For a woman already well-versed in print with 9 books to her name by 1991, starting a monthly magazine was a natural step.

Martha Stewart Living, a joint venture from Martha Stewart and Time Publishing Ventures Inc., hit the stands in 1991 with the bells ringing of name recognition and appeal. It offered the "do-it-yourself" homemaking content that Martha Stewart's series of books presented. Currently, she has 27 books on the market, half of which draw their content from Martha Stewart Living magazine.

With a circulation of 2.3 million after nine years of publishing, her success roots itself in two words-Martha Stewart. Not since the 19th century, have publishers and editors dared to name a magazine after themselves. But along came a person who was referred to by some in the industry as a "walking Kmart ad," and who was able to create one of the most successful launches of the '90s. She did it first with Time Inc. and now, since her company Martha Stewart Omnimedia owns the magazine entirely, by herself.

Like most of the publications in this list, the strength of Martha Stewart Living has translated over into spin-off publications, Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Entertaining. The two magazines reach a combined estimate of 9.9 million readers every month.

Though some may say her success is due only to the omnipresence of the Martha Stewart brand-the Martha Stewart name is attached to a radio program, a daily cable television program, a segment of CBS This Morning, and a six-episodes-per-week domestic arts program, not to mention the aforementioned print vehicles I don't think that's it. When Martha Stewart began writing her books and publishing her magazine, readers were struck by her diligence in creating appropriate content and by the fact that there was a real woman who stood behind every one of those words.