• by Michael Shields , December 23, 2004

Amazon.com has announced its top 10 "Editors' Picks" for magazines in 2004, and the list includes some predictable and some rather curious choices.

At the top, the "magazines as the mall craze" is reflected in the selections of Hearst's Shop Etc. and Cargo. But further down the list is where the choices get interesting. Next is Low Carb Living, which may have seen its peak in 2004 as the Atkins diet craze may experience some backlash.

Next is the fairly low-profile Tracks, a magazine for the over-30 crowd. Then comes Men's Health spin-off Best Life.

The next three picks are even more obscure: There is the singles lifestyle bible One2One Living. There's also Batanga, a Latin music and culture title that is a subsidiary of a free online radio property. Plus, Snowboard Journal--a glossy, luxury snowboarding magazine for the masses--is on the list.

Two of the hottest launches of the year, both published in part by Time Inc., are at the bottom of the top 10--the multicultural fashion title from Essence Communications, Suede, and Southern Progress' much-hyped Cottage Living.

With this list, Amazon is obviously going after last-minute holiday shoppers, or those with some extra Christmas cash--for each title, heavily discounted subscriptions are just a few clicks away.

While any forum to promote magazines would seem to be a good thing for the business, this list also points out a discouraging fact about the plodding pace of the medium. New subscription sales carry the following disclaimer: "The first issue should arrive in 12-16 weeks."