What the Hell Has Happened to Vanity Fair?

As dramas go, it is minor stuff. But in the itsy-bitsy, hothouse world of magazine glossies, the question everyone seems to be asking this summer is, “What the hell has happened to Vanity Fair?” You remember Vanity Fair, no doubt. It was big not so long ago. The chatterati obsessed over it—its striking covers, its fabulous photo features, its stories (the revelations, the scandals, the crime deconstructions!), even its stylish advertising, which filled its shiny pages. And, of course, its larger-than-life editor, Graydon Carter, who announced his retirement at the end of last year after a quarter-century at the helm. Now, half a year since Carter handed over the reins to his surprise-pick successor… silence. And not the kind of silence that issues from respect. Well, that’s not entirely accurate. I do hear things, mainly because I’ve spent my life in the media. I listen for the whispers. This is what media people are whispering: Vanity Fair is disappearing from the radar. In various forms and contexts, I hear the words “disaster,” “awful,” “irrelevant.” Unfortunately for the magazine’s owner, Condé Nast, this is occurring at a most inauspicious moment. The publisher is confronting strong economic headwinds on several fronts, to the extent that it has begun the process of selling three of its books. For the time being, it’s said that VF is safe, but how long before some sort of radical change, or rescue, is deemed necessary? (As if to kick sand in VF’s face, a newly... Continue reading at 'Folio Magazine'

[ Folio Magazine | 2018-08-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #guilty pleasure

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London Book Fair 2015: The Changing Scholarly Publisher

At a London Book Fair discussion, moderator Audrey McCulloch (CEO, ALPSP) asked a pointed question: has open access publishing just made scholarly publishing more complicated? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2015: 3M Expands Cloud Library to U.K. and Beyond

Already in over 1,000 libraries in the U.S. and Canada, users abroad will soon be able to use 3M to borrow library ebooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2015: At Digital Minds, Publishers Urged to Experiment, and Learn

The seventh annual Publishing for Digital Minds Conference kicked off the London Book Fair, with the main exhibits officially opening on Tuesday. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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London Book Fair 2015: Oberlin Prof’s Debut Draws Seven Figures

On the eve of the London Book Fair, DeSales Harrison has struck literary gold. The Oberlin College professor’s debut novel, 'The Waters & the Wild,' has sold to Kate Medina at Penguin Random House for seven figures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bologna Children's Book Fair Attendance Up in 2015

This year's Bologna Children's Book Fair saw a 10% increase in foreign visitors, with 1,200 exhibitors attending from 77 countries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frankfurt Book Fair Unveils New Opener: Digital Spotlight 2015

Through countless discussions, experiments, challenges, and conferences, the digital transition has been front and center in the publishing industry for over a decade now. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bologna 2015: Photos from the Fair

The Bologna Book Fair opened this week to spring sunshine and plenty of activity. See our photo essay of the publishers, authors, and deal-making from the week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bologna 2015: Early Impressions from a Busy, Sunny Fair

Amid its warmest weather in years, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair got off to a strong start on Monday, with most of the agents, editors, and rights managers PW spoke with finding it to be a positive, active fair, though no single title had yet risen to be a "book of the fair." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What Happens When Platforms Turn Into Publishers?

If you’re a publisher, Facebook holds a lot of power. The social media giant is already responsible for directing up to 40 percent of some sites’ traffic, and 75 percent of BuzzFeed’s. Now, according to a report in The N ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Florida Antiquarian Book Fair Adds Literary Festival

The Florida Antiquarian Book Fair, set this year for March 13-15 at the St. Petersburg Coliseum, is already the oldest and largest event of its kind in the southeastern United States. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Photo Essay from the Riyadh International Book Fair

Roger Tagholm shares a few of the faces and places he experienced during a visit to the Riyadh International Book Fair (RIBF). The post A Photo Essay from the Riyadh International Book Fair appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Riyadh Int’l Book Fair Offers Window Into Closed World

Roger Tagholm reports from the Riyadh Int'l Book Fair, where his pre-conceptions about Saudi Arabia were challenged and cultures connected through books. The post Riyadh Int’l Book Fair Offers Window Into Closed World appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How fake news goes viral, and why it will happen less

It's never been easier to spread fake news online. Publishers, driven by publishing economics to publish faster, are playing fast and loose with the facts, readers are spreading information they though they could trust and Facebook, up until very recently, has taken a backseat to fixing things.... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2015-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Venues, New Look For the Jerusalem Book Fair

The 27th biennial Jerusalem International Book Fair, which ran from February 8 to 12, differed sharply from its predecessors, as organizers sought transform the event into a cultural festival. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Delhi World Book Fair Reaches One Million Consumers

The 9-day New Delhi World Book Fair drew more than 1,100 exhibitors and a million visitors to buy books at what has become one of Asia's key book fairs. The post New Delhi World Book Fair Reaches One Million Consumers appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers Get Personal at Toy Fair

From crafts and inventions to various elements of personalization, many of the playthings displayed at this year’s New York International Toy Fair had a do-it-yourself slant. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Toy Fair 2015: Toy Stores Add More Books to the Mix

At this year's trade show executives from several publishers said specialty toy stores are currently doing well with books and are looking for new titles to add to their assortments. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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No Second Year for Toronto Book Fair

The Inspire! Toronto International Book Fair, which launched last November as a three-day consumer event, will not be held again in 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee 'happy as hell' with book reaction

Harper Lee has said she is “alive and kicking and happy as hell” with the reaction to her new book. Cornerstone division William Heinemann announced on Tuesday (3rd February) that it would publish Go Set a Watchman, a novel written by Lee before she penned To Kill a Mockingbird and featuring... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Frustrations Air Over Rights Center Space at London Book Fair

As the London Book Fair prepares to return to Olympia following its move from Earls Court, the challenge of moving an exhibition of this size has become apparent. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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