Frederick Magazine is the flagship product of Diversions Publications, which produces a growing stable of publications under various titles throughout the year, including Hagerstown Magazine, Top 50, Homegrown Frederick and many others.
A conversation with Guy Fletcher, Editor
Tell us the Frederick Magazine story – when you started, how, why.
In 1985, Frederick Magazine was created by Tom and Debbie Gorsline under the name “Diversions,” a monthly lifestyle magazine. The publication later formally changed its name to Frederick Magazine and built a reputation for quality stories and photography about the people, places and things that make Frederick County great.
Since 2009, our publishers have been Shawn Dewees and Joe Silovich and next year we will celebrate our 40th year serving the Frederick County community. What has never changed over our four decades in business is a commitment to telling the stories of Frederick County through excellent writing, dazzling photography and creative design.
What do you like most about being a business in Frederick?
The sense of community. We have clients and contacts who have been with us for many years. We recognize their role in building Frederick County and they recognize our role as *the* local magazine voice.
Why did you join the Chamber and how has being a member of the Chamber benefited your business?
We joined the Chamber to expand our network among local businesses. It has lifted our profile in the business community through our participation in events and programs like Business Card Exchange, Leadership Frederick County, Coffee and Contacts, and many others.
What do you want Frederick Magazine to be known for?
We want to be known for producing extremely high-quality publications, created right here in Downtown Frederick. Our writers, photographers, artists and other contributors are part of the Frederick County community and share a commitment to excellence in publishing.
Share some of your community involvement efforts.
We enjoy supporting many local nonprofits through a variety of ways, mostly in our ability to promote their work, events, fundraisers, etc. in our magazine and electronic channels. We work with charitable organizations seeking advertising or editorial support. We are happy to partner with them to further their mission.
Do you have any exciting promotions or interesting events coming up?
As we move closer to our 40th anniversary, we have greatly expanded our electronic options, including our website and social media, and related advertising opportunities. In January, we unveiled our first major redesign of the printed magazine in decades–delivering greater content in a more engaging, attractive package.
In June, we will publish our annual map of Downtown Frederick, just in time for Festival of the Arts. Later in summer, we will release our agriculture publication, Homegrown Frederick, in time for The Great Frederick Fair. We are particularly excited about a new publication this fall, Changes, which will focus on issues related to elder living and aging.
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.