Publisher's letter - celebrating one year in print!

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL IDENTITY WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM

FIRST ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

It's been a year since we launched Culturs magazine in print.

As I write this, I’ve just completed speaking on a panel at the ACT9 Magazine Conference led by Mr. Magazine™ Samir Husni, director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi and Hederman Lecturer at its School of Journalism.

Husni, who was born in Tripoli, Lebanon, and immigrated to the United States, is passionate about print magazines in the age of digital media. He completely understands the need for Culturs. The conference was the perfect scenario to interact with editors from Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, Dwell and the Where Women Create series, as well as the innovative digital magazine platform Issuu and niche publications like Sesi (for Black teen girls) and Different Leaf (a Northeastern-based Cannabis publication).

I’m often asked about my decision take Culturs to print from an online-only business. “Isn’t print dead?”

But in creating and distributing the print version of our digital-first magazine, it’s clear that not only is print alive and well, but it also is enjoying a robust resurgence. (As with anything, execution is key.)

Print magazines provide a tactile experience and much-needed stimulation. They deliver the opportunity to slow down in today’s harried world, find a pace more of our own choosing, and better absorb information curated specifically to our unique wants, needs and tastes. Coupled with online, digital and mobile formats, print publications are reaching more people than ever before.

As new and established players in the industry shared information during ACT9, it was nice to see that Culturs is on the cutting edge of what’s needed to reach audiences and nurture community for our audience of readers who are in-between culture, race, ethnicity, nation and/or location.

Our goal is to celebrate cross-cultural identity and create community. Unfortunately, there aren’t many places where people fully understand who we are.

In this issue, to celebrate the unique joy of our “in-between-ness,” we’ve created two different covers with different segments of our audience in mind: One cover features easy fashion with actor London Brown of the HBO series “Ballers” (p. 40) and a focus on health with The 4 to 5 Club podcast, fitness expert Nichole Cruz and actor Dorian Gregory (p. 90). Our other cover highlights curly hair in all its wavy, coily to kinky, natural glory (p. 68).

We also celebrate entrepreneurs, as venturing out on our own, tackling challenges and taking risks are inherent to those in-between. Perhaps because our backgrounds make us problem-solvers, risk-takers and lone wolves? An infographic celebrating the positives of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) on page 67 may shed some insight.

Thank you for supporting, encouraging and uplifting us, and helping make our community a family. I think you’ll enjoy the multi-faceted cross-cultural offerings we have for you this summer... And just wait until you see what we have in store this fall. Until then, #beYou.

Doni (Dah-knee) Publisher and Founder

Summer 2019 | www.CultursMag.com