Maxxed out: I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to relate to this sad tale about Dennis Publishing failing because of the phenomenal success of Maxim. I especially feel sorry for Mr. Dennis having to sell a couple of his Rolls Royces to help make ends meet. (via I Want Media.)

Dejavuville? Dan Fost of the SF Chronicle profiles Louis Border’s (of bookstore fame and webvan infame) new “old” idea, Keep Media, something I described recently as a poor man’s Nexus. Louis tells Dan this is different than webvan because he learned it doesn’t take lots of money to launch something on the web. This time, he says, he only has 32 employees and some consultants, which suggests that Louis didn’t learn as much as he thinks he did from the webvan experience. There are some good quotes in the article, like when he says, “Prove the market, then grow.” Actually, I like the concept of Keep Media and hope it succeeds.

It’s okay to make it up: Meghan O’Rourke asks, “What’s the big deal with making stuff up in magazine articles?”. She suggests there perhaps should be a magazine genre somewhere in-between fact and fiction. (Please, direct all e-mail to O’Rourke that says, “That genre already exists, it’s called (fill in the blank with the magazine you hate the most).”)

O’Rourke should read the current bestseller, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. It is filled with examples of how Franklin spent a lifetime writing fictitous letters to the editor for his and others’ publications.

No, I am not making this up: While it sounds suspiciously from the Onion, the Detroit Free Press reviews one of the more unique uses of the fashion-magazine format I can ever recall. Come to think of it, I can’t think of anything even close. Ironically (which is a word I could use several times in this post), the “magazine” is published in Nashville making it yet another Nashville magazine project off my radar. Okay, here it is: Revolve is a complete New Testament in a fashion-magazine format. Ok. Let me say that again. Revolve is a complete New Testament in a fashion-magazine format.

Let me first express how proud I am that Thomas Nelson, the world’s largest Bible publisher and creators of Revolve, is based in Nashville before I quote from their website why the world needs a New Testament in a fashion-magazine format.

Quote:

In focus groups, online polling, and one-on-one discussion, (teens say the) number one reason (they) don’t read the Bible is that it is “too big and freaky looking.” This fashion-magazine format for the New Testament is the perfect solution to that problem. Teen girls feel comfortable exploring the Scriptures and over 500 further-study notes because of the relevant format!

I’m sorry. You’re going to have to reread that quote yourself. I’m not going to repeat it. Even the “too big and freaky looking” part.

What’s in Revolve? Like any good fashion magazine, there are all 27 books of the New Testament (who said long-form was dead?) along with such features as a Q&A (no comment) feature called Blab, “Love Notes from God,” beauty secrets, calendars, dating and relationship articles.

For those of you who work at Hammock Publishing, I’ll be happy to share with you the copy of Revolve I’ve just ordered from the rexblog store. By the way, the Free Press article reports there is going to be a version next year for teenage boys. No word yet on whether or not they plan to use the most popular magazine format for that demographic.

Biggie-sized custom publishing news: As usual, Keith Kelly is on top of things today with news about a new Stephen King column in Entertainment Weekly and big, big news about a new custom magazine for McDonald’s called Relax being developed by Time Inc. (I asssume Time Inc. custom publishing. I also assume it has nothing to do with the Relax Magazine that already exists). I am all for spreading the news that this marks a great break-through in the history of custom publishing and that its rumored 10 million circulation will make it the largest custom magazine of all times. However, that would mean one would have to declare any publication distributed by AARP (20+ million) is not a custom publication (even if they fit the definition). Also, it would have to overlook McDonald’s previous custom published magazines, of which there have been more than one that I can recall. While I can’t recall the details, one such publication was produced by Quad Graphic’s creative division (the folks who publish Milwaukee Magazine) around 1993 or 94. I can’t find anything on the web that backs up my foggy memory on this one, but I don’t think I’m making that up. (I remember being jealous.)