Z Communications
1925 North Lynn St.
Suite 502
Arlington, VA 22209
703/358-0012
703/358-9328 (fax)
arrive@zpr.com
All aboard! Arrive is a bimonthly magazine for travelers riding Amtrak's high-speed Acela trains along the Eastern seaboard (PRN, Nov. 6). Like its inflight
brethren in the sky, the pub caters to an affluent, upscale audience of busy travelers, offering a liberal arts mix of business insights, tech gadgetry, entertainment and
health/beauty/fitness fare. But publisher Rise Birnbaum is quick to differentiate the title from its airborne counterparts, touting it as "more dynamic and sophisticated, with
a classier approach to text and graphics." Arrive debuted last fall as a bimonthly with a circulation of 200,000. Amtrak hopes to take it monthly by January 2002.
Content/Contacts
Each issue runs 2-3 features (e.g., an interview with CNBC stock watcher Maria Bartiromo in the latest), plus a heavy-duty roster of regular departments. Among them:
Power Trip. The latest techware, from voice recognition software to rearview mirrors equipped with wireless modems.
Net Newbies. The latest sites to crop up on the Web - particularly those with an executive business bent.
Fork in the Road. Cuisine along the Eastern seaboard, from crab houses, to soup joints to wine bars.
Fast Tracker. People you don't know, but should (e.g., Tony Rossi, hairdresser for the cast of HBO's "The Sopranos," and the New York-based Irish rock band Black
47)
Body and Soul. The skinny on everything from Feng Shui to stone massage to sensory deprivation tanks to ski equipment.
Luxury. How to charter your own helicopter, or rent an island for a week.
Down Time. What people do when they're not working.
Home & Office. Furnishings and equipment that make life easier, from ergonomic desks to gas fireplaces.
Editor Jim Moore, a former USA Today columnist, is the best contact for story ideas. He can be reached at 703/358-0012 or jim@zpr.com.
Other key contacts: managing editor Ellen Lathem and assistant editor Robin Carrington, at arrive@zpr.com.
Pitch Tips
Birnbaum says Arrive distinguishes itself from other titles in the "inflight" category with its heavy emphasis on crisp design and original photography (little to no
stock photos). If you can supply slides or transparencies with your pitch, you may have a leg up. The ideal queries are concise, "like a Hollywood pitch," she adds. "Persuade us
as to why we should consider the story, communicate the facts in a fun way and suck us in quickly." One recent idea that got the staff's attention: a feature about a gaggle of
sibling professionals, all of whom are outstanding in their respective fields (for the "Fast Tracker" department).
Editors also are hot for time-saver stories. "Someone just pitched us on a piece about dental clinics that will laser your teeth over lunch to whiten them. That's a story
that meets our needs for the 'Body and Soul' section," says Birnbaum. "This is something that speaks to an audience that's pressed for time, but cares about looking good."
The lead time on stories is roughly 2-3 months out, but editors have been known to make last-minute changes close to press time when there's a celebrity in the deal. "For
example, if we get an interview with someone like Bernadette Peters, Bob Johnson at BET or Matt Damon."
Comments
The editors plan to "up the testosterone level" in upcoming issues, given that the readership skews slightly male (57%). The March/April issue will tout a sports theme,
featuring interviews with sports agent David Falk and soccer goddess Mia Hamm, as well as a piece chronicling the history of March Madness. A story on NASCAR is slated for
May/June.
Given that Amtrak's Acela train serves points along the East Coast, content is heavily skewed toward Atlantic flavors, lifestyles and haunts. But this is not to say travel
stories about more distant destinations are off limits. "Our readers also take trips to the Caribbean in winter and Europe in summer," says Birnbaum. "So while we have a
Northeast focus, we're not exclusively Northeast. More importantly, our readers are people who travel, buy cars, stay at nice hotels, buy laptops and go to shows."
In addition to its original content, Arrive also runs syndicated material from Dave Barry and Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. Syndicated health and
medical news may soon be added to the mix.