Talking With Closer Magazine’s Founder Jaime Owens
Photo: Closer Magazine issue 1
What made you start Closer Magazine?
After TransWorld, I thought I would just get some kind of industry job and ride off into the sunset. But I quickly realized that wasn’t going to work for me, and I just told myself that I needed to start a new print mag. With only Thrasher out there in the U.S. market, there was room and interest for something new. So, I just dove in and went for it.
What do you think is missing in the skateboard magazine space?
More magazines. I understand why the print magazine market died out, but now I realize that you can make it work in today’s world. It just has to be done in a certain way that’s different from the old business model.
What makes Closer magazine unique compared to other magazines out there?
Beyond trying to make a nicer quality magazine, I hope people feel like they’re part of the journey of it. I want the magazine to feel like it talks to you and not down at you. You can’t love skateboarding more than the next person that loves it. I don’t want any cool guy, better-than-you vibes in it at all. So, I hope that makes it unique in some way.
Now that the first Closer issue is out, what kind of content would you like to publish next in future issues that wasn’t in the first issue?
I tried to put as much representation as I could in the first issue of what I wanted the magazine to be founded on. Skateboarding from every major era in skating, all the different disciplines, inclusivity, etc. So, I want to continue that in each issue absolutely, but some issues may weigh heavier with newer stuff vs old, but there will always be a mix because great skating, no matter the era, looks good in magazines.
What do you think is key to being a good Editor/Editor-In-Chief?
Compromise and collaboration with your contributors is very important, while maintaining a definitive vision for how you want your magazine to look and feel. As much as I have my vision for the magazine, working with so many different people to make one product you have to be willing to give and take on certain things to make your contributors happy and keep the stoke alive. But at the end of the day, you have to make the final call on the finished product.
What are some of the most important lessons you learned from being a part of Skateboarder magazine and Transworld magazine?
Never burn bridges and always take care of your staff and contributors. Make sure they’re paid on time and always stay in communication with them.
What are some of the most difficult things about keeping a magazine alive?
Well at Skateboarder and Transworld, we were part of big corporations that had a giant revenue number you had to constantly hit to keep the machine going. Printing magazines on that scale is expensive. And along with paying a large amount of staff members, it gets tough to sustain that business model once ad dollars started fluctuating. It got harder to adjust at that level. Being a smaller operation, gives you room to make adjustments easier.
So you think it’s easier to keep a magazine alive nowadays compared to when you were a part of Skateboarder and Transworld?
Printing is still very expensive, but if you do it on a smaller scale and keep your expenses outside of that to a reasonable amount, it can be a viable business.
What was the most stressful experience(s) you’ve had being a part of a magazine?
Being on the monthly print schedule was always so stressful. You were constantly on a deadline which can make you feel like you’re just treading water to stay afloat and never able to stop to catch your breath to work on more meaningful projects.
Closer Magazine is clearly a passion project, what is it about skateboard magazines that makes you want to come back and put all the effort in starting this project?
After I was laid off from Transworld in January 2021, I took some time to really think about my next career move and what I wanted to do. I just skated my ass off and I thought about getting a job in the industry but realized that all I really knew how to do and felt comfortable doing was making skate magazines. There was only one major skate mag left, and I thought there was room to come back into the game and continue doing what I love. I’m very happy that I did.
Let’s say Closer Magazine became super successful, would you want Closer magazine to keep going if you died?
Ha! I’ve thought about that recently. You might have to just bury it with me! But for real, It would be really cool to find a younger person along the way that understood the mission of the mag that could take it over one day. It would be amazing for it to outlive me for sure.
Any last words or thoughts?
Thank you for this opportunity. I appreciate it. Let’s skate.
You can find Closer Magazine here:
Closer Magazine’s website:
https://closerskateboarding.com/shop/
Closer Magazine’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/closerskateboarding/
Interview by: Erick Carrada