Leah Moss is a native metro Detroiter, and ‘Jack Detroit’ is her new men’s magazine. She soft-launched the magazine at the end of April at the Future Midwest technology conference. That’s where I got my copy. Like many, I was pleasantly surprised to see Jack Detroit in the attendee giveaway bag. The official magazine launch date was May 1.
Leah Moss - photo by Alexandra Kamischke
“Jack Detroit was founded by Leah Moss, a recent college graduate with a B.A. in English and B.A. in Linguistics. Her senior honors thesis tackled the viability of print publication in an age of new media, and her work experience spans across journalistic platforms. She is a 5-foot-0 Taurus with a sweet tooth, who considers herself a word nerd, as well as a handbag and hockey enthusiast.” —Kickstarter bio
We asked and Leah agreed to spent some time with us to discuss her brand new magazine that is taking the metro area by storm. Thanks in advance Leah. You obviously have a very busy schedule. Let’s get to the interview.
Leah, you’ve talked about your background a bit in other profiles, and we have your Kickstarter bio. Is there anything else that you can share with our readers?
I went to Michigan State University, and I’m a proud Spartan. The metro Detroit area is vibrant and could be even better with the active support of those people that love it, both here and elsewhere.When did the idea of starting a magazine come to you? What was your inspiration?
The idea came as a frustrated response to a failed job search after graduation. I looked for a first job opportunity all over the country; when nothing panned out, I came up with a crazy Plan B. What was once an afterthought became reality after a long discussion with my parents. They made me realize I didn’t have much to lose at this point in my life, and so it’s the best time to take a leap and try something.How did you come up with the concept and name for the magazine?
I brainstormed names with everyone I knew for months, to no avail. While out to dinner (coney) with my best friend, the name came up midway through a rant with her, as I vented my frustration. The “happy accident” stuck, given its ability to connect with Detroit’s everyman who wants to be on the cutting edge. I love the plays on words that go along with it, including the “Jack and Jill” motifs, “Jack of All Trades,” and “You Don’t Know Jack.” The list goes on…Why did you choose Kickstarter? Was it a good platform to raise your startup capital?
I chose Kickstarter after a lot of research. Using the website killed two birds with one stone – it built buzz (and a pre-order subscription base), along with its creation of a funding source. It was a great platform, albeit a risky one, since we successfully reached our $10,000 funding goal.Would you recommend that others use Kickstarter for their projects? Do you have any lessons learned that you could share?
I would recommend Kickstarter to others with an active social media presence who want to start something small. I wouldn’t try to raise as much as we did, but word of mouth (and its digital counterpart) has a strong force to make something happen. As for a lesson, read all the fine print.Did you have any other sources of financing?
Yes, I applied for, and received, a Hebrew Free Loan for a start up business. This is an amazing organization that provides interest-free loans for Jewish residents in Southeastern Michigan, but their umbrella, national organization serves clients all over the country. www.hfldetroit.orgCan you talk about the premise of your honors thesis? Will Jack Detroit leverage any of these theories/lessons learned?
The end argument of the thesis focused on why magazines have remained so popular with consumers and effective for advertisers. The answer is a consumer’s self-identification: readers see a part of their own identity reflected through magazines’ editorial delivery. Obviously, Jack will leverage this concept to make sure it resonates with the professional men of the city, as well as its ex-pats who see a part of their own identity forged by the city in which they grew up.
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How are you competing with the more established men’s magazines, i.e. the GQ’s and Maxim’s of the world?
I’m not – The GQs and Maxims of the world are on a national platform. I see Jack Detroit as the Esquire of Metro Detroit. Take those same subjects and zoom them in on our community here.The Detroit Art and Fashion scenes are taking off. Do you have plans to work with/feature any Detroit artists and clothiers?
We’ve already had the pleasure to work with Sarah Lapinski of WOUND Menswear and Joe Faris of Motor City Denim Co. The July/August issue features a mainstay on the Detroit art scene, so watch for that. In the future, Jack Detroit wants to dive into the art and fashion world here, through Fashion in Detroit, other events and profiles of these characters around town.How many copies of the first issue were printed? Did you sell/run out?
15,000 – I’m happy to report that all the copies are gone, so I can park in my garage once again.You’re getting a lot of publicity. Congratulations by the way. Are you seeing traditional media/publicity converting into subsciptions? How does that compare with your social media or ‘word of mouth’ exposure?
Thanks! I feel fortunate that my “PR Strategy” has been non-existent so far, since media outlets have reached out to me. Publicity has converted, as has word-of-mouth, but the highest conversion has been from people who’ve picked up the first issue and loved it. I’d like to think the product speaks for itself.We saw your tweets about Jack Detroit being available in several Detroit area hotspots. How do Detroiters find your magazine?
Detroiters have to go out to find it – shops, barbers, bars, restaurants, events. If they’re active in the community, they’ll come across copies fairly easily. Also, stay tuned to the Jack Detroit social media outlets for updates on places where it’s being distributed. For that matter, let us know where you are in the city (neighborhood etc) and we’ll let you know what spots around there have it.The census is a hot issue right now. Whatever the final number turns out to be, the population is decreasing. One way to think about this is, that you have a lot of ‘Detroiters’ who have left Michigan. I’ve encountered so many of them during my travels over the years. There is one constant. No matter where they end up, the love for Detroit is strong. That said, how are ‘out of state’ subscriptions?
They’re a big chunk of the subscriptions as a whole, and they’re the reason for actually offering a subscription at all. People here locally can just pick up copies around town, but I’d like to think this magazine provides a connection to everyone who’s left the area with their hometown. Most of my friends from college are living elsewhere now, and I know they love getting it in the mail. Then, it’s on their coffee tables in Chicago, NY, or LA, and their friends get excited about it too.
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Enough about the magazine. You’re an inspiration to us all, but do tell. What do you do for fun?
Well lately, I eat, sleep, breathe Jack… but otherwise, I love to read, have a great cocktail with friends, and bake. Baking is my catharsis.What do you love most about Michigan summers?
The lakes. Our cottage up north is on Grand Traverse Bay, so I grew up in the water, off the back end of a boat. Not much has changed.What’s your favorite summertime activity?
Patio BBQs with friends. That’s easy.Is there anything we forgot to ask?
My freelance team is mostly based in Detroit, but the others are Detroiters living elsewhere now, contributing about the city from around the country (and world).
Mazal Tav!! Leah, we absolutely love the magazine, and commend your initiative and vision. You’re further evidence that more and more Detroiters are crafting their own destinies. The purpose for this blog was to highlight the positive stories in our beloved city. It’s time to celebrate Detroit, and your magazine definitely does that. You’re casting a spotlight, a very stylish spotlight, on Detroit. Jack Detroit is a new platform. Only time will tell the impact Jack has on the city, but we’re extremely optimistic. Bravo on using Detroit talent. It’s great that your freelance team is comprised of Detroiters near and far.
The first issue was amazing, and we can’t wait to see what’s next. You’re exactly right. Detroiters everywhere, ex-pats too, want to stay in the loop about their home city. We wish you long lasting success. Leah, you’re an inspiration to us all.
We encourage all “Detroiters” to check out Jack Detroit. The next issue is scheduled to be released on July 1st, but subscriptions need to be placed by Wednesday June 29th. After that, annual subscriptions will start with the Sept/Oct issue.
Want to know more? You can follow Jack Detroit online:
www.jackdetroit.com
Facebook
Twitter: @jackdetroit
The opening party was “at-capacity” and was held at Cliff Bell‘s on May 12. All of the photos were taken by Jason Loudermilk, and are on Facebook.
