Clients and Testimonials -

Clients and Testimonials

Don Crowl, American Diabetes Association

I just wanted to give you an update regarding your copy for the Diabetes Forecast renewal test. We finished the test and received about a 20% life in the new copy.  We are rolling out with it for the June 2019 renewal selections.

Hervey Evans. Executive Publisher, National Wildlife Federation

“I have worked with Rebecca Sterner on several business planning and implementation projects over the past twenty years.  We worked together on the launch of a magazine several years ago that was called “ the most successful launch” of that year and have worked on several business planning projects since then, including work on New Moon, Poetry, and Ladybug magazines.

Rebecca’s work is characterized by a clear understanding of the needs and objectives of the business, an understanding of the marketplace and competitive landscape, and a detailed knowledge of the opportunities and challenges of granular implementation.  As a result, the plans have a series of clear steps and decision points that address the inherent risk in launching a new magazine, and seek to reduce it, while detailing the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) in the project.  Required investments scale up as the risk in the business is managed.  And the plans are detailed and based in the realities of the magazine business.

Rebecca is enjoyable to work with and I have her engaged on a project with our organization at the moment.  She is very experienced in this work and brings to it an energy and level of understanding that you will value. If you have questions or would like to speak with me directly about her work, please feel free to call me.”

Jeff Laurie, Direct Mail Copywriter

Few subscription marketing consultants bring as much skill and knowledge to her clients as Rebecca does. Her deep expertise in guiding magazines toward smart circulation decisions explains why her clients trust her. She can manage every aspect of an audience development project — from big-picture analysis and strategic direction to list choices and offer tests, from overseeing print production to managing lettershop and postal relationships — for acquisitions, renewals, gifts, and billing series. As someone who has worked with her for years, I can also attest to how nice Rebecca is and how comfortable it is to work with her.

Jack Klobucar, VP-Communications, ReconRobotics

“I have never met anyone who knows more about the breadth of the print/electronic magazine publishing than Rebecca Sterner. She is an expert consultant on preparing the business case, the creation of development and launch budgets, editorial planning, promotion strategies, and subscriber conversion and retention. Rebecca also has an amazing virtual Rolodex full of people who can bolster a team and deliver compelling results. Always mindful of client timelines and budgets, Rebecca is the one person I would trust above all others to make our launch a success.”

Cathy Donovan, Publisher, Give Us This Day

“Rebecca has capably advised us through the many stages of launching a new periodical and continues to advise us through our growth.  Her considerable expertise and knowledge of the publishing business has helped us thoroughly evaluate our circulation and marketing needs as they change and grow.”

Peter Dwyer, Executive Director, Liturgical Press

“Over the past three years we successfully launched a new consumer monthly funded exclusively by subscription income.  At every stage we have relied on Rebecca Sterner for strategy consultation, campaign development and execution, circulation management guidance, analysis of campaigns and renewals, and consultation on copy and design. Rebecca’s experience, critical thinking skills, and collaborative style are an excellent match for our team.”

Frank Finn, Executive VP & COO at Briefings Media Group, LLC

“Rebecca has written two direct mail packages for me selling subscriptions for periodicals (a consumer magazine in one case and a business newsletter in the other). The first package generated very strong results. The second I am testing against the control package as we speak. Rebecca is unusual among magazine publishing consultants in that she has worked as a publisher (Utne Reader). So she has been on my side of the desk and understands my goals and expectations. I can recommend Rebecca without reservation to any publisher who is looking for a creative professional whose packages produce superior results.”

Pat Sharpe, VP of Marketing, Lessiter Publications, formerly VP at Referee/National Association of Sports Officials

“I have been working with Rebecca for the past six years. During this time she’s help guide us through two major fulfillment conversions and has provided her expertise and wisdom on countless subscription, membership and product campaigns. Her insight and advice has been directly responsible for much of our campaign success and her calm but direct demeanor and assuredness has kept us steady in our times of crisis. She brings with her the perfect balance of strategic insight and tactical brilliance. But I’ll warn you if you’re looking for a consultant who will only tell you what you want to hear – go elsewhere. She tells you what you need to hear. And you’ll be better off for it.”

Mark Newhall, Editor & Publisher, FARM SHOW Magazine www.farmshow.com
Farm Show, a long-time client of Rebecca Sterner

Farm Show, a long-time client of Rebecca Sterner

“…you’ve really had an impact on what we’re doing. Thanks for all of the above, and for being a great sounding board.”

Ken Hurd, Senior Director, Affinity’s Good Sam Emergency Road Service

“Rebecca really helped us from a strategic perspective on a very important member upgrade process. Based on that strategy, we have increased our total paid membership file by 300%(!) over budget.”

Dick Hendricks, Executive Vice President, Affinity Powersports Media • Publishers of more than a dozen special interest magazines, including Rider, Camping Life and Snow Goer.

“Since Rebecca has come on board to head up our circulation efforts, we have experienced better financial analysis, more creative marketing, more efficient newsstand sell-through and a better team environment between the circulation staff and the publishing staffs.”

 Julie Rousseau, Enigma Magazine

“Rebecca managed a direct mail campaign for our Enigma magazine start-up, achieving exceptionally high response rates. She grasped our complex, delicate positioning remarkably quickly, and wrote outstandingly creative copy. She managed all aspects of the production efficiently and with foresight, guiding us gently past numerous publishing start-up pitfalls, even outside her direct remit. She is generous, gracious and, in all, a pleasure to work with.”

Valerie Johnson, Poetry, Managing Editor

“Rebecca, I cannot thank you enough for your wonderful work, mentorship, support, and friendship over these many years we’ve worked together. You are such an asset to Poetry, and I feel incredibly lucky to have benefited both personally and professionally from your generosity of advice, experience, and talents.”

Dwight Ingram, Creative Consultant / Graphic Designer, Ingram Creative Services

“The best thing about working with Rebecca is that I always learn something. We’ve teamed up on numerous projects ranging from renewals to direct mail and email promos. Her copy always reflects solid strategic thinking and her vast experience. If you’re looking for solid success stories, the kinds that last, you should be talking to Rebecca.”

Carrie Scherpelz, Art Director. Marketing Communications Division, American Girl

“Rebecca has a track record of developing magazine subscription marketing pieces that get results. As a designer, I have collaborated with her in creating a number of high response direct mail packages that beat the existing controls. Over roughly ten years of working on various projects with Rebecca, I have come to greatly appreciate her expertise, professionalism and reliability, and her easy-going personality. I highly recommend her both as a copywriter and as a publishing consultant.”

Stacey Marmolejo, former VP of Digital Marketing, GS Media & Events, LLC

“Rebecca has an intrinsic marketing instinct that she blends with program measurement to deliver the best results for clients. Never satisfied, Rebecca is always tweaking to get 1% more out of every  project. The greatest value Rebecca brought to our projects is her knowledge of what’s new, what’s working and what’s worth testing. She saved me countless hours of research and testing simply because she remains ahead of the knowledge curve; especially as relates to digital marketing.  There are many publishing consultants with traditional marketing experience but I’d challenge any publisher to find a consultant who has as much experience in digital marketing AND traditional marketing as Rebecca. She understands the strength of each of the value of using both. Unlike many consultants, she won’t try to make you fit into her box; she’ll fit into yours. Rebecca is an asset for any publisher who wants to improve their circulation numbers or circulation profitability.”

Partial Client List — Since 1987

  • Rebecca Sterner Magazine Client Covers

    Rebecca Sterner’s Clients publish these magazines — and others.

    Alfred Hitchcock

  • Alaska
  • American Angler
  • American Girl
  • American Health
  • American History
  • American Poetry Review
  • American Snowmobiler
  • America’s Civil War
  • Analog
  • Augsburg Fortress Publishers
  • Automobile
  • Backyard Bird News
  • Bass & Walleye Boats
  • Beckett
  • Betty Crocker’s Creative Recipes
  • Bowhunter
  • Bowhunting World
  • British History
  • Business Ethics
  • Calyx
  • Camping Life
  • Catholic Digest
  • Chickadee
  • Chicago Magazine
  • Children’s Surprises
  • Children’s Television Workshop
  • Classic Cookbooks
  • Coffee Journal
  • Colors
  • Columbia Journalism Review
  • Common Boundary
  • Corporate Minnesota
  • Council of Literary Presses and Magazines
  • Country Journal
  • Crafts Magazine
  • Cricket Magazine Group
  • DoubleTake
  • E Magazine
  • Early American Life
  • Energy for Women (Muscle Media)
  • European Travel & Life
  • Farm Show
  • Fast and Healthy Magazine
  • Final Frontier
  • Fly Fisherman
  • Garden Gate
  • God’s Word Today
  • Golf Card
  • Good Sam Club/Trailer Life
  • Healthcare Informatics (McGraw Hill)
  • High Country News
  • HIGHLIGHTS For Children
  • Homestyles
  • HOPE
  • Hudson Review
  • In-Fisherman
  • Inc. Magazine
  • Isaac Asimov’s Science Fiction
  • Jerusalem Report
  • Leapfrog
  • Lear’s
  • Meredith –all titles
  • Microwave Times
  • Military History
  • Minneapolis/St.Paul Magazine
  • Minnesota Monthly
  • Minnesota Volunteer
  • Missouri Review
  • Modern Bride
  • Modern Warfare
  • MotorHome
  • Nature Friend
  • New Choices
  • New Moon
  • New Woman
  • North American Membership Group
  • Official Airline Guides
  • OWL
  • Pacific Northwest Magazine
  • Poetry
  • Poets & Writers
  • Reader’s Digest (music)
  • Retirement Income Newsletter
  • Rockford Institute (various titles)
  • Sales and Marketing Management
  • Salt Water Fly Fishing
  • Science Fiction Age
  • Science News
  • Seattle Magazine
  • Seventeen
  • ShopNotes
  • SnowGoer
  • Soap Opera Digest
  • SPARK!
  • Story
  • SUCCESS
  • The Sun
  • Technology Review
  • The Family Handyman
  • Today’s Woodworker
  • Total TV
  • Travel Holiday
  • Tri-Quarterly
  • Twin Cities Business Monthly
  • Utne Reader
  • Viet Nam
  • Virginia Quarterly Review
  • Walking
  • Warm Water Fly Fishing
  • Wild West
  • Wildlife Art
  • Wisconsin Trails
  • Woodsmith
  • Woodworker’s Journal
  • World War II
  • World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Raw
  • Yale Review
  • Zyzzyva