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http://www.seventeen.com
If you're hoping to reach teens, there's probably no better print vehicle than Seventeen. An industry bible, the pub has been around for more than 50 years and reaches 2.3
million subscribers and 14 million readers overall. As the flagship of Primedia's teen group, which also includes Teen Beat, Tiger Beat, Seventeen.com and, until recently, the
now-defunct Teen, Seventeen is going strong as it heads towards its 60s with a brand new look focused on making the mag visually "fun, fresh and bright," says Executive Managing
Editor Debbie McHugh.
Readers range in age from 15 to 22 (almost 35 percent of freshmen college women have retained their subscriptions to Seventeen).
Content/Contacts
The newly redesigned Seventeen is putting an increased emphasis on weaving celebrities throughout its copy. February's issue, for example, included a retrospective on Selma
Blair's many hair cuts/colors. The refreshed pub has also added material to appeal to its broad reader base: "There's a big difference in a 15-year-old and a 22-year-old," says
McHugh. "They're looking for different things." So, the pub has added more content on college style, as well as information for younger readers.
Never fear, faithful Seventeen readers: The classics we all remember from our own teenage years remain. "We definitely held on to all the things readers love," McHugh says.
Health and fitness pitches should go to Melissa Daly; feature pitches should go to Deputy Editor Tamara Glenny. Fashion editor is Gigi Solis Schanen; Entertainment Editor is
Laura Morgan. All email addresses are [email protected].
Pitch Tips
"I think most of us prefer to receive pitches via email," McHugh advises.
Pitch the editors with their target audience in mind, and do not lump Seventeen into the "woman's" category. "We get a lot of stuff on skincare for wrinkles, and that's not
relevant for our readers."
The editors also receive lots of information about sex - some of it more amusing than useful. "Our approach to sex is much different than a woman's magazine," McHugh says. "We
know girls are having sex, and we're covering it" in an age-appropriate way, which more often than not advises girls to consult parents or Planned Parenthood - certainly not the
local sex toy outlet. "We're not going to cover vibrators in Seventeen," McHugh says. "But we certainly get a giggle out of it when people send us that stuff."
Comments
Pitch Seventeen and you're likely pitching the Web site as well. Editors for the print pub and the online destination share ideas and content on a regular basis, and often
ideas for interactivity online come from the editors of the magazine. In the May issue, for example, editors were doing a feature on "helmet beauty" - a motorcycle-themed article
inspired by an old story in a vintage issue of Seventeen. When the editors discovered there were few girl-friendly helmets out there today, they asked designers like Betsy Johnson
and Tommy Hilfiger to create custom helmets, which would then be auctioned off on Seventeen.com, with proceeds going to charity.
In The Pipeline
Looking to get a mention in that May issue? Too late. The editors work with about three months lead time and close the pub at the beginning of the month.
June is the beach, bathing suit and beauty issue, with basically everything in the pub geared at outdoor summer living, beauty and fashion. The July issue will focus on summer
entertainment: the hottest summer movies and new music. "That's where you'll see lots of celebrities and movie stars," says McHugh.
Plus, the editors are always looking for ways to embody the Seventeen brand in features within the pub. For example, the beauty section always opens with "17 under $17" - 17
hot products under $17.