Now, Oprah's In Print

Oprah Winfrey knew she had a problem when a woman who was interviewing to be the editor of her new magazine asked the following question: "I would like to know, who will be the queen?"

Obviously, that particular candidate didn't get the job.

There is little question that Winfrey, from her perch in Chicago, is the reigning monarch of her latest media venture - a new magazine that bears her nickname, O.

Due on newsstands April 19, O is intended to bring Winfrey's message of self-determination and empowerment for women, already widely disseminated over the airwaves, into a magazine format.

She did eventually find an editor in Ellen Kunes who, Winfrey says, "has done a good job of not having her ego get in the way with someone like me, who has such a big mouth."

Making sure the point isn't lost, she emphasizes: "I won't shut up. I WON'T SHUT UP! That's on the record."

In order to morph the Oprah phenomenon into the printed word, Winfrey partnered with Hearst, the publisher of major women's magazines such as Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire. Hearst is accustomed to working with partners, putting out SmartMoney with Dow Jones and Talk with the Miramax film studio.

O will be slightly oversize, about the shape of Martha Stewart Living, said publisher Alyce Alston. The initial print run was planned for 850,000 but was recently pushed up to 1 million, making it an aggressive launch.

The magazine will be bimonthly for two issues, then monthly beginning in September.

For Winfrey, who will be the magazine's editorial director and also will write occasional articles, the transition from television to print has been the hardest thing she's done since first going on TV in 1973. Long lead times, working without a camera, and relying on a tape recorder in interviews were all new experiences.

Coordinating with an editorial staff in New York also has been a logistical challenge, requiring daily FedEx deliveries, frequent e-mails and downloading of images. "I didn't know the computer until last fall," Winfrey said. "Now I don't know how I lived without it."

On the other end of the line in New York, editor Kunes says she has no illusions about who is leading the magazine. "This is her magazine, and readers need to know it's her voice that's guiding the editorial."

Written By SETH SUTEL
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