Congratulations to Conde Nast Portfolio as my selection as the most notable launch of 2007, and to Everywhere, Garden & Gun, Heal and Outside's Go as the four runners up for launch of the year. From year to year, many people ask me how I choose the most notable launch but also how I even go about evaluating the hundreds of new magazines launched each year. Hopefully I can provide some clarification.

When you read the word notable it may mean several things to you; however, for me, notable does not refer to "probability of success." Many notable magazines of past guides have faded from the newsstands or fallen into obscurity. Based on current market trends, only two of every 10 magazines will live to see their 10th anniversary. For this reason it would seem presumptuous and useless to choose notable titles by predicting their success. Some of the following magazines are already successful, some may see success and some may not even see the newsstand at all next year.

Whatever their fate, all of them stand out.

The following choices reflect my opinion and belief that these titles are innovative and have the potential to make an impact on the industry. In terms of analyzing new magazines for impact and innovation, I ask five main questions:

How much publicity did the magazine generate?

How relevant was the magazine to the intended market?

Was the magazine notably diversified and specialized?

How innovative was the magazine?

Was the magazine so bizarre it had to be included?

The numbers this year saw a slide from the past few years but of the 715 new titles 30 magazines stood out because of their content and wonderful ability to find a niche to fill. What follows are the 30 most notable launches of 2007. Click on each cover for more information about each title as well as answers to my seven questions with them.