Self (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Self magazine is an American magazine
for women that specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness. Published by Condé Nast Publications
12 times a year, it has a circulation of 1,486,992 and a total audience of 5,541,000 readers, according to its corporate media kit. The editor-in-chief is Lucy Danziger
. The vice president and publisher is Laura McEwen. Self is based at Condé Nasts' U.S. headquarters at 4 Times Square in New York, NY. Self was nominated in 2008 for a National Magazine Award
(ASME) in the "personal service online" category for their annual Self Challenge, an interactive program that allows readers to log their workouts and watch videos, record their meals using an online nutrition diary, share recipes and tips and communicate with the online community as they track their progress. The Self Challenge is a three-month program that encourages women to achieve their weight loss goals by committing to a healthy lifestyle for 12 weeks.
In 1979, cost of the magazine was $1.50 an issue or $10 for a one-year subscription. By 1983, the circulation for Self reached one million readers with its September issue. However by 1986, the news-stand sales were stagnant. This may have been because other mainstream women’s magazines also began adding sections about health and fitness, so Self needed to redefine itself on the market. In January 1987, when Wilson became the founding editor, Valorie (Victoria) Griffith Weaver took over as editor-in-chief, but resigned within a year.
In July 1988, Anthea Disney took the position of editor-in-chief and made it her goal to refresh the magazine’s image. In the one year she held that position, she reworked the content by seeking out renowned authors such as Ann Hood, Susan Allen Toth, Alice Adams
, Helen Mohr and Elizabeth Benedict to supply the magazine with fresher content with a higher degree of journalistic integrity. She revised their cover strategy by replacing airbrushed models with more natural-looking pictures of women in everyday surroundings. It was also at this time when the colors of teal and magenta were adopted for the magazine. “We deliberately chose colors not being used on other magazines,” Disney had said in a New York Times article. Between 1986 and 1989, the newsstand sales increased by 3 percent and the subscriptions increased by 22 percent.
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
for women that specializes in health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness. Published by Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast Publications
Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, is a magazine publisher. In the U.S., it produces 18 consumer magazines, including Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, GQ, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, as well as four business-to-business publications, 27 websites, and more than 50 apps...
12 times a year, it has a circulation of 1,486,992 and a total audience of 5,541,000 readers, according to its corporate media kit. The editor-in-chief is Lucy Danziger
Lucy Danziger
Lucy Danziger has been the editor-in-chief of Self, owned by Condé Nast Publications, since 2001. During that time, Self has been nominated for five National Magazine Awards in the Public Interest, Personal Service and Essay categories. In 2006, Self won in the Personal Service category for...
. The vice president and publisher is Laura McEwen. Self is based at Condé Nasts' U.S. headquarters at 4 Times Square in New York, NY. Self was nominated in 2008 for a National Magazine Award
National Magazine Award
The National Magazine Awards are a series of US awards that honor excellence in the magazine industry. They are administered by the American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City...
(ASME) in the "personal service online" category for their annual Self Challenge, an interactive program that allows readers to log their workouts and watch videos, record their meals using an online nutrition diary, share recipes and tips and communicate with the online community as they track their progress. The Self Challenge is a three-month program that encourages women to achieve their weight loss goals by committing to a healthy lifestyle for 12 weeks.
History
Self was founded in January 1979 by Phyllis Starr Wilson, who served as the editor-in-chief for the publication until January 1987, when she was named the founding editor. At its inception, the magazine began with many of the same philosophies it retains today, including health, fitness, nutrition, beauty and happiness, although the categories then were not as specifically named in the magazine. In her opening remarks in the first issue, Wilson wrote the following to the readers:In 1979, cost of the magazine was $1.50 an issue or $10 for a one-year subscription. By 1983, the circulation for Self reached one million readers with its September issue. However by 1986, the news-stand sales were stagnant. This may have been because other mainstream women’s magazines also began adding sections about health and fitness, so Self needed to redefine itself on the market. In January 1987, when Wilson became the founding editor, Valorie (Victoria) Griffith Weaver took over as editor-in-chief, but resigned within a year.
In July 1988, Anthea Disney took the position of editor-in-chief and made it her goal to refresh the magazine’s image. In the one year she held that position, she reworked the content by seeking out renowned authors such as Ann Hood, Susan Allen Toth, Alice Adams
Alice Adams (writer)
Alice Adams was an American novelist, short story writer, and university professor....
, Helen Mohr and Elizabeth Benedict to supply the magazine with fresher content with a higher degree of journalistic integrity. She revised their cover strategy by replacing airbrushed models with more natural-looking pictures of women in everyday surroundings. It was also at this time when the colors of teal and magenta were adopted for the magazine. “We deliberately chose colors not being used on other magazines,” Disney had said in a New York Times article. Between 1986 and 1989, the newsstand sales increased by 3 percent and the subscriptions increased by 22 percent.
Editors-in-Chief
- Lucy DanzigerLucy DanzigerLucy Danziger has been the editor-in-chief of Self, owned by Condé Nast Publications, since 2001. During that time, Self has been nominated for five National Magazine Awards in the Public Interest, Personal Service and Essay categories. In 2006, Self won in the Personal Service category for...
(June 2001–present) - Cynthia (Cindi) LeiveCynthia LeiveCynthia Leive is the Editor in Chief of Glamour magazine.Under Leive, Glamour has received a record number of editorial awards...
(August 1999-May 2001) - Rochelle Udell (September 1995-June 1999)
- Alexandra PenneyAlexandra PenneyAlexandra Penney is an American author best known for her 1982 best-selling book How to Make Love to a Man who was also an editor at Self magazine and has been credited as one of the creators and popularizers of the pink ribbon as a symbol for awareness of breast cancer.Penney attended Smith...
(August 1989-September 1995) - Anthea Disney (July 1988-August 1989)
- Valorie (Victoria) Griffith Weaver (January 1987-April 1988)
- Phyllis Starr Wilson (1979-January 1987)