Like I've said before, the 1990s have been the first time since the 19th century that editors and publishers have really believed that they could attach their name to a magazine to create sales. Martha Stewart did it in 1991, but only after she had a few books to her name. B. Smith is doing it eight years later, with B. Smith Style.

The fact that they each use their name on their own magazine isn't the only similarity. Both magazines give readers tips on entertaining, homemaking, gardening, travel, fashion and beauty.

All that speculation aside, B. Smith Style is not just a copy of Stewart's magazine. B. Smith Style is a lot younger, and a lot more "hip" than Martha Stewart Living. Chris Rock talking about the holidays and the general focus on celebrities is something that sets B. Smith Style apart from the titles like Better Homes & Gardens or Martha Stewart Living.

B. Smith Style launched this past holiday season, effectively matching the time when thousands of magazine readers would be looking for insight on a holiday style that could impress their soon-to-be-arriving relatives. On the table of contents, the announcement that "Thanksgiving at B.'s house on Long Island is a lively mix of beloved favorites and modern flair" works the Martha Stewart route again.

The thing about this type of magazine is that the credibility of the magazine rests directly on one woman's name, something publishers and readers have shown they weren't ready to accept for a nearly a century. Perhaps B. Smith Style, on the heels of Martha Stewart Living, means that readers are ready.

But I can't say that naming a magazine after a person is an idea whose time is ripe again. After all, the April launch of Amy Love's Real Sports, named after publisher Amy Love, has already dropped the personal touch and is now simply Real Sports.