Tyler Brûlé, founder of Monocle, first got the idea for his global pub from observing consumers at airports. “It was frequently Wallpaper* and The Economist. I decided to merge elements of the two but refine the package,” the journo/entrepreneur/publisher told Mediabistro.

Although the pub’s staffers are likely to be seen reading The Financial Times and The International Herald Tribune, editor Andrew Tuck says Monocle has its own definition of what’s newsworthy. “We think that a lot of news organizations, especially [those committed to] daily or weekly news, tend to run around in a herd,” he said.

Monocle also strives to take care of its writers. “If a writer goes on a story for us, they will have a water-tight itinerary, they will travel with a reasonable airline, and they have my mobile number and know that if they want to give me a ring at midnight if anything has gone wrong, that’s what I’m here for,” said Tuck.

Got an idea that’s perfect for the pub? Read more in How To Pitch: Monocle. [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

The full version of this article is exclusively available to Mediabistro AvantGuild subscribers. If you’re not a member yet, register now for as little as $55 a year for access to hundreds of articles like this one, discounts on Mediabistro seminars and workshops, and all sorts of other bonuses.

You’d think a guy who took a huge pay cut in 2012 on behalf of one of NBC’s few TV ratings hits would be bullet proof within the network’s executive ranks. But while Matthew Belloni’s Hollywood Reporter cover story about Jay Leno does not pinpoint the two “high-level industry sources” that leaked information to colleague Kim Masters for a March 1 item, the embattled Tonight Show host clearly believes the bleed was carved from the Peacock. Rather than, say, a Big Four talent agency or entertainment attorney’s office.

From Belloni’s piece:

Sources say Leno, when he signed his most recent deal, expected it could be his last at the network. But he is said to have been upset by what he perceived to be an NBC leak to THR and by the prospect of another messy transition that would play out in the press.

Can’t blame (the soon-to-be 63-year-old) Leno for that. No comedian likes to be so consistently heckled, even a road warrior like Leno. The prospect of 16 more months of media-amplified cat calls of “You suck!” is no laughing matter.

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After founding Sassy and Jane, Jane Pratt launched xojane.com in 2011 so she could speak frankly to female audiences, a voice that she says was sorely missing from print pubs.

“It still amazes me that a lot of women’s magazines in particular will use this magazine speak, this terminology.” Pratt told Mediabistro in the latest installment of So What Do You Do?. “Like instead of saying ‘your hair,’ they’ll say ‘your mane’ or ‘your tresses.’ And I always feel like if someone says ‘your lackluster tresses’ instead of ‘your dirty hair,’ you feel like they’re not telling you the whole truth. I feel like that makes you as a reader say, ‘Well, if they’re lying to me about that, what else are they lying to me about?’

For more, read So What Do You Do, Jane Pratt, Editor-in-Chief of xojane.com?

– Nicholas Braun

The 110-year-old Redbook is getting more than just a redesign. “I think it’s better to call it a complete re-imagination of the brand or a total brand reset,” said editor-in-chief Jill Herzig. “There are redesigns and there are redesigns, and this one not only changed how the magazine looks, but how it’s focused.”

With the change in focus comes new opportunity for freelancers. The women’s glossy is beefing up its fashion and beauty coverage, so editors are on the lookout for new writers who can cover those topics. The sections that cover personal finance, health and entertaining are also ripe for pitching, and the whole book is sprinkled with intimate personal essays.

Get more info at How To Pitch: Redbook. [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

Although the planned launch of Lick magazine is still six months away, there is already a sizable slate of activity occupying Barbara Zawlocki (pictured) and two colleagues. The trio are working out of her Hancock Park area residence guest house with an eye towards the September debut of their quarterly print (and daily Web) publication targeting the lucrative realm of dog and cat owners.

Zalowcki brings to the enterprise some very impressive magazine publishing and marketing experience. She has worked for ZIFF Davis, Andy Warhol‘s Interview magazine and, since relocating to the west coast, a newsstand full of clients including Detour and Flaunt magazines.

Co-workers Rose Cefalu and William Montalvo are trusted friends she has known for years; together, they represent another four decades of magazine publishing experience. Zawlocki, after working for others and consulting to media companies, felt the time was finally right to venture out on her own.

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After launching in 2000 through a partnership with Hearst, O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine has amassed a dozen ASME nods and won numerous accolades. Although it has some heavy newsstand competition, O‘s health editor Jihan Thompson said the pub differentiates itself in its service to readers: “[O] really has this positive, uplifting tone that I find is really the mission of the magazine.”

About half of the pub’s content is freelance written and, lucky for you enterprising scribes, the pub is now accepting pitches for many of its sections. Get details on what to pitch, plus contact info for editors in How To Pitch: O, The Oprah Magazine. [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

From the new kid on the West Hollywood media block comes news of trouble at one of the oldest. According to WEHOville.com, bi-weekly mag publisher Frontiers LA filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 6 and received approval for a 90-day transitional operating budget March 11. Still under discussion is how the company will be restructured and which creditors are to be paid first.

There are a couple of juicy personnel details. On the day before the bankruptcy filing, Frontiers co-editor Aaron Drake suddenly quit. That could very possibly have had something to do with requests made by owner-publisher David Stern:

Two proposals have met objections from Peter Anderson, the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee, whose role is to assure that creditors are treated equitably. Anderson objected to a proposal to pay Stern $150,000 a year, noting that in the 12 months preceding the bankruptcy filing Stern was paid only $82,296.

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In the same year that music mags Blender and Giant folded, Vibe shuttered, as well. But, luckily for the iconic mag, it was snapped up by a private equity firm, and editor-in-chief Jermaine Hall was brought on to resurrect the pub. And resurrect it, he did.

In the latest installment of Mediabistro’s So What Do You Do?, Hall explains how the mag is winning again and gives advice to aspiring EICs.

“A lot of things that come with being editor-in-chief aren’t necessarily drilled down into the day-to-day tasks,” he said. “It’s a lot of schmoozing; it’s a lot of fixing relationships; it’s a lot of bartering; it’s a lot of people skills, I would say. It’s really going out there to be the ambassador of the brand on all levels.”

For more, read So What Do You Do, Jermaine Hall, Editor-in-Chief of Vibe?

This week brings the third part of our popular series, Personal Essay Markets. The first and second installments highlighted 30 pitchable personal essay markets, and the latest installment brings you 15 more.

Some of the featured outlets offer up to $2 a word for your first-person piece, so whether your reflecting on running for Runner’s World or on the art of writing for The Writer, our guide can help you find the right pub for your musings.

Read more at Personal Essay Markets, Part III. [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

With 60 percent of the content written by freelancers, Parent & Child is one of the rare pubs that accepts feature pitches from new writers. Bonus: it also pays up to $2 per word.

Nick Friedman, editor-in-chief, explained that his staff is looking for writers who can channel their personal experience  and speak to parents on a personal level. “We want to hear some bold ideas, and we want to know about human interest stories that all parents can relate to and that help provide solutions for families.”

Friedman also stressed that he wants the publication to have material that tackles issues and contemporary subjects through a fresh perspective. “We are not some stuffy, goody-goody parenting title,” he said.

For more, read How to Pitch: Parent & Child [Mediabistro AvantGuild subscription required]

– Nicholas Braun