Down East (magazine)

Down East
EditorWill Grunewald
Former editorsBrian Kevin, Kathleen Fleury, Paul Doiron, D. W. Kuhnert, Davis Thomas, Duane Doolittle
CategoriesRegional magazine
FrequencyMonthly
PublisherBob Fernald
Total circulation
(June 2019)
90,000[1]
FounderDuane Doolittle
Founded1954
CompanyDown East Enterprise
CountryUSA
Based inCamden, Maine
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.downeast.com
ISSN0012-5776
OCLC1683246

Down East: The Magazine of Maine is the principal general interest monthly magazine covering the U.S. state of Maine.[2] It is based in Rockport, Maine, with a second office in Yarmouth, Maine.[3] It covers a range of topics including travel, food, the arts, the environment, politics, business, and lifestyle in the state of Maine.

Down East was founded in 1954 by Duane Doolittle and loosely modeled on The New Yorker.[4] Herbert Jacob Seligman wrote for it in the 1950s including an entry on Marsden Hartley.[5]

Down East enjoys the largest paid circulation of any publication in the state, peaking at more than 80,000 during the summer,[6] with 53% of its readership aged 55 and above, 38% aged 35–54, and 9% 18–34. Global readership exceeds 380,000.[7] It is Maine's only audited and verified magazine. The magazine is published twelve times a year by its parent company, Down East Enterprise, Inc., which also publishes Shooting Sportsman magazine.[8] In 2013, Down East Enterprise sold a book publishing arm to Rowman & Littlefield.[9]

In 2013, Kathleen Fleury became the first woman to serve as editor in chief, a position she held until 2018.[10][11] Author Paul Doiron is a former editor in chief. Will Grunewald is the current editor in chief and Bob Fernald is President, CEO, and Publisher.[12] Martha Stewart and Sam Sifton have served as guest editors.[13][14]

Down East Magazine and Vermont Life Magazine together founded the International Regional Magazine Association in 1960.[15] The magazine is a member of the International Regional Magazine Association, the City and Regional Magazine Association, and the Circulation Verification Council.

Down East compiles an annual "Best of Maine" list, making recommendations on where to "eat, drink, shop, stay, and unwind" in the state.[16]

  1. ^ "Advertise with Down East: FAQs". Down East Enterprise. Archived from the original on 3 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  2. ^ Ulrich's Periodical Directory
  3. ^ "Down East Enterprise puts longtime Rockport home on market". PenBay Pilot. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  4. ^ "Our Company". Down East. 24 May 2019. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  5. ^ "Annual Report of the American Historical Association". 1959.
  6. ^ "Down East Magazine - Rockport, ME". Citymag.org. Retrieved 2019-06-17.
  7. ^ "Advertise with Down East". Down East. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  8. ^ "Newcastle Resident Erica Berman Featured in Maine Homes". The Lincoln County News. 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2021-12-21.
  9. ^ "Rowman & Littlefield Buys Down East Book Assets". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
  10. ^ "Down East magazine taps Maine native as first female editor-in-chief". BDN. 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  11. ^ "Down East Magazine names Brian Kevin Editor in Chief". PenBay Pilot. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  12. ^ "Down East Magazine names Brian Kevin Editor in Chief". PenBay Pilot. Retrieved 2021-12-27.
  13. ^ "The Martha Stewart Blog : Blog Archive : Serving as Guest Editor for Down East, the Magazine of Maine". www.themarthablog.com. 25 March 2017. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  14. ^ Sifton, Sam (2019-03-31). "What to Cook This Week". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-06-18.
  15. ^ "IRMA". Regional Magazines. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2013-11-02.
  16. ^ "Down East magazine celebrates Best of Maine". newscentermaine.com. August 19, 2021. Retrieved 2021-12-27.