New stitch in the niche

Folio: The Magazine for Magazine Management, May 1, 1992 by Rachel Drucker

Publisher Dale Schenkelberg knows that with "at least 14 needlework publications in the marketplace" it may appear hard to believe that Craftways Corporation's new launch, Treasures in Needlework, has managed to "carve out a niche that was not being served before." But research, says Schenkelberg, shows that needlework enthusiasts tend to read - and save - several titles each month. "It is not unusual for them to buy two, three or four different magazines - some even buy all 14," he says.

Responses to a survey bound into Craftways' Cross Stitch & Country Crafts indicated increased interest in high-quality needlework and, after two years of development, including two major direct-mail tests and focus-group market studies, the quarterly launched with a spring cover date.

Treasures in Needlework devotes itself exclusively to "heirloom-quality" projects - fine needlecraft work, passed from generation to generation, involving sophisticated craftsmanship and quality materials.

The premier issue, which generated 120,000 subscribers, including foreign subs, was placed on news-stands and sent to a few thousand craft shops. Schenkelberg says the magazine will also be available at larger chain stores such as Kmart, Michaels, and Wal-Mart. It is guaranteeing a 200,000 rate base.

The magazine's larger trim size and page run enable it to provide its readership not only with project-oriented information (step-by-step pattern instructions), but also with calendars of events and competitions and a readers forum. There are features about needlework, materials and tools, artists, collectors and collections, as well as columns of interest to the specialized quality-needlecraft readership.

The 80-page glossy is accepting outside ads - in addition to Craftways ads - which its 30-page sister, Cross Stitch, cannot accommodate. The premier edition and the second issue each have 16 ad pages.

Joan Cravens, a 20-year veteran in the crafts industry, is the editor in chief. The subscription price is $19.95; the cover price is $4.95. A black-and-white advertising page costs $4,500 and a four-color page runs $6,000. Ads for the cover page are $6,600.