Backstory is the name of a bookstore in London, UK. This bookstore publishes a self-titled magazine that I picked up recently. It’s good.
More importantly, it makes sense. Backstory works with a community of people including distributors and authors, so this magazine is a channel for them to highlight the community and as a launchpad for deepening those relationships.
They can explore stories and issues that are meaningful to the community, which will probably be interesting to their customers as well.
In addition to generating awareness for their store, it also creates an opportunity for Backstory’s team to connect with other bookstores around the world.
It’s a great idea and it would be wise for more companies to do. Sure—maybe there’s even direct ROI—but the idea is to use the magazine as a material object to bring people together. They call out to people at conferences and events, and they’re taken home to be read in a slow, deliberate, intentional way.
Here are some interesting ones I’ve seen lately: Figma’s Prompt (I was glad to contribute!), Runway’s Telescope, Stripe’s Work in Progress.