October 1, 1999
Last year was a tough one for magazine circulation. Direct mail response rates, stampsheet performance and newsstand sales were down in 1998, according to the 1999 CircTrack industry survey published in August by Capell-Jones. Yet CircTrack deals mostly with established magazines. How does a new magazine gain a foothold in this tough environment? E. Daniel Capell, editor of the report, says, "There are really two ways to launch these days: Try it on the newsstand or do acquisition mailings." In June 1998, publisher Steven Brill (of The American Lawyer magazine and Court TV fame) launched Brill's Content. Its start-up strategy comprised many
