Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Not content with merely five titles in her publishing empire, Martha Stewart has a brand new mag.
Blueprint, which arrived on newsstands Monday, is Martha Stewart Living's how-to shelter magazine for the young-and-nesting, but you have to look hard to find Martha. She's listed as founder in the magazine's masthead and came up with the cover tag line: "Design Your Life." But her name appears only on a narrow banner at the top, and her face is nowhere to be found. Inside, even her products share editorial and advertising space with others.
Magazine-watcher Samir Husni, aka "Mr. Magazine," head of the journalism department at the University of Mississippi, says Blueprint is Stewart's version of Real Simple and Oprah Winfrey's O, both of which are successful despite running counter to the trend of narrowly focused niche magazines.
But Blueprint takes the idea of "all things for all people" to the next level, Husni says, which isn't a good thing.
"They set us up to expect the best from the best, and instead we get a shotgun approach. It's 'Let's throw this in the marketplace and see who picks it up and then determine which direction to go in.'"
So how does Blueprint line up with Real Simple and O? We compare the May issues.
O: The Oprah Magazine
*Cover look: It's all about you-know-who.
*What's inside: Theme (this month, Mother's Day), plus fashion, food, beauty, books, financial advice, physical, mental and spiritual health, lots and lots of advice.
*Strange stuff: Something To Think About, a pull-out page you write on; this month, list things you do differently from Mom, figure out what that tells you, think about how you've outgrown Mom's idea of you.
*Signature feature: A calendar with inspirational quotes and musings.
*Celebrity tie-ins: Hello? In addition to Oprah, there's Medium star Patricia Arquette interviewing the real Allison DuBois.
*The last page: What I Know For Sure. Oprah knows a lot of things for sure, most of them touchy-feely.
Real Simple
*Cover look: It's all about minimalism.
*What's inside: Fashion, furniture, food, exercise, home accessories, gardening, makeovers, organizing, lots and lots of advice.
*Strange stuff: Thoughts; this month, a black cat on a dresser with wild wallpaper in the background and Oscar Wilde's dying words, "Either that wallpaper goes or I do."
*Signature feature: A Why Not? list of ways to simplify your life this month, such as purge your sock drawer or create a second e-mail account to avoid spam.
*Celebrity tie-ins: Five women you never heard of, 100 and older, and how they got there.
*The last page: Postscript. A long quote from a book (Are You Happy?) about lilacs and mothers and children.
Blueprint
*Cover look: Where's Martha?
*What's inside: Fashion, jewelry, beauty, home makeovers, furniture, party planning, exercise, medicine, healthful eating, clutter management, scarf-tying, camping gear, how to write nice notes, how to make polite conversation, and more, more, more.
*Strange stuff: Two pages on 100 Reasons to Crack a Smile. Example: dogs in bikinis.
*Signature feature: A recipe for the magazine's signature drink, the Blueprint Martini (it has Blue Curacao and blueberries).
*Celebrity tie-ins: Nada.
*The last page: The Back Door. How to eavesdrop as a hobby -- and not get caught.
To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com
© Copyright 2006 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.
