614 magazine set to launch in April

There are roughly 150,000 residents in the city of Columbus, Ohio between the age of 25 and 35 and not a single publication that truly caters to their interests. Two men have taken to the initiative to change that. On April 1, 2009, a free monthly magazine is set to debut. 614 magazine, representing the area code of Columbus, will serve as much more than a general interest magazine, making sure it’s niche of readers are indulging in the areas of arts and culture it covers.

Though this may not be the best of times for the debut of a new print magazine, the publishers seem to believe they have found ways to be successful. Wayne T. Lewis and Clark Gaines have produced a 104-page pilot that profoundly describes what 614 magazine is all about to potential advertisers. How else do they plan on making it? The publishers believe it is all about quality. As long as they are creating something with taste that is modern and clean, not to mention free, then it should very well take off successfully.



On the magazines website, 614columbus.com, potential readers are invited to bring their ideas to the table. People are being questioned as to what they would like to see and get out of the magazine. This is a trend taking off in the magazine industry. Lucia Moses, a senior editor covering the magazine industry, sees this type of shift in the editorial process in other magazines. For example, National Geographic readers can send in their own photos and then vote for which ones they believe should run in the magazine.

Lewis and Gaines have a few other tricks up their sleeves to get the ball rolling. Within the editorial staff, there is certified culinarian Angela Theado and Adventure Girl Stephanie Reighart. With the expertise of these two on staff, readers will be eager to fly high in the sky on a hang gliding mission and make it home just in time to throw a fabulous, elegant dinner party.

614 magazine is set to be distributed at over 250 locations that will inevitably fall into the hands of the target audience. There are also going to be stainless steel displays at over 100 of the set locations that will aid in driving 25,000 copies of the publication in the face of readers.

Despite the current economic situation, Lewis and Gaines are making an effort to grab readers in an exciting and unique way. There is a lot of faith in the future of 614 magazine and there seems to be no doubt in the minds of those behind this project that it will fail.