A Profile on Readers Digest

Introduction
Reader's Digest is renowned as the most widely read magazine in the world. It offers a wealth of lively, useful, original content that helps readers' cut through the clutter of life and simplify their world via a range of practical tips, insights and how-to insider secrets. The first official edition of Reader's Digest appeared in February 1922. Dewitt Wallace and his wife Lila Bell Acheson founded the magazine. During its inception in 1922, it offered the single most important voice in the creation of popular geopolitics in America. The Digest's most famous article, "And Sudden Death," published in August 1935, graphically portrayed the hazards of reckless driving. It became the most widely reprinted article in magazine history with 4 million copies in circulation.

Lila and Dewitt Wallace

History of Readers Digest

Readers digest was the brainchild of Dewitt Wallace While recuperating from the wounds sustained in World War I, Wallace developed a formula for condensing periodical articles that sought to preserve their substance, style and significance. He printed his first edition and showed his sample to several publishing houses, all of whom turned him down. In January 1922, Wallace published his magazine with money borrowed from his father and brother, and sold it to readers by direct mail. The first edition of the magazine was 64 pages, and the cover story was by "Alexander Graham Bell" on the "Importance of Self Education as a Lifelong Habit".

Growth Of Reader's Digest

Initially, Reader's Digest kept a low profile; partly for fear that envious magazines might stop allowing it to reprint their articles. Within a year of its first edition, circulation had risen to 7000 copies. By 1929, the circulation had risen to an astounding two hundred and sixteen million copies and by 1939, the circulation was 3 million copies The first international edition was published in the United Kingdom. By the 40th anniversary of Readers Digest, there were 40 international editions, in 13 languages and Braille, and it was the largest-circulating journal in Canada, Mexico, Spain, Sweden, Peru and other countries, with a total international circulation of 23 million

Readers Digest India

The Indian edition was first published in 1954. Its circulation then was 40,000 copies. The magazine in India is being published by Living Media India Ltd. The present circulation now is over 3.5 million copies.

Readers Digest Now

Now Readers Digest Association publishes 92 magazines globally including 50 editions of Reader's Digest magazine Other magazines include Every Day with Rachael Ray (U.S.); The Family Handyman (U.S. and Australia); Best Health (Canada and Australia) and RD Specials. Readers Digest Association also sells 50 million books a year worldwide including general books, illustrated reference books and encyclopedias on Science, History, Lifestyle etc

Thank you.