Boston Review
A Small Political and Literary Magazine Dramatically Increases Its Visibility and Impact

Celebrating more than three decades of publication, Boston Review continues to fine-tune itself as a nexus for people seeking cutting-edge ideas in a forum that encourages dialog about politics and culture. Recently, the magazine has found ways to boost its visibility and impact.

Over the years Boston Review has evolved into a forum where its devoted readers find a debate-like approach to serious political issues and avant garde cultural articles and poetry. Like many small publications, it scrambles to stay afloat financially, but has been developing innovative ways to exponentially boost its readership and garner more media attention. In the summer of 2007, the magazine launched a modernized web site that has engaged thousands of additional readers and led to robust discussions in the blogosphere. This effort, combined with a new book publishing program, enhanced marketing strategies and streamlined business systems are giving the magazine renewed vigor.

In 2007 alone, Boston Review readers were richly rewarded with in-depth articles on subjects such as global warming, refugees and sectarianism and race and the transformation of the criminal justice system. A hallmark of the bimonthly magazine is that it provides a forum for discussion: for example, the May/June 2007 issue, with a theme of “Nukes, Democracy, and Iran,” featured articles from four authors, including former chief of the United Nations weapons commission Hans Blix on nuclear disarmament (“Reviving Global Disarmament”). A July/August 2007 article by Carnegie Scholar Glenn C. Loury (“Why Are So Many Americans in Prison?”) drew a great deal of attention and, as a result of the article, Loury, who is a professor of social sciences at Brown University, was invited to testify before the U.S. Congress. Abbas Milani’s article on Iran’s president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (in the November/December 2007 issue) included information about Iran abandoning its nuclear weapons program. The web site (www.bostonreview.net), which was supported by Carnegie Corporation, offers all its content free to subscribers as well as nonsubscribers. A “comment on this article” section encourages readers to join in discussion about the topics, resulting in a lively interchange and has helped extend readership way beyond the base of 8,000 print subscribers.

Written by: Joyce Baldwin. Baldwin has written on a wide range of topics for many national publications and is author of two biographies for young adult readers.