IT looks like Oprah Winfrey’s ability to confer best-seller status on books is translating to her own magazine, as well.
O, the Oprah Magazine from Hearst, has gone back on press for another 500,000 copy run after the initial 1.1 million copies distributed to newsstands sold out in most areas following its April 19 debut.
That will bring to 1.6 million the number of copies that were distributed nationally. It suggests robust sales – but it doesn’t automatically mean that every copy has sold, since Hearst will not know how many unsold copies retailers return for credit until the first issue goes off sale.
The premiere May/June issue will remain on sale for several more weeks. Insiders at Hudson News, which runs newstands across the New York metropolitan area, said the first issue was a virtual sellout in the city and the second shipment, which arrived last week, is also selling strongly.
Meanwhile, at least one other high-level editor has left the magazine. Deputy Editor Elizabeth O’Brian, who joined only three weeks ago from Time Inc.’s Sports Illustrated for Women, is leaving after the July/August issue closes.
“I’m leaving for personal, family reasons,” she tells Media Ink, dispelling speculation that she found the work environment crazed. Michelle Burford, who is now the senior features editor, gets a bump up to deputy editor, taking O’Brian’s old job. Senior Deputy Editor Dawn Raffel also moves up to become executive articles editor.
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A sense of crisis seems to be gripping the folks behind the industry’s other high profile launch of the year: Real Simple, put out by Time Inc.
Recently, Editor Susan Wyland had a closed door powwow with other Time Inc. female editors – trying to figure out ways to smooth out the rough edges and generate some positive buzz about the magazine, which has published two issues.
Sources say Wyland has increasingly come under attack from the business side, led by People Group President Ann Moore. She’s said to have grown disenchanted with Wyland, a hard-charging editor.
That is considered an odd turn of events, because it was Moore who initially hired Wyland to oversee the start-up of the magazine.
Now that the magazine is launched, Norman Pearlstine, the Time Inc. editor-in-chief, has responsiblity for the editorial side – and may be reluctantly drawn into the fray.
It is not clear who ordered the all-gal powwow – Pearlstine, Moore or Wyland, herself. One insider says that Wyland was essentially being “taken to the woodshed” and forced to listen to criticsm from her peers. A People spokesperson insists the luncheon was Wyland’s idea.
Among those who are believed to have attended the unusual luncheon: In Style Editor Martha Nelson; People Editor Carol Wallace; the last editor of Life, Isolde Motley, who is said to have played a big role in lining up the talent; Sandra Bailey, editor of Sports Illustrated for Women, and Clare McHugh, who is working on the launch of a new Time women’s magazine project called Siren.
A People spokeswoman confirms the all female luncheon took place with about “eight to 10 people” but won’t identify them.
Wyland, through the spokeswoman says, “They are all women with a wealth of magazine experience – as well as being Real Simple’s audience – and I respect and value their feedback. It was extremely helpful.”
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Richard Stengel, who was working as a special adviser and speech writer in the aborted presidential bid of former Senator Bill Bradley, is returning to Time magazine. Sources say the company is expected to announce today that Stengel will be the new editor of Time.com and that Taylor Gray will be the new president of Time Magazine Interactive Group.
The vaunted church- state boundary may be getting a little murky in cyberspace, however.
Gray is supposed to report to both Bruce Hallett, the president of Time magazine, and to the magazine’s managing editor, Walter Isaacson. Stengel, works for Gray, but a spokesman says he reports to Isaacson.
The new initiative is the first major offensive since Time magazine regained control of its Web site from the disbanded Pathfinder corporate site.
Stengel, who was once wooed by the late John F. Kennedy Jr. to edit George, left Time magazine two years ago to write a book, “You Are Too Kind: A Brief History of Flattery,” due from Simon & Schuster in June.
When Stengel finished the book last fall, he went to work for Bradley as a political adviser and speech writer.
Some are wondering how the Al Gore and George W. Bush campaigns will greet the news that a former adviser to Bradley is now in charge of loading fair and objective stories about the 2000 presidential campaign onto the Web.
“I spent 20 years as a journalist and six months as a political operative for Bill Bradley – I don’t see it as a problem,” says Stengel.
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It didn’t take long for The Donald to turn up at one of the hottest new dining spots in town – the Frank Gehry-designed Conde Nast cafeteria at 4 Times Square. Donald Trump joined Conde Nast CEO Steve Florio yesterday for lunch.
“We both had the pasta special,” says Florio, who says Trump was angling for a look at the new cafeteria. “I have lunch with Donald from time to time. He’s an old friend,” says Florio.
Conde Nast Chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. stopped by for a few minutes to say hello.
All parties bussed their own trays, our sources say.
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