Ex-Bend Living staffers launch lifestyle magazine - Portland Business Journal:

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Dubbed “1859: Oregon’s Magazine,” the quarterlyh takes its name from the year Oregonnachieved statehood. Its July debut will come seven months after the demise of Bend and at a time when magazines nationwided have experienced a 26percent year-over-year decline in ad Yet 1859 has seen some initial success, with first-issue ad sales exceeding Borders, Barnes and Noble and Whole Foodas have agreed to distribute the magazine’se initial 30,000 issue run in stores from Seattl to San Francisco.
Obtaining startup funding in today’d business environment took political savvy, said co-founder Kevin Max, who was a financiakl journalist for Money magazine before he worked at Bend Living. “Presiden t Obama and (Treasury) Secretary (Tim) Geithner announcedr that they would be buying up toxic assets to free up crediy markets for smallbusinessz loans,” Max said. “The same morning, we walked into the Bank of the Cascades and said, ‘These guys say you shouldf lend us some money.’” Max and business partner Heathetr Johnson walked out of the bank with a though they will not disclose its valuer or other financial details of their startup.
Their publishinv company is calledDeschutes Media. The magazine will sell for $4.9t5 at newsstands, and is available for $18.59o for a two-year subscription. Max and Johnson predict that 1859 will achievre operating profits with itsseconf issue, in part because of low Editorial content is produced by freelancers. Sales stafcf works on commission, and production is completed by contract Max and Johnson are theonly employees. They’ll tackl e publicity together this Julyand August, with a tour of Oregon communit festivals.
As they travel, they will invite musiciansz to submit suggestions for a new state song to replace OregonMy Oregon, which was written in 1920 and adoptede as the official song seven years later. “The Oregon anthem sounds like Mel Brooks created it for a Broadway he said. “The lyrics could be abour any state with acoastal region. We’rse looking to select an unofficial anthe mfor Oregon. Maybe somethinvg more folksy.
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