What are the signs of an unreliable literary magazine?

Here are the 4 factors we've identified that increase the likelihood of a magazine going defunct.

Mariam Chagelishvili

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We had a staff change in August. Our database person has left to start a hiking business. When he left, we asked for his feedback on our data. Specifically, we asked if he’d seen any trends that might indicate whether a magazine is likely to go defunct.

I’ve considered writing about this for a while but as someone who has been an editor and writer for a long time, I think my insights would be skewed by the on-hand excuses I'd make. And I’d feel like I was making unfair accusations. I guess you could call it professional empathy. 

So, I asked him for his thoughts. He has been reviewing over 3000 magazines daily for the last 8 months. He is not a writer. Pure data driven observations. I'm sharing them for writers who might be curious, and editors who might want to know what the data says. 

Please understand that these are insights from reviewing over 3,000 magazines and not a list of definite warning signs. For example, one of his claims is that magazines are more likely to go defunct that have been founded within 3 years. That isn't to say, "Don't submit to new magazines!" but simply one indicator that more research should be done before submitting. Most of my favorite magazines have been founded in the past three years. 

In total, he identified four factors that stood out most that contributed to a magazine having a greater likelihood of going defunct.