now.

This gorgeous cover strikes all the right notes.

• Bold type treatment for the Logo
• Crisp white background
• Good use of color to draw attention to features
• Use of numbers to quantify value proposition

Look for this one to sell!

Cottage Life magazine, a Canadian gem, is off to a sizzling start with their first issue of 2020 (All Hale the Eh Frame).  Sales were up 2,326 copies or 43% from last year’s issue in this time slot (The Warmest Season).  Since 2016 this winter time slot has been their top producing slot.

Cottage Life had a down year in 2019, with sales dropping 24% overall, with just 2 of 6 issues posting gains.  But the biggest contributor to the decline was the first issue, which was down 47% from the previous year, effectively dragging the averages down with it.

When you compare the 2019 Winter cover against the 2020 Winter cover you can see that while both featured A Frame Cottages, the 2019 edition was rather bleak, while the 2020 version was fun, playful, bright and active, with a warm yellow logo and sell lines, plus a much bolder type treatment.  What a great way to start off the new year!

The 2021 edition of the Harrowsmith Almanac is sporting a new look.

Art Director Meredith MacKinley created an instant classic with this retro/mod cover.

You can see some of the past renditions below.