GRACIEMAG #156 among MMA magazines at Books-A-Million in a shopping center in Florida. Photo: Nalty Jr.

As Renzo’s B-Day party went deep into the rainy New Jersey night last night, I received a message from Nalty Jr., a GRACIEMAG correspondent based in Florida:

“I’m here at a mall, at the Books-A-Million bookstore, and they are selling issue #156 of GRACIEMAG in the same section as the MMA magazines. Congratulations,” he texted me, sending this picture (taken with his cell phone):

Although GRACIEMAG’s business model will be kept largely in place, that is, to target directly at the Jiu-Jitsu practitioner in the academy, we are kind of balancing it with a massive regular distribution, thus reaching fans and practitioners at academies that do not carry the magazine as well. Besides our loyal subscribers, of course.

The result of this strategy, we hope and are working hard on it, is to make GRACIEMAG one of the most widespread magazines in the world, in its niche.

By the way, I humbly think it is remarkable for a small publishing company founded in Brazil back in 1994 without any external funds to have, some 15 years later, an independent magazine distributed all over the world.

I should thank the supporters, praise our great staff, and let’s roll the bones and look for the next milestone.

By the way, I guess our image featuring a kid wearing a gi is outstandingly calling the potential reader’s attention among the other cover subjects. Hats off to (Editor-in-Chief) Raphael Nogueira, (Art Director) Victor Gruzman and (Photographer) Regis Chen for the cover.

* Article taken from GRACIEMAG cofounder Luca Atalla’s personal blog.