Print Magazine Launches Fall in 2007

Folio is reporting a decline in print magazine launches in 2007.

There were 389 new magazines launched in 2007. There were also 636 magazines launched in 2007.

Exactly how many depends on who's doing the counting.

"We only count magazines that we have physical copies of," says University of Mississippi professor Samir "Mr. Magazine" Husni, who tracks launches monthly on his Web site. "That is, no announcement or wishful thinking that we are launching."

Through November, there were 636 magazine launches by Husni's count, including 221 published four times or more and 363 special issues that may or may not come out with a second.

Like Folio says there was a drop but the size of the drop depends on whose numbers who use. Here are the numbers.

Mediafinder:

2007: 389

2006: 498

2005: 264

2004: 215

Mr. Magazine:

2007: 636 (between Jan and Nov)

2006: 842 (between Jan and Nov)

Folio also noted that the Magazine Publishers of America has a 7% increase over last year's title in its New and Noted database.