American Publishing LLC
516 Tennessee St. Suite 228
Memphis, TN 38103
http://www.americanmagazine.com
901.312.7711
The Wind-Up
Mignonne Wright thinks the country is in need of a serious laugh. "There are lot of problems going on right now and a lot of things that need to be addressed," says Wright, who
is betting that the bi-monthly American Magazine (100,000-circ), which she launched this summer - and serves as editor-in-chief -- will provide a tonic to readers living in a
post-9/11 universe. "Even before September 11, we needed some laughter," Wright adds. Decidedly Middle America in tone, Wright dubs the publication The Saturday Evening Post for a
younger generation and "'Chicken Soup for the Soul,' with pictures." Inspirational in nature - sans any religious elements, though - the publication runs several feature stories
every issue in addition to four regular sections: "American Life," with pieces on the home, family and finance; "American Heroes," which runs stories of triumph and how a
particular charitable organization - The Humane Society of the United States, for instance - helped an individual overcome certain obstacles; "American Discovery," features
travel-related stories on, say, the most endangered American landmarks or what's new culturally in Chicago, while "American People" includes stories on ordinary American artists,
musicians, writers et al. doing extraordinary things.
Wright wants humor to be infused throughout the entire publication, which is being distributed through Wal-Mart and Barnes & Noble stores as well as news outlets in several
cities nationwide, including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, San Diego and Washington. D.C. "We're not a coastal magazine," Wright says, in a not-so-veiled reference to the self-
appointed cultural czars in New York and Los Angeles. The publication targets women, mostly the marrying kind with children. But unlike many of the A-list women's magazines a la
Cosmopolitan and Glamour, which traffic in insecurities, Wright stresses that that there will "no harm done" in the pages of American Magazine.
The Pitch
Since Wright likes to keep readers smiling, the first sentence in an e-mail press release is crucial. To wit: Wright will toss any press release that's leaden with industry
jargon, regardless of the space, whether it's from retail or the medical community. The consummate American Magazine story: the guy who ran the New York City Marathon recently
and, based on the number of high-fives he got from the crowd, raised money for chilldren whose parents were killed in the 9/11 attacks. "We're inspirational," Wright says, "You're
not going to see any controversy in the pages. Anything with shock value isn't for us." Wright accepts all pitches, [email protected], since they will get assigned faster than pitching reporters directly. "It's got a better chance of
getting in if they pitch me," she says. "It could get lost if it's pitched to any of our individual reporters." Leave two months out for pitches; the morning is better for initial
calls while the afternoon is good for follow-ups. With the publication not yet a year-old, it's still evolving and Wright is encouraging publicists to contact her with stories
suitable for American Magazine. "The more stories people send us the better," she says. "We've been getting some great submissions but we would always like to see more." Wright
has gotten several of her editorial ducks in a row but is definitely looking to fill some news holes. The March/April issue features Spring Break destinations for the whole family
as well as coverage of an Easter Egg Hunt across the country; May/July looks at "Great American Moms" and July/August features "back to school" stories and a scorecard on
"Greatest Spas" in the U.S. The September/October issue goes behind the scenes of Blue Ribbon State Fairs and also offers a scratch sheet on bed & breakfast inns that are a
bit off the beaten track. The November/December includes gifts that are indigenous to the 50 states.