Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-12-28
a-ARP COMPETITIONS.
Result of the Low Price illustrated Mag
axine Experiment.
Special Corrcspondence.l

azine Experiment.
Especial Correspondence.l
NEW YORK, Dec. 25.-A very interest
ing discussion, and one which involves
also business competition. Is now being
carried on in literary and publishing cir
cles- The question is whether the cheap
magazines, rs they are called, are going to
be able to maintain themselves, and, IL
they do, whether it will be ut the expense
of the older and more costly ones. 1t is
claimed that It Is impossible TO produce n
magazine with fair business profit, con-
tanning illustrations Of high class and lit
erary material of the best kind, for less
than % cents n copy, and IL Is also asserted
that even the higher rates that arc charged
for two of the illustrated magazines are
entirely justified because of the expense
entailcd i'm producing them.
On the other hand, IL is said that It Is
possible to issue magazines with excellent
work of art and good literary matter ut Is
cents OF even 10 cents n copy, and those
who take this ground are already pointing
in proof of the truth of their assertion to
the fact that three low priced magazines
have now been maintained for consider
ably more than a year and show no signs
of failure.
The first movement for a low priced
magazine was made by the publisher of
McClure's, although Mt about the same
time the publisher of The Cosmopolitan
decided to cut the price Of his magazine
in two. MCCluTc's was started in June of
1898 rs a II cent magazine, purpOsing to
publish not only the best literary work
that could bc obtained, but also n very
high grade OF illustrations. The expert
ment was looked upon by many publishers
as one doomed to failure. They said that
IL McClurc's Magazine kept its promises,
did print first class pictures and furnish
literature written by the ablcst pens, Ii
would be impossible TO maintain IL nj
the price proposed. II was right In the
midst of the financial panic that this mag
nZinc was started, and for the first two or
three months IL made but little Roadway.
A year and n half later this magazine
was compelled 90 print m extra edition of
10, 600 copies making n total edition for
the month of November. 1894, OF 50, 600
| copies. OF the December number 10. coo
copies more than that wcro printed, and
IL Is some Indication Of the ferccncss Of
the competition between the high priced
and low priced magazines that McClure's
and The Century are both running as
their special features an illustrated life Of
Napoleon, to procure which cost a large
expenditure OF money and much time
The Cosmopolitan felt the popular i'm
pulse Immediately after IL cut its price In
two. II reached during the summer and
fall Of 1888 n sale believed TO be consider
ably larger than that OF any Of the high
priced magazines. and the quality Of its
| illustrations were such rs to commend
high words Of praise, even from artistic
critics. For instance, It's illustrations Of
| the Worlds fair were really extraordinary
works of art, and nothing that appeared
| in any illustrated magazine was better or
more expensive. Instead OF finding its
career impCriIctl by the reduction in price.
! The Cosmopolitan has just erected what
| l. probably the finest magazine publishing
| house in the world. Il Is built at Irving
ton, not far from the old home Of Wash
{ ington Irving. Tho building itself Is q
beautiful one INTELLECTUALLY and Is COM
| plctC In all its appointments
| Another remarkable experiment with
| cheap magazines was made by the publish
or OF Munscy's This magazine had been
| for two or three years sold for s5 cents
and IL had no considerable sale nor any in
flucnCc in the world Of magazine publish
ing. Mr.. Munscy, giving much thought
to the matter, decided that there was no
| mason why n magazine might not be pub
| lishCd which would command admiration
and yet sell for 10 cents. Sold at 10 cents
over the news counter meant wholcSaling
IL TO the uCwstcalCrs for not much over
cents, leaving the blEcst chance for a
shade OF profit upon the sale to the pub
| llSnCr. but MI. MunScy Ecasoneu that u
he could secure a salG OF several hundred
thousand copies then tho profit upon a
single one, even although IL whs as small
rs one or two mills, would in the aggre-
gate be considerable. Moreover, n very
large sale would command advertising pat
ronagc.
Mun>Cys experiment has been con
tinuCd a little over year, and the sales Of
his E.agIzinc have been enormous, being
exec coded by only one or two other period
icals of the country. His literary features
arc not so conspicuous as are those to be
found in some Of the other magazines, nor
are his Illustrations so expensive, but they
seem to satisfy the popular TASTE, and they
cost n great deal Of money.
The competition Is so hot that u few
days ago tho publisher OF one Of these
magazines sailed for Europe in search Of
new attractions. and the engagements OF
the other editors and publishers represent
many thousand dollars in new contracts
Meanwhile tho public is getting the ad-
vantage of this competition. and there arr
many publishers who believe that il these
new ventures arc successful tho prices of
the older magazines will be reduced
+. J. REWARDS.