The only womag I will buy is Mslexia for women who write. The womags stacked on shelves do sometimes give me writing ideas (mainly poetry) as their screaming captions can be quite useful via prompts.

This post actually prompted me to seek out a book I own and is entitled: Women's Magazines 1693-1968 by Cynthia L White, Ph.D. and was first published in 1970. I remember it costing me a fortune to buy, but did you know that towards the end of the fifties, almost all women's magazines began losing their readers, and by the early sixties a number had suffered a drop in sales of between thirty and fifty per cent. (Not that surprising when considering the women's movement etc.) The crisis stimulated a complete reappraisal of the traditional formula as publishers tried out new ideas and approaches in an all-out effort to tempt readers back.

Perhaps they need to begin reappraisals again.

You’re quite right, Ann, there are some good ones out there, and as usual you remind me that’s it’s more useful to look at things sensibly than merely rant. Seeing as I’ve got the information now, I may as well share it here as well. The ones I found in the library were as follows, for anyone interested in submitting to Australian magazines:


New Idea (http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/new-idea/) I’m confused about this one. The paper copy in the library provided me with an invalid web page, and when I googled the name I came up with the link above. Initial summary was complete trash, but the online version doesn’t look so bad at all. They have some articles on parenting and health that might suggest the editors could be looking for relatively sane stuff. Editor Kim Wilson, details on contact page.

Notebook (www.notebookmagazine.com.au ) Relatively promising, as it’s concerned not with celebrity gossip but home tips and issues. The paper version had some travel articles and items on women’s issues, the online version has parenting tips, wellbeing and all the usual but a little more down to earth than some. It also has links on the website to ‘partner sites’ such as vogue.com.au, taste.com.au, homelife.com.au and others so might be worth a click.

The Australian Woomen’s Weekly has health, home and food – AND some short stories at the back! (www.aww.com.au) I only found these in the paper version, but the online also has a book club – again, promising. In the paper edition there’s a regular’s section with music, screen, and reading room. Executive editor Juliet Riender, Deputy Editor Jo Wiles.

Green Magazine (www.mymagazines.com.au) This link will take you to a general site with lots of magazines listed – this one doesn’t have an online version. (There might be other specialist mags listed here you could be interested in). G Magazine do features on all the usual home and garden, creative, parenting health and wellbeing, food and travel but with an ecological bent. The writing’s not bad. Editor Carolyn Barry, editorial contact enquiries@gmagazine.com.au .

Earth Garden (www.earthgarden.com.au ). Well I put in the Green Magazine so this one followed. It’s a bit more hardcore. Seems to have articles or ‘stories’ as they call them on how-to ecological bits and pieces that might be possible for the average person to contribute to.

Good Reading (www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au) All about books! Lots of reviews and author interviews – possibility for those book reviews out there. Rowena Cseh (Publisher and editor editor@goodreadingmagazine.com.au ), see contact page for other details.


That’s about as much as I had time to comb through. Perhaps someone will find the information useful, so I won’t have just gone on another pointless rant. ;)

Basically Womags have changed over the years. They used to be a source of information for house, home and personal care along with stories for escapism. Today many have become either celebrity orientated or deal in "real life" as if we don't all of get enough of that. Maybe reading of others misery is supposed to make us feel good or superior or some other emotive term. Some people may be think these are the ideals to live up to even. However, the best of them are still the main outlet for short stories. The weeklies seem to be the main culprits in the UK.

Vesna, you are so right. People go on about Womags so much that I occasionally, I admit, buy one, hoping to find something of interest, but it has NEVER happened. I always end up feeling cheated. I have never read anything memorable in one. Is there not something that exists which is something between this drivel and 'Practical Fishkeeping' and 'Cycling World' (both of which I am proud to have been published in, but would never want to read!)? I thought 'Psychologies' was marginally better, but even that is disappointing...I don't object to these magazines being there for those who want to buy them, but why aren't there others for others, who want something else? Maybe, Vesna, Helen, this is something we should explore...

Ah Moosey... The trap you fall into is thinking everyone is capable of thinking as you do and simply refuses to do it. Not so. Some people get huge pleasure from their Woman's Day, and who are we to deny them? Personally, if I see one more placard announcing Princess Mary's latest distress / happiness / pregnancy / wardrobe I might rip it out of it's wire cage and jump on it, and as for the doings of the Biggest Losers / TV chefs / Jolie-Pitts... And that's only the headlines. But each to his own. My extremely intelligent daughter comes home from 12 hours at the legal sweatshop and watches telly programs that bring me out in goosebumps, because she says they're so outrageously awful they make her laugh.