West Coast magazine publisher Emerald Bay, which started For Play Magazine a little over a decade ago and California Swinger Magazine in 1998, are looking to keep integrity in the lifestyle scene.
“These might be the last honest, direct connect lifestyle magazines out there,” explains Michael Huffman, CEO of Emerald Bay Publishers.
Both For Play and California Swinger are lifestyle publications for the West and Northwest regions of the U.S. For Play currently ships to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia, while California Swinger is available throughout California and Nevada.
The formats of the two magazines are similar; there are ads for local lifestyle couples and singles, as well as a centerfolds and interviews for a monthly Miss Lifestyle. Publishers of the magazines believe that the focused location of the publications is one of the keys to their popularity. “We found that people wanted something that tapped into their local scene,” said Huffman.
Both magazines are published monthly on high gloss stock, with clear photos and feature hundreds of direct contact personal ads, including information pertaining to various lifestyles. Publishers say that they make sure that every ad is verified for authenticity.
“Every personal add is one hundred percent verified,” said Huffman. “Every phone number and e-mail and even postal address is checked for authenticity. Also, with some other publications, they try and stock their magazines with photographs of models. With us, what you see is what you get. These are real photos.”
As for the future, Huffman told AVN.com that with today’s conservative political climate, he isn’t very quick to create publications for more areas of the United States, rather he and Emerald Bay look to make some more improvements on their existing publications.
“These are truly magazines for local people looking to realize their lifestyle fantasies.”
Both For Play and California Swinger are available online at www.forplaymag.com and www.californiaswinger.com.
