I have reviewed Success Magazine here.
I asked my LinkedIn network what they thought of the magazine. I didn’t get my normal 25-75 responses, however the publisher did provide a short response to my review.
Here is my short summary of the review:
Wow!! I am impressed.
Go right now buy a copy and then subscribe to Success Magazine.
Why?
- Articles from the leading writers.
- A CD/DVD that contains Donald Trump and Napoleon Hill.
My complaints?
I like meaty articles. I am voracious reader and therefore expect longer deeper articles, which the magazine does not have. The articles are short and tightly focused. Each one has a purpose and a message to tell. I am a fan of the Economist and National Geographic which has lots of background material, etc.. Unfortunately the articles in the magazine are like candy – enjoyable but not filling. I would much prefer that they add one or two substantial articles. Success – The Magazine should have at least one long and well thought through article.
The second complaint is there is a lack of history in the magazine. The Success Magazine is over 100 years old. Much of what we read now is almost a repeat of what was written 100 years ago (I think many of the "Leaders" just rewrite old articles and add their name to it).
My third complaint is that there is nothing negative in the magazine. It doesn’t deal with the reality of the world. I am a firm believer in Positive Mental Attitude (PMA), but, I also read the obituaries. (I love the life stories) Some times, some days, life doesn’t go well. An article or two on this topic or how to help people who don’t want to be helped would be an asset to the magazine.
Lastly, is not about what is in the magazine, rather what is missing from the magazine. It would be useful, interesting, and exciting for readers to reread articles from the first editions of Success magazine and Hill’s the Golden Rule.
Click here to find the original question and answer on LinkedIn Answers
The Success Stories series provides case studies from people about what it takes to become successful. Each of us is unique in our goals and aspirations, but we have things in common with others. Through the 10,000,000 people in my LinkedIn network we can share ideas and solutions that will help you achieve your goals. While I don’t always agree with all the comments I receive, I include all that are presented coherently and could help at least one of my readers.
The questions have been slightly edited for grammar and presentation. Comments and Kudos, while always appreciated, have been edited out.
Technical Leader–seeking for new opportunity
I like those magazines which are short and focused. I never like articles which are too long to concentrate and consume lot of time than actually serving the real purpose.
Eating too much of candies can result in upset stomach.
Yes I agree with you on second point, many times we see same stories in different ways than the different stories to interest us.
Why you want to read negative?. Realty of world is what we see and perceive, if you always feed your mind with positive, the reality of world will get changed for you.
Dear, as you look for what you are and not what you are not, in the same way look for what is success magazine than what it is not.
[ZT - Hey, I am a real positive guy. However, stuff happens and there are ways to deal with that stuff. I was just hoping for some insights on stuff. Even if its about perseverance. I have read stuff from most of the authors in the magazine, who have great things to say about negative stuff. Since, most of them have over come negative stuff.]
Author, International Speaker, Marketer
Someone must own the rights to the name SUCCESS MAGAZINE. It has had more owners that one can imagine in the past few years. The title is bringing in more revenue than the ads, perhaps!
Let’s give it another chance and see what happens.
www.perfecttogreat.com/video.php
Production manager/sports entertainment expert
I learn more from business 2.0 and INC. magazines.
Photography Professional – Owner Gjerme Photografic – gjerme.com Hi-End Wedding Photographer (also LOVE Commercial work)
I used to read success all the time in High School – that was in the 80′s.
I tried it out again a couple of years ago – it seemed to be a giant infomercial for MLM businesses.
I prefer Entrepreneur & business 2.0. I believe in success as a concept.
President, Moran Media Group
Aaah…Success magazine. I have worked in small business publishing for almost 20 years. In fact, I worked at Success from 1990-1992. I also worked at Entrepreneur (94-98) and Inc (2001-02) before starting my own publishing company.
Contrary to what you are hearing, the "new" Success magazine has absolutely no ties to Orison Swett Marden’s magazine (1898-1926). Marden was an incredible entrepreneur, getting both his Medical and Law degrees from
In 1954, some 27 years later, W. Clement Stone, another brilliant entrepreneur, started Success Unlimited. It was a motivational newsletter used for internal purposes at his Chicago Insurance company (for his managers). In the early 1980s, it became Success! (with the exclamation point). Dale Lang bought into the newsletter, and it became a national magazine around 1984. Eventually, Lang took over the title and dropped to exclamation point.
When I worked there in the early 1990s, someone at our company found copies of Marden’s magazine. A "tremendous" leap of faith was made to connect Marden to Stone. It simply isn’t the case.
Since the 1990s, Success has gone through most of its 9 lives. I thought it was dead until seeing it on the newsstand several years ago. It has come back to life yet again.
Given the rocky road ahead, the new publishers of Success have a great opportunity to motivate and inspire the current crop of entrepreneurs without having to pretend to be something they are not…a 100 year old magazine. Today’s business owners need positive reinforcement almost as much as they need practical information on Marketing or dealing with a problem employee.
I’m guessing Success is down to its last life. I wish them well and hope they have enough sense to recognize their own strengths and not live life looking in the rear view mirror.
Visionary Business Leader, Investor and Entrepreneur
Well of course I think SUCCESS magazine is simply AMAZING!!
[ZT Darren Hardy is the publisher of Success Magazine]
Regarding your feedback specifically…
There are several longer features in the premier issue – the cover story from the Kiyosaki’s for one and certainly the Doing Business (Richard) Branson Style – Adventures in Entrepreneurialism, then the piece from Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz and of course the History of Personal Development piece.
As it relates to presenting something negative in the magazine – that is not our purpose. You can find that everywhere else. You can find it in any other magazine and certainly you will be bombarded with it from newspapers, radio and TV news, billboards, games, even conversations with friends and family. We are not suggesting SUCCESS is the only voice you seek, but at least it can be one voice where we are talking about what is RIGHT with the world and what you CAN DO to take responsibility for your life, situation and circumstances. Most everything and everyone will tell you what is wrong and what can’t be done, SUCCESS can at least be a single resource for inspiration and validation that you achieve your dreams and ambitions in life.
And yes, the CD/DVD content bound into every edition of SUCCESS is incredible. Just that media alone is worth 10X the cost of the newsstand magazine price.
After 1 million copies were pre-sold before newsstand release making it the largest first issue release in publishing history, the all-new SUCCESS is on newsstands most everywhere now.
Identity Theft and Privacy Compliance and Training (TopLinked.com, MyLink500.com, LION, 1,900+)
I am optimistically cautious. Having been at the executive level of a leading network marketing company for several years, I recognize numerous of the magazine’s promoters, publishing group, and contributors as being strongly affiliated with the network marketing industry. This leads to a risk that it becomes strongly tainted to promoting that industry. In fact I received my complimentary copy through an industry leader who is promoting the magazine as a "must subscribe to" for that company.
On the other hand, the network marketing industry, more than any other that I know, has a fundamental philosophy of "personal development," which I strongly agree with. More companies and industries should do the same. The premiere issue of Success Magazine is a tribute to that fundamental philosophy of the industry.
[ZT - The network marketing companies need to motivate many of their members so that they can become successful, so its a win-win for everybody.]
Success Stories are part of my Success Through Balance approach to life. I believe that Success comes from living a balanced life. You can read more about being successful and the skills required here.
Add your insights and opinions in the comments section below!
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