Mathilde Fontez worked at Sciences et Vie until the magazine was acquired by the Reworld Media group. Together with her colleague Hervé Poirié, she launched a new science magazine: Epsiloon. The first issue was released in May 2021 following a highly successful crowdfunding campaign.
Our series:
They launched their media outlet in 2021; they share their story
Nicolas de Ruyffelaere did leave his newsroom. But sometimes this departure is forced because journalists no longer identify with the editorial line. In 2020, the magazine *Sciences et Vie* was acquired by Reworld Media; Mathilde Fontez and Hervé Poirié were among those who resigned. In this third episode, they talk about embarking on a new media venture with Epsiloon.
What conclusions have you drawn a few months after the launch?
Mathilde Fontez: We have nearly 40,000 subscribers—that’s a great success. Little by little, we’re finding our footing. As a print magazine, we have to set ourselves apart. Our audience is broad, ranging from avid readers curious to explore new media to science enthusiasts. That’s an asset, but at the same time, we have to make sure we speak to everyone.
Journalists who no longer agree with management may resign by invoking the termination clause. It can be difficult to bounce back after a takeover like that. How did the Epsiloon project get started?
We left the editorial staff at *Sciences et Vie*. Then we thought about the Epsiloon project; we wanted to create an accessible magazine. The turning point was our meeting with our publisher, Unique Heritage. Without that, the magazine wouldn’t have been possible. We didn’t want to embark on another journalistic venture without being certain we had the right support. With the launch of a new magazine, we had to connect with our audience in order to be profitable and, therefore, independent.
You turned to crowdfunding, and it’s the second-biggest success on the Ulule crowdfunding platform—how do you explain that?
This means the public is still enthusiastic about magazines! We’ve seen strong support from our subscribers. What worked was that we were sincere; we told our story and explained our vision, while striving to give meaning to our topics. We defined a clear editorial line and a distinctive visual style for the magazine. The goal was to test the waters, to see if the format we were offering resonated with people. We write so that people will read us, so there had to be a demand, and readers had to be willing to pay to read us.
You’ve also focused on the print magazine— do you plan to try out new formats?
The goal isn’t to go fully digital, since that’s not part of our original DNA, but we’re going to launch a website with content. For now, the platform is only used to showcase our magazine and for subscribers to sign up. At Epsiloon, our articles aren’t written to be lost on the web just a few hours after they’re published—they’re not meant to be read as a news feed. They’re meant to stand the test of time: you can pick up the magazine months later and find that the content is still just as relevant. We’re also planning to launch a podcast, since it’s a format that pairs well with the stories we tell.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to launch a print magazine?
There are many things to think about. Fundamentally, it’s essential to ask yourself the following question: Am I presenting the reader with an idea that doesn’t exist? As journalists, we need to cover topics that are relevant to the times, surprise readers, and make them want to pick up our magazine every month to learn something new. In the print magazine industry, there’s still room as long as you connect with your audience. Above all, we don’t make a magazine just to please ourselves, but to say something to the reader.
To go further
Media: Is print still desirable? France Culture explores the question with Éric Fottorino (Le 1, Zadig) and Isabelle Robert (Les Jours).
Case Study: The Launch of Epsiloon: The founders were guests on France Inter’s program *L’Instant M*.
