April 27, 2007

Texas Monthly Publisher Says Media Should Be a Time Magnet

By Sandie Taylor

According to Michael Levy, founder and publisher of Texas Monthly magazine, to be successful in the media business, you have to compete for people’s time.

 “We’re all in time poverty. You don’t like to shop as much as you did 20 years ago,” Levy said at the McCombs School’s VIP Distinguished Speaker Series April 19. “Everybody works harder today than they did years ago.”

 With less disposable time in today’s competitive work force and so many ways for people to get their news, Texas monthly has to produce quality journalism to keep their profits up.

“We’re successful because of the kinds of stories we tell,” said Levy. “People don’t need [magazines] to tell them what happened last week.” he said. But people are interested in reading provocative, localized stories and opinions.

Michael Levy, founder and publisher of Texas Monthly, talked about why his magazine has been so successful at the VIP Distinguished Speaker Series April 19.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the Beginning: How To Start a Magazine

Levy started Texas Monthly in 1973 when he was 26 years old during the heyday of city magazines. He was working as a sales person for Philadelphia magazine and quickly became one of the top three sellers on the team. Discovering his natural skill in magazine sales gave Levy the confidence to create his own publication.

“Back then, it was scary,” Levy admitted. As a young entrepreneur, convincing esteemed editors to work for his new magazine proved to be one of his biggest challenges. But he knew Texas Monthly would hit a chord with an underserved and lucrative market.

Texans take more pride than most in their regional identity. “You identify yourself as a Texan,” he said. “There’s that common bond and incredibly unique culture and history. [Texas] is a huge, expansive geography, but it’s a real cohesive community of interest.”

Levy planted Texas Monthly headquarters in Austin for a few reasons. Austin’s central location in the state seemed like the right choice for a magazine about Texas. But also, regional competitiveness made Austin’s location strategic: people in Houston wouldn’t buy a magazine based in Dallas, and vice-versa, he said. Plus, the city had a certain appeal.

“When I came to Austin in 1972, it was a wonderful town. A writer, artist and musician town,” he said. “I could get people to work for me because we were in Austin, and there weren’t a lot of other jobs.” 

Commitment to Real Journalism

 Today, the magazine has a paid circulation of 300,000 and 2 million readers. “We’ve been described as the single most influential magazine in Texas,” Levy said. “Both our readers and advertisers know we’re committed to making a difference.”

But like any business, Texas Monthly is also interested profits.

“I’ve always been committed to real journalism because it’s a great business, not because I’m a noble guy,” he said.

For Levy, being successful in business stems from cultivating and maintaining personal connections.

 “All business is a series of relationships that matter,” he said. “I let my staff know I’m glad they’re here, and I value the work they do.”

Of course, Levy shows the same kind of care to his advertiser relationships. If an advertiser is upset about seeing too many ads in the magazine, he calls the advertiser personally to explain why it costs it so much to produce quality journalism.

“I do a couple phone calls like that a couple times a month,” he said. “They are surprised when the publisher calls them.”

Notable Soundbites

On getting a job after graduation:
“You want to be successful by paying your dues. Find a company that needs you more than you need them. Look for one that’s not huge and promotes from within like Texas Monthly. Look for a company that has the potential to become a great brand.”
 
On his favorite story in Texas Monthly:
“That’s like asking me what my favorite color or magazine is. I love them all. I get the same kick out of reading the current issue as I did reading the first one.”

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