It started as a lark. Two good ideas for an upcoming issue, but only one cover shot available. What’s a creative director to do? Well, if you’re Michael Brooks, you do them both. And then … you add two more. So if you’re one of the many people who has been asking why South magazine now has four different covers for every issue, here’s your answer.

South magazine: So where did the idea for the four covers come from?
Michael Brooks, publisher & creative director: Awhile back, we had a hard time deciding on what shot to use for an issue. So we opted for two covers – one on the front and one on the back. That was our homeless issue, where we featured a homeless person on one side and a fashion model on the other. It was a big magazine, and it was releasing at the end of a new year (2007) and the beginning of another (2008), so we thought it was a great way to end one year and start another. After doing the double cover, I guess we got it in our blood. We received a lot of positive feedback from readers and clients – by phone and email. 
South: What role does a cover play for a magazine?
MB: Covers are hugely important. They sell the magazine. The cover is the first impression you get – the nose on your face. The cover, more than any other section of the magazine, is meant to instigate dialogue. 
South: What is the advantage of doing four covers?
MB: There are definitely pros and cons. It’s an opportunity to print a variety that will appeal to a wider audience. One cover might not appeal to a certain group, but another will. So that’s why we try different ones on different newsstands and in different mail-outs. We print the covers that we think will appeal to a certain demographic. 
South: How do your covers convey the vision and focus of South magazine?
MB: The South has always been perceived as a very simple culture. We tend to be stereotyped. We all know that’s far from the truth – very far. So our goal is to portray the South as it really is: who we really are, in all of our diversity and melting pot culture. A syrupy accent doesn’t mean we aren’t smart. The good news is that being Southern actually now has a cool factor to it. Ever since the 1996 Olympics came to Atlanta and they said, “Welcome, y’all!” during the opening ceremonies, people have wanted to know more about us. Soon after that, L.A. Magazine featured an article that talked about how it had become the cool thing to say “hey” rather than “hi,” Southern style.
South: Why Savannah?
MB: Savannah defines the South. And hey, Savannah has the coolest people in the world. The quirkiest, maybe, but also the coolest! I originally had plans to publish from Atlanta, but after a short-term stay in Savannah turned into a new home for me, I realized that South could only be published from here. I think of it as a divine encounter – me and South magazine with this city.
South: How do you come up with your cover ideas?
MB: We are so blessed with great photography – and incredibly talented photographers. So honestly, the covers almost create themselves. The challenge is not to come up with four – but to not do eight.
South: Speaking of which, you have a lot of people approach you asking to be in the magazine. What would you say to someone who would like to be a model for South?
MB: Well, first, look in the mirror and see if you’ve got what it takes. Models have certain requirements, and there’s really no way around them. Second, do you have a story? Cover models aren’t just beautiful; they’re interesting as well. The best cover models are those who are attractive and who have a story to tell. But if you think you’re it, then send us three to five photos to art@thesouthmag.com.