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Key takeaways from Magazine Street 2025

Earlier this month the Magazine Street conference took place in Glasgow, Scotland. Run by the International Magazine Centre, Magazine Street is an independent event attended by about 200 (mostly) independent publishers.

I don’t need much of an excuse to go to a conference dedicated to magazine publishing, even less when it’s in Glasgow. But if I had been looking for reasons to attend, the laser focus on magazine-industry issues would have been enough to get me there.

The programme covered everything we’ve come to know as magazine media – from apps to AI – all viewed through an SME publisher lens. And the big bonus, everyone was excited to talk about the print revival. Actually for most of them, print never went away.

The speaker lineup was fantastic, including The Drum’s John McCarthy and Immediate Media’s Roxanne Fisher on AI, Irene Smit from Flow magazine talking about paper, In Real Life Media’s Megan Wray Schertler on how brands can leverage print loyalty, Max Frost of Gen A news app Roca News and Chris Hassel, founder of the fantastically funny Ralph magazine.

I was hosting the breakout stage so didn’t get to see every session that I wanted to, but following are a few of the lessons I took away:

David McKendrick, Paperboy

Paperboy is a COVID-era print launch from former Esquire creative director David McKendrick. The bi-annual, now on issue eight, is absolutely everything you would want a high-spec print magazine to be.

Create bold, original advertising content that challenges norms
Attract high-value advertisers through unique partnerships. Paperboy creates high-impact visuals that place high-end brands in very unexpected contexts.

Take inspiration from everyday life to produce relatable content
Find the beauty in everyday objects – mop heads wearing designer sunglasses. Observations of real-life, spun up with attitude, really resonate with readers.

Democratise your contributor platform
Paperboy pays professionals and amateurs the same, giving students the same platform as established writers. This makes the magazine feel fresh, and develops new talent.

Rebecca Stewart, Rare Revolution

Rare Revolution’s mission is to bring about a dramatic and wide reaching change in conditions and attitudes for the rare disease community. Founder Rebecca Stewart offered common sense advice on achieving financial stability.

Establish a benchmark breakeven cost
It might seem obvious, but how many SME publishers take the time to divide their total operational costs by their total productive hours? It’s the only way to set pricing profitably.

Determine the true profitability of every product or service you sell
If you know how long every revenue-generating activity takes, you can focus your sales efforts on high-margin offers and cut the time you spend on things that are high-effort, low return.

Treat client contracts as negotiable
Push back on unfavorable contract terms and include significant financial penalties for change requests made after the agreed deadlines. It’s crucial to protect your time and resources.

Paul Regan, 27 Works

27 Works helps brands build digital audiences. It mixes editorial, social media, digital product and technology to find and engage new customers for brands in the luxury and automotive markets.

Shift from transactional terms like “subscribers” to inclusive terms like “members”
Foster a sense of belonging by offering your audience “insider” perks. This can be as simple as a cover reveal in a members-only newsletter before its release on social media.

Low-cost, high-impact recognition strategies build loyalty and advocacy
Include name-checks for new members in your podcasts or newsletters. Mail out small gifts to generate positive social media discussion and strengthen the community bonds.

Leverage your archive with AI
Paul recommends using a conversational AI tool that allows paying members to explore your back catalogue. Turns dormant content into a premium feature offered as a top-tier subscription.

Abi Sea, Adventures in Marketing

Former ad sales professional and co-host of Adventures in Marketing, Abi Sea, spoke about how to improve advertising revenue by introducing relevance, credibility and connection to your sales messaging.

Reframe sales pitches to answer the “So what?” question
Go beyond your circulation numbers and explain the direct benefits of reaching your audience. Explain that your readers are actively searching for what your potential advertisers are selling.

Motivate advertisers with potential outcomes
Create urgency by framing the advertising opportunity as a competitive advantage. Don’t focus on your sales deadline; encourage advertisers to book now to make their selling season a success.

Acknowledge potential advertisers’ specific goals and challenges
Frame your offering as a partnership that provides a solution to their problems. Demonstrate that you are invested in their long-term success, not just in a quick sale.

Uwern Jong, Out There Magazine

Stand firm on your magazine’s core values
Being ‘radically honest’ about your mission – turning it into a unique selling proposition – builds deep trust and loyalty with your core audience, helping with both acquisition and retention.

Your audience may be more diverse than you initially thought
Out There discovered that its inclusive storytelling attracted a large readership of solo female travellers, a group that felt overlooked by other travel media.

Create adjacent businesses that leverage your core expertise
Out There launched a successful consulting service that advises the travel industry on inclusion. That activity now accounts for roughly half of the company’s total revenue.

More good reads: