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According to Mr. Magazine, there were 100 magazines launched in October! (Read his blog post about the new launches here.) Here’s a sample of a few that we found interesting …

Vibe

Vibe is re-launching in print with a return issue in December, featuring a wider editorial focus encompassing music, fashion, politics, culture, arts and sports. The print edition is coming back with a reduced frequency and a smaller paid circulation.



Scrubs

Scrubs, a lifestyle magazine targeting nurses, will launch with a 60-page November issue and a 350,000 controlled paid circulation. The magazine will be available in 1,500 nursing apparel retail stores across the country.

Dress to Kill

The Montreal fashion magazine launched in Toronto during Fashion Week. 15,000 copies of the free quarterly will be distributed through boutiques in downtown Toronto. There are plans to introduce a newsstand edition sometime next year.




AS*I*BE

AS*I*BE magazine, “for the individual who enjoys the challenges of life,” will encourage a healthy mind and spirit and will feature Tampa Bay celebrities.





Merge

Merge, a bimonthly magazine targeting medical practices and spas that provide aesthetic medical services, is launching with a 16,000 circulation in the U.S. and Canada.

Maine.
From the publishers of Maine Home+Design, Maine. trumpets the people and the places that make the state unique. It will be published 10 times a year.

New launches ASIBE, Dress to Kill, launches, Maine, Merge, Mr. Magazine, Scrubs, Vibe

Seventy-one new magazines launched in September, according to Samir “Mr. Magazine” Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi. Out of the 71, 18  of those titles have a frequency of four times a year or more. According to Husni, that brings the total number of print launches to 528 so far this year. “The light at the end of the tunnel is not the train coming,” Husni told Min.

Industry buzz launches, magazine, Min, Mr. Magazine, Samir Husni

944 Media, publisher of regional nightlife/fashion/lifestyle freebie publications, just announced it’s launching editions in Detroit and Atlanta. This move bumps its portfolio to nine titles, including those already published in LA, San Fran, Miami, Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, and Orange County, Cali. Earlier this year, 944 Media was named number 768 on the annual Inc. list of the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the U.S. It ranked 11 in the media category, making it the second fastest growing magazine publisher on the list.

New launches Atlanta, Detroit, free, launches, nightlife, regional

Ad pages might be down, but magazine launches are up. Take it from Mr. Magazine—Samir Husni, the University of Mississippi journalism chair who tracks all the magazine launches in the U.S. He reported that 167 new magazines appeared for the first time on the nation’s newsstands in the first quarter of 2009—14 more than Q1 2007 and 13 more than Q1 2008.

Industry buzz first quarter, launches, magazine, Mississippi, newsstands, Q1

A fashion blogger is taking her online posts to the next level with the launch of a digital magazine called Style Sample Magazine, scheduled to be released next Monday. It’s the first magazine specifically for and about fashion bloggers—meaning all the content is about, and contributed by, fashion bloggers and online fashion entrepreneurs. Its goal? “To recognize and promote independent fashion bloggers and reinforce the legitimacy of the medium.” Publisher and editor in chief Tamia Stinson, who writes the fashion blog The Style Sample, says, “I started to see the need for the magazine when I realized how many fashion blogs are out there and how quickly the community is growing.” Check it out.

New launches blog, bloggers, fashion, launches, magazine, online

Last month was the best February yet for magazine launches, according to Samir Husni, aka Mr. Magazine. In a recent blog entry, he reports: “81 new titles appeared for the first time on the nation’s newsstands in February.” Husni, who is launching a Magazine Innovation Center this August, attributes the surge of launches to publishers thinking “out of the box” and exploring new options for print and subscription models. These publishers have responded to the recession with innovation and creativity, and we applaud them.

Industry buzz innovation, launches, magazine, publishing, recession, Samir Husni