Here’s a bright spot in the magazine world: celebrity weekly Life & Style is increasing its rate base 12.5 percent — to 450,000 — effective immediately.

Although there were fears earlier this year that celebrity weeklies’ newsstand sales were suffering due to the recession, stories like Jon and Kate Gosselin‘s failing marriage and Michael Jackson‘s death have breathed new life into the celeb tabloids.

Life & Style‘s group publisher Mark Oltarsh said the magazine’s circulation “has been trending in a very positive direction” during the first half of the year, warranting the rate base increase. Oltarsh attributed the increase to the magazine’s strengthened celebrity coverage under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Dan Wakeford, who joined the mag in October.

Wakeford said he wanted to balance “celebrity escapism and practical style advice,” introducing new columns like “The 10 Best Dressed Stars of The Week” and “What I Really Eat,” which asks celebrities to give a run down of their diets. Life & Style has also had a few exclusive “gets” this year, including a Kate Gosselin interview after she got caught on camera spanking one of her eight kids.

And Life & Style isn’t the only magazine with good news recently. Earlier this week, Parenting magazine announced it was upping its rate base as well.

Life & Style‘s full release after the jump.

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