The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

Opinion The Atlantic’s first second printing, by the numbers

Media critic|
July 20, 2016 at 2:10 p.m. EDT
(Erik Wemple/The Washington Post)

The Atlantic just sent a second print run of its July/August edition to the newsstands. The last time it did such a thing was “Never,” in the words of Atlantic President Bob Cohn. “How American Politics Went Insane,” is the cover story for the issue, a story by Jonathan Rauch that argues for the restoration of the American political hack, a critical agent in preventing the system from veering toward extremes.

So for all of the talk about the U.S. electorate rejecting the establishment, a story endorsing the establishment moved the impulsive American magazine reader. “We sold out on the newsstand,” Cohn said. “We assigned the story a long time ago and put the word ‘insane’ on the cover. Who knew it would be as resonant as it is?” For those who still care about tactile news products, this is a victory. “The decision to do a second printing is a reflection of the centrality of the magazine to The Atlantic … the magazine remains essential,” says Cohn.

Digital advertising still outpaces the combined revenue of print advertising and circulation, even in an issue with a second print run.

Some more numbers:

• 25,000. The amount of magazines in the second print run. The monthly average for newsstand sales is about 44,000. The Atlantic has about 425,000 home subscribers.

• Two weeks: How long the issue had been on newsstands when the Atlantic got the impressive numbers from bookstores. Barnes & Noble, says Cohn, is a “very reliable barometer of where you’re going to end up.” Considering that the July/August is a double issue, the Atlantic had enough time to order up a second print run and get the magazines replenished.

• $7.99. The cost of an Atlantic magazine off the newsstand. The magazine recoups about half that number. “The incremental revenue from selling more magazines will not be that great,” says Cohn. “We’re doing it because we will likely make some money off it and we will, more important, get the magazine in the hands of people who want it.”

• 20 percent. The ballpark margin by which a double issue (eight weeks) typically outsells a single issue (four weeks).

• Three. The number of Atlantic distributors that the company consulted before deciding to launch a second print run. “We have to make sure they wanted it,” says Cohn. Barnes & Noble is the main mover here. “We made the decision as soon as Barnes & Noble said yes.”

The “insane” issue was the first Atlantic produced following the departure of former editor in chief James Bennet, who left to run the editorial page of the New York Times. Ever since, the Atlantic has been assembling a list of possible successors, which promises to be quite a process. David Bradley, chairman and owner of Atlantic Media, is famous for his extensive editor searches. In his last “Playbook” edition, Politico’s Mike Allen offered a “short list” of candidates. Cohn declined to talk specifics.