Good News on the Print Front: Alt-Country Mag No Depression Re-Emerges
Monday, December 1, 2008
Steve Smith

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After months of magazine foldings, staff carnage, and cut backs, how refreshing to hear of a revival in the industry. Alternative music title No Depression decided to end it all back in June when it published its final bi-monthly issue. This month, the book returns with a new format and business model. Partnered with University of Texas Press, No Depression re-emergs as a no-ad “bookazine” to be published twice year. Issues #76 picks up where the 75-issue magazine run ended and included over a dozen features and photo essays edited by founders Grant Alden and Peter Blackstock. The issue sells for $19.95.

The new format gets support and complementary material at the Web site, NoDepression.com, which does have advertising, a sales channel for the bookazine, archives, and merchandising. Blackstock recently told The Seattle Pi, “We’re trying piece together streams of income that add up to something entirely different than the business model we used previously. We don’t know yet if we can make money doing this.”

Alden and Blackstock launched No Depression 13 years ago with a tine print run and a relentlessly loyal audience. As country music and radio went pop in the late 90s, the magazine distinguished itself by featuring both new and old country artists who enjoyed a following but little airtime. It helped launch Ryan Adams and Wilco in public consciousness. When No Depression tried to fold last spring, readers remained loyal, which inspired Alden and Blackstock to seek alternative models. Music magazines like No Depression are suffering a double whammy. Not only is the magazine industry depressed generally but so is the music world.

If you have breaking news to share please contact Steve Smith at ssmith@accessintel.com

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