‘Image’ magazine seeks new editor

Image magazine is looking for a new editor following the promotion of Melanie Morris to a newly created editor-in-chief position at Image Publications. Morris says the group is looking for "somebody with a huge amount of passion and with a great contacts book" for the role.

They must also have an interest in more than just fashion, as Image covers broader lifestyle topics, she says. "We pride ourselves on our writing."

Coveted position
The job – a coveted position among Irish magazine journalists – will be formally advertised tomorrow, with interviews scheduled for later this month.

“We hope our new editor will be in place for the January issue, which comes out before Christmas,” says Morris.

The women’s glossy has a readership of 112,000 per month, according to the most recent figures from TGI Ireland, and a circulation in the latter half of 2012 of 21,511.

Although the magazine, founded in 1975, attracts readers from a wide age range, “our bullseye is 35”, according to Morris.

The cover star of the October issue is designer Simone Rocha (the 27-year-old tipped for even greater things than her father John).

Image Publications Ltd returned to profit in 2012 and invested the money back into the company, launching Image.ie as a daily site and building up the events side of the business.

"We're lucky in that our directors decided stimulus was the way this year," says Morris. "It's been a busy 2013."

New role
In her new role as editor-in-chief, she will be charged with growing the profile of the company and extending its commercial opportunities, while remaining close to and co-ordinating its various editorial teams.

As well a contract publishing business that includes Cara magazine for Aer Lingus and titles for Arnotts and the Dylan Hotel, the group publishes Image ("the mothership"), Image Interiors & Living, the relaunched Garden Heaven and the group's new wedding quarterly, Bash.

Morris says there is a space in the Irish market for a wedding publication that has “an element of fantasy”, but stays “palatable”.

Meanwhile, in her letter to readers in the 250-page debut issue, Bash editor Kate O'Dowd makes some rules for what the magazine won't do: "We won't refer to your wedding as the big day (we promise you, there will be bigger). We won't tell you to count the points in your wedding cake, or the champagne, for that matter.

“We won’t assume you’re Bridezilla.”