There was a time when the magazine industry had its own magazine. Back when I was editing a magazine, my publisher involved me not only on the editorial and publishing side but also in the business of running magazines. For that, we leaned heavily on a trade publication that arrived all the way from the United States: Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management.
Folio was remarkable. It covered every aspect of the magazine business — from circulation and ad sales to design, distribution, and, importantly, editorial craft. I still remember reading articles from some of the most respected writers and editorial consultants of the day. They shared practical insights on how to sharpen your writing, engage readers, and build loyal audiences.
Sadly, Folio closed some time ago. Its print edition ceased in 2018, and the digital publication followed in 2020. What had once been the go-to magazine for people running magazines is no longer with us. The publisher continues to support industry events, but the publication itself is gone.
And that, I think, speaks volumes about how much the industry has changed.
Where Do Magazine Professionals Turn Now?
Today, if you’re in the business of running magazines, you no longer have a single, dedicated source like Folio. Instead, you piece together information from multiple places:
• Trade media and publishing journals – titles like Publishing Executive, MediaPost, and others that cover the shifting landscape of publishing and media.
• Digital newsletters and podcasts – increasingly where the sharpest commentary lives. Short, timely updates often provide better guidance than the slower cycle of a monthly print.
• Industry research and trend reports – focusing on digital dominance, niche audiences, diversified revenue, and the survival of premium print.
• Conferences, webinars, and workshops – these events now do much of the work Folio once did in print, offering networking and practical strategies for publishers.
No one title has replaced Folio’s role as the authoritative guide to the business of magazines. Professionals must now track a mix of sources, blending insights from digital-first media analysts with industry gatherings and broader business publications.
Why It Matters
Magazines, whether print or digital, continue to fight for survival in 2025. The shifts are fast and unrelenting: subscription models, branded content, experiential journalism, e-commerce tie-ins, and the constant question of how to turn an audience into a sustainable business.
In Folio’s day, you could count on one magazine to help you navigate these challenges. Today, you need to be more agile — and more selective — in how you gather industry intelligence.
Maybe that’s the real lesson: magazine publishing has always been about adaptation. Folio itself couldn’t survive the shifts it chronicled. But the need it served — helping professionals understand the business behind the words and pictures — is more urgent than ever.
