125 Park Ave., 20th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212/557-6600
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http://www.lhj.com
In 119 years, the demographics have not changed much. Readers of
Ladies Home Journal still are women in their 30s, 40s and up. The
magazine boasts a circulation of 14 million today, which would
suggest that things are going well, but the publishers are not
taking any chances. With the March 2003 issue, they are introducing
a major redesign, with an editorial focus that emphasizes the
connections between women and their families, along with a cleaner,
more focused organization of the content.
Leading the effort is Executive Editor Roberta Caploe, who has
served in the past as executive editor at Seventeen magazine and,
most recently, as editor-in-chief of the youth entertainment group
at Primedia (publisher of Tiger Beat and similar publications). "It
was time to be at a big-girl magazine," she says of her move to
Ladies Home Journal.
Content/Contacts/Deadlines
Under the redesign, the magazine is divided more clearly into
new sections.
Family Love, Family Life: Jennifer Hoppe, 212/455-1051. Stories
about everything from relationships to pets to people who are
making a difference. For animal stories, pitch Paul Chin,
212/455-1056.
Home Journal: Kieran Juska, 212/455-1058. Simple decorating
ideas, as well as pieces looking at domestic rituals.
Life Stories: Chandra Czape 212/455-1450. Succinct profiles of
women's stories of courage and triumph.
Features: Family stories go to Margot Gilman 212/455-1170.
Fashion and beauty go to Carle Engler, 212/455-1379.
Health: Julie Bain, 212/455-1017. Breaking health news.
Emotional wellness. Diet and nutrition.
Food Journal: Jennifer Wilkinson 212/455-1201. Easy and fast
seasonal recipes, plus an "entertaining" feature.
Pitch Tips
Editors generally prefer email pitches. All can be reached at
[email protected].
Caploe likes her pitches pithy. "I like to see a news hook,
something that is short, just a couple of paragraphs, and also a
sense of whether this story is being pitched elsewhere," she says.
"And I hate to sound like a broken record, but really the best
thing they can do is to read the March issue and see what we are
doing."
By and large the theme is one of connectedness. "With a story
about a trend, we want to show people how things outside of their
orbit are going to effect things inside their orbit," says
Caploe.
Comments
Most of the media messages we hear tell us that the family is
spinning apart, with parents working longer hours while kids go
their own way at an ever-younger age. But Caploe sees trends that
point the other way.
"After Sept. 11, the mood of the country became much more about
unity," she says.
That's the unity Caploe wants to see in the magazine.
In The Pipeline
Caploe wants pitches at least five months in advance of the
publication date. "The earlier the better, because we look at a
tremendous amount of pitches," she says. Her editors have an
ongoing need for experts - decorators and doctors, therapists and
lawyers - so it is never too early to pitch those.
Also look to the "LHJ Special Report," a 10- to 12-part series
on an important family life issue. This year's topic: "State of the
Union," a look at the changing landscape of courting, cohabitation,
marriage, divorce and remarriage.