Better, Not Bitter
Described by The New York Times as “a kind of kitchen-sink New Yorker,” The Bitter Southerner began as a digital magazine and evolved into print. Ali Dening spoke to cofounder Kyle Tibbs Jones on how the magazine got its start.
“Our goal is to tell the truth — to lift voices that aren’t being heard, and publish the stories that are not widely being shared.”
Kyle Tibbs Jones, cofounder and editorial director of The Bitter Southerner
“Our name has always been said with a wink,” co-founder Kyle Tibbs Jones said in an interview with the Magazeum.
“In the beginning, we jokingly claimed ‘we were bitter’ and that we were going to set the record straight. Our idea was that the South never seemed to get its due on lists and at award shows, and that Hollywood's portrayal of Southerners — well, they mostly got it wrong.”
To fill the void, Kyle Tibbs Jones and her three co-founders started The Bitter Southerner. What began in 2013 as an online magazine with zero funding has since evolved into a thriving independent media company with a strong presence both online and in print. Today, the company boasts not only a magazine, but a book publishing imprint, a podcast, and 9 James Beard Awards — still, they’ve never taken on a single external investor.
“My partners, Eric NeSmith and Dave Whitling, and I all grew up in small Georgia towns and as kids, I think we longed for a bigger experience,” Tibbs Jones said. “Once we were old enough to fly the coop and see more of the world, we each gained perspective and appreciation for the South's truly good and unique contributions: things like music and food and literature — to name just a few.”
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“These stories we tell apply to all of us.”
The Bitter Southerner aims to capture the incredible vibrancy of the South’s various interwoven cultures. “[We wanted to] tell stories about all of the people in this region doing really amazing, smart, and creative things,” Tibbs Jones said, “so we did.”
Through storytelling, the magazine often acknowledges the South’s pain points, but refuses to let them define the region. “Even as children, and even though the whole truth was never taught in schools, we were all aware of [it],” Tibbs Jones said. “Today, as progressive adults who want the South and this country to be better, and as journalists who care deeply about social justice and authentic stories told at the highest level, we are called to do this work … It has always been about being better, not bitter.”
It’s a message that resonates. Despite the publication's regional focus, it speaks to people everywhere. Outside of Atlanta, New York City is host to The Bitter Southerner’s largest concentration of readers — but fans can truly be found all over the world.
“People recognize themselves in what we are saying,” Tibbs Jones said, “a lot of the problems linked to the South are really national problems. These stories we tell apply to all of us.”
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“We have consistently shared stories that speak to who we are as people.”
“We receive letters from people who tell us how much [The Bitter Southerner] means to them, along with stories about being in Japan or Peru or wherever and high fiving each other because they've run into someone on the street wearing a Bitter Southerner t-shirt,” Tibbs Jones said. She attributes The Bitter Southerner’s broad appeal to its authentic perspective. “We have consistently shared stories that speak to who we are as people … bottom line, we publish the stories we want to read. We're aligned with our readers, [so] it just works.”
The Bitter Southerner’s strong online presence gives its powerful message a wide reach. From the beginning, ecommerce has been the backbone of the business. Tibbs Jones said that creating an online merch store was “our best, most important move in eleven years.”
“We have Bitter Southerner evangelists all over the world and all over social media,” Tibbs Jones said. “Our followers and readers are so passionate about the stories and our movement. They want to wear the brand. The three of us laugh and say we have a rock n’ roll business model — we are a band with a merch table.”
Four years ago, B.S. Magazine proved print is not dead, shifting from an all-digital model to publishing two (now three!) print magazines a year. It’s important to note that The Bitter Southerner’s revenue has also grown by 37% each year for the past four years.
“I think because we created something authentic and true, our followers and readers are passionate about sharing The Bitter Southerner,” Tibbs Jones said. “People recognize themselves in what we are saying. They haven't heard this voice in the media before.”
B.S. Magazine, which has been called ‘the New Yorker of the South,’ by The New York Times, is now on its ninth issue.
“Our goal is to tell the truth — to lift voices that aren’t being heard, and publish the stories that are not widely being shared,” Tibbs Jones said.
“Our goal is to tell the truth — to lift voices that aren’t being heard, and publish the stories that are not widely being shared.”
Issue No. 9 of The Bitter Southerner began shipping on September 20th, and is available for purchase here.
