Gourmet’s final issue has now hit newsstands and mailboxes. In a recent roundup that compared the last issue to its competitors,thePostpointed outthat “browsing through the first half ofBon Appétitmakes one realize how desperate the food publishing industry is. It’s become all about selling stuff.” But it’s possible that, for all of its selling savvy,Bon Appétithasn’t been spared Condé Nast’s scythe, either. We’re hearing today (as is Gawker),有杂志(酒吧licity rep is getting back to us with word). But food magazines aren’t dead yet! See,Food NetworkMagazine has been included onAd Age’s yearly “A-List” forbest magazine launch(NYMag.com, which includes Grub Street, was namedwebsite of the year). Hearst executive VP Michael Clinton says the magazine is selling more ads than expected in part because “you can kind of snack your way through it.” Ad Age continues:
The reasons thatFood NetworkMagazine was able to capture readers’ imagination so quickly are many. To begin with, it’s an easy read, free of the leaden prose — rapturous descriptions of Tuscan sporks, omelets likened to mythological deities, etc. — that too often weighs down foodie titles. “A lot of the epicurean books had become like homework,” said Mr. Clinton.
There you have it. Get ready for a future of easy snacking, folks.
