Conklin (right) believes New Woman can be fun, vibrant and fantastic
New Woman has appointed New Yorkborn Margi Conklin, currently deputy editor of InStyle, as its new editor.
The move signals a return to Emap for Conklin, who has held a number of posts on glossies, including deputy and acting editor of Elle, editor of Celebrity Looks and features editor and assistant editor on New Woman.
Conklin trained as a journalist on The Journal, Newcastle, before joining Take A Break magazine where she became features editor. Conklin said she was “thrilled” at being appointed editor of New Woman.
“I know quite a few members of the team and have a fondness for the title, having worked there for a number of years,” she said.
“It is a fantastic, fun and vibrant magazine and has the potential to create really great ideas. The format is very free and I love that about it.”
Conklin said it was too early to discuss a relaunch but said she intends to look at the entire magazine. “I think Sara Cremer did a really great job. I do have plans for it, but I just want to get in there, meet the team and talk it through with them first.”
Commenting on moves by rival titles such as Marie Claire and Cosmo to test the smaller, handbag-style format inspired by Glamour, she told Press Gazette: “I think anything that makes the magazine stand out more on the news-stand is a great thing, but I haven’t discussed specific plans about that with the publishing team.
“Obviously it’s incredibly competitive with magazines such as Glamour still dominating. But I think New Woman has a clear proposition in the market which is fantastic, because it is becoming harder for magazines to prove that. ” New Woman recorded a circulation of 290,533 in the last set of ABCs, down 1.4 per cent year on year, but up 5.4 per cent period-on-period. Emap will be hoping to break through the 300,000 barrier in line with Glamour, Cosmo, Marie Claire and Company.
Conklin said New Woman has also lost readers to celebrity weeklies such as Closer, Heat and Now.
Although she said there were no immediate plans to increase the celebrity coverage, one of her strengths in addition to features, is knowledge of celebrity style. Conklin said she also valued well-delivered fashion and beauty and interesting features.
New Woman publisher Augusta Barnes said she had been inundated with applications but Conklin’s vision for the magazine was ‘extra special’.
Conklin is due to take over this summer from New Woman’s previous editor Sara Cremer, who has become executive editor, special projects at Emap Elan.
By Ruth Addicott
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