Cosmopolitan Magazine Subscriptions, The History

It's interesting to look back at the origins ofCosmopolitan magazine was later sold to William
Cosmopolitan Magazine, seeing their firstRandolph Hearst in 1905. He began to expand the
subscription numbers (in the 25,000) range, intomagazine by employing top writers, and
what it has become now--a modern day success.investigative journalists. Some of the best articles
Its almost amazing how the content has evolvedwritten came from the recruiting sense of William
over the years--from a one-time family magazineHearst, he employed Alfred Henry Lewis, David
back in the late 19th century--to what is now aGraham Philips, Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, Sinclair
demographic exclusive to females.Lewis and George Bernard Shaw, all who went on
Before cosmopolitan magazine experienced worldto write some of the most famous articles for
wide success, the initial founders and editorstheir time.
(Schlicht & Field) went out of business only 2As decades past, the magazine changed from
years after the company's launch. Only after E.D.strictly articles to short novels and stories, sales
Walker, an ex editor for Harper's Monthlysoared (1.7 Million copies in circulation) and over 5
purchased the rights to Cosmopolitan magazinemillion in advertising revenues in 1930.
did the business really take off. He didn't settle forCosmopolitan magazine proved to be an
the old way of doing things, with an innovativeunbelievable success, after the Second World War
sense he introduced book reviews, serial fiction,magazine sales topped the 2 million mark.
and color illustrations to the magazine.Unfortunately demand for the magazines content
Only 1 year later after Cosmopolitans boomingdecreased in the 50s, circulation numbers crippled
popularity, E.D. Walker sold the company to Johnto just over a million, despite the reduced
Brisben Walker, who quickly employed some ofrevenue cosmopolitan magazine subscriptions
the nation's top writers. He went on to open awere still a profitable venture, even today
free correspondence school, which he had toCosmopolitan is one of the most subscribed to
retract almost immediately after only 2 weeksmagazines in the world.
more then 20,000 people signed up.