04/01/2024
This is a really difficult announcement for me to make. But it’s a new year and time to face realities and make some tough choices. I have made the decision to pause publication of Alabama The Beautiful Magazine at this time. All 25 issues since the initial launch will continue to be available on the website at:
https://AlabamaTheBeautifulMagazine.com/monthly-issues
I want to thank those of you who have supported the digital magazine and me as its publisher and editor. There are way too many people to name.
We have so many incredibly talented photographers in the state of Alabama who have shared their images with me and have made the magazine a true showcase of the beauty of our state. The idea was always to expand on the success of the Facebook group, Alabama The Beautiful, by showcasing the most compelling images in a magazine that would feature those photographers and help build their published portfolio and following while putting the beauty of our state on full display. I hope we have accomplished that. I could not have done this magazine without their contributions!
Thank you to the writers who have provided your insight and knowledge to our feature articles and columns. You added a new dimension to a very visual format and elevated the magazine to a new level.
Many thanks to the feature article subjects who opened your lives, your homes, your historical photos and more with interesting insight into your creativity that is an important part of our Alabama story. You made the magazine better.
Thank you to the advertising partners who provided financial support to keep the magazine going for 25 issues. We are in difficult times economically. Social media has driven a lot of great media companies out of print or out of business. But you took a chance on a new digital media publishing company and digital magazine. And for that I am forever grateful. I’m proud of what we’ve done together. I hope we can find new ways to continue our partnerships.
Many thanks to my friends who stepped up for all these months to provide review and proof reading for each monthly issue. I asked way too much from you, but you never left my side. Thank you!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to my husband and our son who never wavered in your encouragement of me! Even when it put a strain on us financially, you didn’t discourage my efforts. You celebrated the successes with me and that meant so much!
Finally, thank you to the viewers who enjoyed the magazine each month and never failed to tell me what it meant to you. You propelled me to keep it going with your positive feedback and as a result we reached over 225K views and gained a wonderful following and positive reputation all over the state.
I went back to a corporate job with lots of travel four months ago while continuing to publish the last three issues of the magazine. It was extremely difficult and stressful to do both. My own photography and writing and love for my home state, the things I’m passionate about and made me want to start a group and a magazine in the first place, have suffered under the pressure. I’ve had neither the time nor the energy to get out there with my camera or put “pen to paper” and that’s been heartbreaking. For me, the dream was never about publishing a magazine. The magazine was a business vehicle to support my true passions.
Please understand, I am NOT giving up on showcasing the beauty of Alabama! The Alabama The Beautiful Facebook group will be passing 300K members in the next few weeks and is going stronger than ever. We continue to gain an average of over 1500+ new members a week. And since we are a public group, our reach averages over 1 million views a month!! All of us are showcasing Alabama as a collective community every single day and we add true value to our state. And yes, they recognize this in Montgomery. My own personal Facebook following has catapulted me to an average 1.2 million views a month. Our reach is phenomenal for the state of Alabama! I won’t stop showcasing our great state! In fact, I plan to do more!
I remember back when I quit my job and started the magazine. It was such a huge risk, but I felt it was the right thing for me to do at the time. And while now I wonder if it really was, I’ll never regret having done it. I learned so much and met many wonderful people along the way. I had experiences that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I never want to live my life without having tried.
"Courage allows the successful woman to fail and learn powerful lessons from the failure. So that in the end, she didn't fail at all." ― Maya Angelou
Beth Cowan Drake
Publisher/Editor, Alabama The Beautiful Magazine
