National Recognition for Writers

More great news this week: I’m happy to announce that Robert Sanchez’s “This is Ted Johnson’s Brain” has been included in “The Best American Sports Writing 2010,” a national anthology which was published today.

Robert’s story was one of two in the collection that examined the frightening long-term consequences of football-related head injuries. The other piece was by Jeanne Marie Laskas of GQ. Since those pieces were first published the issue has gotten far wider play in a variety of other media.

In addtion to Laskas, the collection’s table of contents reads like a who’s who of the country’s greatest magazine writers, including Malcom Gladwell, Mike Sager, Alexander Wolff, and Skip Hollandsworth. And now, Robert Sanchez. It’s sure to be a great book. I ordered mine this morning.

This is the second time this year that a 5280 story has been selected for this kind of anthology. As I reported back in February, Maximillian Potter’s “The Great Buffalo Caper” was tapped for inclusion in this year’s edition of “Best American Crime Reporting.” That collection is also now available. Congratulations and thanks to Robert and Max.

If you’re looking for an explanation as to why 5280’s readership continues to soar, particularly at a time when other publications are seeing their audiences shrink, I think stories like these are one big reason. Unlike most other media these days, we’ve made an ongoing investment in our editorial product. Since 2003, we’ve more than doubled our editorial budget, which currently sits at more than $1 million per year. Based on this week’s news, it seems like we’re getting a healthy return on that investment.