Woman on Top: the World of Women’s Magazine Publishing
The Lady’s Magazine
Also known as, hold your breaths, Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Appropriated Solely to the Use and Amusement, the Lady’s Magazine is the first women’s magazine. It is a monthly magazine that was produced from 1770 to 1837.
Love, Pearls and Swine Magazine
The unique name of this online magazine is derived from Matthew 7:6 of the Holy Bible. The verse says, “Don’t give what is holy to unholy people. Don’t give pearls to swine! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.” The magazine aims to guide young women who want to get to most out of living in a modern society while still upholding their Christian values. It takes on different topics, from growing pains and faith to fashion and beauty. Abi Olukeye is the magazine’s current Editor-in-Chief.
Marie-Claire
Who is Marie-Claire? Jean Provoust, the magazine’s creator, must be thinking of the ideal French woman when he named this magazine when it was first published in 1937. When WWII began, the publication of the magazine was ceased until 1954. Jean Provoust’s daughter Evelyn later took over when he retired in 1976. The magazine’s theme is “More than Just a Pretty Face.” It makes sure that the magazines talks about topics that are relevant to the modern woman. They include politics and social issues alongside fashion, beauty and lifestyle in their issues. It is distributed to twenty-two countries other than the United States.
Sports Illustrated for Women
Sports Illustrated for Women is published by the one of the industry’s largest magazine publishing firm, the Time Inc. From ten issues per year, Sports Illustrated Women or SI Women has published later on two magazines in a month. The magazine has been attracting women’s attention since women are more interested as participants when it comes to sports. Sadly, the magazine only lasted for two years with twenty issues on it.
Zan-e Rouze
Zan-e-Rouze is the Iranian translation of “Today’s Woman.” It is published in Iran by the publishing house Kayhan during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi’s rule. Kayhan is also known to publish other magazines for sports and children. After the Shah of Iran was overthrown in 1979, the company continued its operation in London. Zan-e-Rouze has then shifted its focus, from gossips to women empowerment.
Seventeen
Every American teenager must have heard this magazine. Seventeen has been first published in 1944 and still continues to enjoy popularity among girls in their tweens and early twenty’s. The magazine features beauty, fashion, health articles and celebrity news. They also have a regular section called Dear Seventeen which gives advices to young women. It has six other international editions in South Africa, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, India and in Hispanic countries.
The Delineator
This magazine's name may sound like “The Terminator” but it is definitely a women’s magazine. It is subtitled as “A Journal of Fashion, Culture, and Fine Arts.” It was published from 1873 to 1937 by the magazine publishing house Butterick. Although it has already ceased publication, the magazine is still a sensation among Art Deco lovers.
It features Victorian styled fashion on its cover with careful details on the clothes, perhaps to serve as a guide for the tailors.
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The Science of the Magazine Publishing Process
Production: The Perfect Bind
The models, editors and photographers have done their job. Now the pages are laid out and completed. Without the right finish to the product, they will be nothing but tattered pages of words and pictures. It is time to turn these pages into a magazine.
The different sections of the magazine are printed out separately. Some are in black and white, others in full color. It all depends on the editor's preference.
After this, there are two ways by which a magazine's sections can be bound together. It could be done through saddle-stitching or perfect binding. Saddle-stitching does not use thread or any weak material. It is done by stapling the center fold within the magazine's cover page. This is often used for magazines that don't have a lot of pages and don't need heavy duty material to bind the pages together. If staple wire is too weak to put the sections together, then a spine is made by gluing one end of the pages together. This is called perfect binding and is used for thick magazines such as Vogue and Cosmopolitan.
Distribution: Tapping into Globalization and the World Wide Web
As times have changed, the magazine industry has naturally evolved to adopt the paper-free system. Indeed, magazine publishing has already infiltrated cyberspace and beyond. There are no pages to print and no papers to bind. These are called online magazines and are usually either copies of the paper-based ones or are independent magazines themselves. All they need are their publishing schedules, pictures and articles, and they're good to go once they have a solid reader base. The profit they generate will most probably be from pay-per-read articles or from the profit generated from high traffic to the website.
When before, magazines were only distributed in the country of its origin, now it is being distributed worldwide and franchised by different countries. Today, magazine publishing has overdone itself in that it has allowed its publications to sprout up in countries such as China and Australia, allowing them to work under the name of the magazine but produce their own content.
Of course, the content must still be parallel with the topics that the main franchise of the magazine is known for. The irony here is that the different countries can localize their content but are participating in a worldwide company, allowing diversity in the process of globalization.
As you can see, the magazine publishing industry is in its booming stage, and many people are cashing in on the potential of the magazine business to grow. As it involves a complicated process in production and distribution, it allows creative minds to venture in and participate. It takes brains and willpower to get an edge in the magazine industry.
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The process of magazine publishing
Magazine publication in all of its many forms, is geared primarily on making information available to the public, regardless of how it is being presented, whether in print or electronic media.
Magazine publishing traces it roots back to the ancient days when paper was first invented and was discovered to be a good form of communication media.
From the simple ink and paper process to the trendiest and most colorful pages of today, magazine publishing has indeed taken a new turn for the better.
Commonly, the publishing process includes the stages of the development, acquisition, copyediting, graphic design, production – printing and its electronic equivalents, marketing and distribution.
However, magazine publishing is not just limited to concept and printing, but it also involves a tedious process before it even reaches the newsstands.
Editorial, commercial, informational and entertainment content are among the most commonly used content for many and most magazine publications, that involves a multi-faceted skill set that not lonely involves warm bodies, but costs money as well.
For the publication business, cost is relative- the better the talent, the pricier it gets. This is also reflective in the commercial aspect of distribution and marketing- the better the quality, the more it costs money to pay for the product.
Another factor for consideration is that book and magazine publishers spend a great deal of time and money buying and commissioning copy, which for many publishers would add more weight, quality and repute to their products.
For a small publishing company or press, it is possible to rely mainly on commissioned material, but as activity and business increases, the need for more works like subscribing to syndicated materials or outsourced printing manuscripts may overwhelm the publisher's commissioned circle of writers.
First is the need for solicited material, which forms part of the actual concept and framework of a magazine publication.
Next and among the most common practice in acquiring material is that writers often submit a proposal, for which the majority of unsolicited submissions come from previously unpublished authors.
These unsolicited manuscripts through what is called a slush pile , where editors which sift through the material to identify manuscripts of sufficient quality or revenue potential. Established and reputable writers are oftentimes represented by a literary agent, who markets their work to publishers and negotiate contracts for their writing materials.
Upon acceptance and endorsement for publication, commissioning editors negotiate the purchase of intellectual property rights and agree on royalty rates for book publications, and copyright license or permission for magazine publications, depending on the material for publication.
This is followed by the editorial process, that takes place once the immediate commercial decisions are taken and the technical legal issues resolved, book authors may be asked to improve the quality of the work through rewriting or smaller changes, after which the editorial staff will edit the work, the process which could also apply to syndicated materials either with a single article or a series.
Magazine publishers usually adopt a house style, oftentimes a format which makes it unique for a specific publishing company, be it a writing style or a lay-out design and the editorial staff will copy edit to ensure that the work matches the style and grammatical requirements of each market.
Material editing may also involve structural changes and requests for more information.
The last in the process of magazine publishing is marketing and distribution, that releases the product to the main market, thus, giving us our adored and subscribed magazine publishing.
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Starting Your Own Magazine Publishing
The success of your magazine publication will depend greatly on the content. If you are doing something similar to what Cosmopolitan or Vogue is doing, chances are you won’t even make a dent in the market because you don’t have anything new to offer.
In order to sell your magazine off the stands, you must feature something different. For instance instead of focusing on clothes, you can create a magazine that caters to parenting or cooking. This all boils down to doing some market research.
If you can’t do it, hire a market research firm to do it. Should their study prove that there is potential in going a certain direction, it is time for you now to develop a plan that will make the magazine profitable.
The biggest question that a lot of people have a problem with is that what if you don’t have enough money to start it up? The best thing to do will be to invite investors by showing them your business plan which includes the start up capital needed and when can they expect to get a return of their investment.
The other option will be to start a magazine publication through the web. Unlike those that hit the stands, you don’t have to invest a lot of money since the cost of making a website and looking for a webhost will not cost you a fortune.
To know other things you may need to make this work, you can visit the website of the small business association which may provide you with a lot of useful input.
A few important things you have to work on will be the name of the magazine. The shorter the name the better so people will be able to remember it and the only way that can happen is if it is able to grab the people’s attention.
Magazines come out monthly or quarterly. To ensure the quality of your content, make sure you hire the right people to work as editors, writers and photographers. If you can’t afford yet to hire these people on a full time basis, make sure you can buy the rights from them and then be able to edit the materials yourself and pay them accordingly.
Don’t forget to promote your online magazine. You can do this by paying for pop up ads that will appear in various websites especially the search engines.
If your online magazine publication has captured a lot of hits and you are able to earn a sufficient amount of money from advertising, perhaps this is the time that you shift your attention towards coming up with your very first magazine to hit the news stands.
Starting a magazine Publishing is not easy in the beginning since you are entering an industry that has already been around for a very long time. Again, if someone else has already made a magazine that is similar to what you plan, try to see what they lack and then use it to your advantage. This hasn’t stopped others from launching their own which just goes to show there is room for everyone in this business.
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Secrets of successful magazine publishing enterprise
Niche magazines are also closer to their readers, hence, they can ask them what articles they want featured. The community is really small so in a way, everybody knows everybody.
But the success of a magazine does not only depend on the marketing alone. In order to survive in this cutthroat world of magazine publishing, you need great content, great writers and great layout. Here is a rundown of these three and how they affect a magazine selling point.
1. Content
This is the number one item that you need to take care of when creating a magazine. Without great articles to read, why would your writers want to buy your magazines. Remember that they have to pay for the mags so you have to make sure that the magazine is well worth the expense. To ensure good content, you have to think of storylines that are interesting for the readers. You can do this research by asking the readers themselves what they want to read. Post comment and suggestion boxes in the magazine as well as in areas where you feel your target market goes. Ask for their opinion. You will be surprised at the ideas that they will give you.
In addition to providing interesting features is coming up with really clean materials. This means that they are free from errors and have been edited several times over.
2. Writers
No matter how interesting the subject matter is, if you don’t have good writers to put them into words, your content will still suffer. Good writers are not only those that are good in grammar and spelling but also those who can weave tales in such as a way that is easy to read and interesting.
Finding good writers is however hard to do. If you have previously been part of the industry, you already have an edge in your headhunting days. However, if you have no idea where to get writers, you can try posting on sites that specializes in writers. People there may see the post and apply personally or members may recommend or refer someone they know.
3. Layout
Articles are not the only come ons in a magazine. Often times, people do not read the articles anymore. they just look at the pictures. People nowadays have become very visual in their approach. The same goes with reading. If you want people to find your page interesting, look for pictures that are eye-catching. Study the layouts of major magazines and try to be inspired by their art. Layouts is after all art in itself. Layouts often support the articles in the magazines.
These three factors will make your magazine a big success.
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Magazine publishing: what you need to know
Here are some things that you need to know when you get into magazine publishing.
1. It’s expensive.
It’s not a joke to finance a magazine. Besides the writers that you have to hire, you also have to pay for the paper and printing. Just imagine, you have to publish thousands of copies. Each costs tens of dollars. Remember that unlike newspapers, the paper used in magazines is glossy and thick. This means that the paper used in magazines are more expensive. You should also be able to provide for the office equipment and the office space. So unless you have billions of dollars to burn from the bank, think twice before you invest in magazines.
2. It’s difficult to source out.
Sourcing out the materials for the magazine, from the paper to the printer can be hard especially if you are on a tight budget. Getting good writers that you don’t have to edit is already hard enough; but you also need to hire marketing personnel who will also help sell the pages.
That is why it is good that you are already part of the industry or have been working in the industry before you get into magazine publishing. That way, you will already have contacts who can give you a much lower price. It is also better if you already know writers that are really good and just in case you cannot afford to pay for an editor, it will be good that you already have an idea on how to do it. Besides, being in the industry will allow you to have better taste when it comes to content and layout.
3. Competition is tough
A magazine cannot thrive in circulation alone. To survive, your magazine should also rake in advertisements. This is when the job becomes hard. You see with all the magazines that have been cropping up in the metro, it will be hard for you to get advertisers that have already been advertising in other publications for your first issue. You first have to convince the advertisers that your magazine is interesting before you will be able to get their attention. This is oftentimes the case of the egg and the chicken. You need to have a good circulation to get advertisers but you need advertisers in order to increase your circulation!
4. Socializing is part of it.
Believe it or not, the success of a magazine is not only dependent on the content and the people who write for you; it is also dependent on the buzz that you create for your magazines. This can be done through socializing with people that are part of your target market. This is part of the marketing campaign for magazine publishing. To promote the mag, some companies even hold events.
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Magazine Publishing Insights
One of the businesses that seem to be a favorite of the young people is magazine publishing. Not only that, those who actually ventured into the business are also getting good results out of their efforts.
It is not surprising that magazine publishing will be noticed and considered by the tweens, the college kids and the young adults because they are surrounded by different titles that claim to address their needs. These segments of society actually save up or set aside money for their favorite magazines. It is not enough that they borrow from their friends. They want to have their own copies.
Some even go as far as to collect that means they cannot afford to miss any issue so chances are those who can afford actually subscribe. This is a very strong insight to anchor on because here one can see the ability of the young to find a way to get what they want.
As mentioned earlier, these magazines seek to reach out to these segments. If one person from that segment then decides to open up her now because she feels like she is able to understand her peers more then her assumption can be very valid. Who knows better what teenagers are going through than teenagers themselves right?
You can gather the most competitive editorial stuff but you are not guaranteed a content that will appeal to teenagers but when teenagers pool together their experiences then chances are most likely whatever they get out of it is a universal truth for the rest of them. This is one key reason why the young people are a success in magazine publishing.
It is also an issue these days about how the magazine industry is sending the wrong messages to young people like how they glorify really thin models or generally how they say that one has to look beautiful all the time. Worst they have their own definition of beautiful and cascade it like everyone else has to look the same in order to be considered in the same league. More and more young people are rebelling on these notions. They ask why can’t the media be more appreciative of individual differences and be less judgmental. These concerns fuel them to come up with their own opinions and rightly so.
Magazine publishing is no easy industry but with the right insight, you can go a long way. You just have to find the right people and the right goal to guide you along and again this can only be possible if you started off with the right insight in mind. It is wise then to invest a lot on research and to go give time to test this research so that you will be able to start at the right foot.
It would sure be an easier road when you have that accomplished,
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Magazine publishing Career 101
Behind every page of the magazine is blood sweat and tears of the stuff. After all the fun, staffers will need to get back to reality and work on the material that they have gathered. They now have to write the article, do follow up interviews and even stay for layout and proofreading.
So before you apply for any magazines, here are some things that you need to know first. Read on and it might save you from going into a field that is not really for you.
1. Hard work
People only see the glamour behind the job but work in a magazine publishing is far from glamorous. For instance, you may get all the freebies for skin care but you have to sacrifice sleep in order to finish a deadline, harming your skin even more. With their stressful jobs and odd hours, these people really need skin care products!
2. Additional expenses
Pulling out clothes for fashion shoots may seem fun. After all, it’s like shopping without having to pay for your choices. But wait until you yourself do the deed. You will be carrying armloads of clothes, shoes and accessories all in one day or look for unique fashion finds until your feet kills you. And be careful with staining the dress or ruining the material of the shoes. A small damage will mean paying for clothes that are beyond your monthly clothing budget. Some clothes will even be more expensive than your annual income.
3. Socializing with people you don’t know
The job will also entail attending events and parties. This is great for people who love the party scene and those who are exactly into the party circuit. But if you are the kind of person who would rather stay at home and read a book, this job may not be for you. Hobnobbing with the rich and the famous without genuine interest may come out as contrived and false. This is not good for your reputation and for reputation of the magazine that you work for.
4. Overlapping deadlines
If you think you will just be given one assignment in a week, think again. Most writers will have several coverage in a day! And what is more, they are expected to write all of them. If it has a time element, the stories may even be published in one issue.
5. Boring coverage
Not all events are fun and happening. In your job, there will be events that are super boring and worthless. But no matter how bad the event is, you need to write about it as it is your job. So if you are not creative enough to come out with something out of nothing, magazine publishing is not for you. You need to be able to find a connection between things that are not really there in the first place.
Sounds tough? It is. So it's definitely not for everyone.
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The Rise of the Literary Magazine Publishing
The first literary magazines started to appear in the 19th century. A lot of which originated in England and Russia and a handful in the United States. The North American Review is known to be the oldest American literary magazine until it ceased publication during World War II.
The Yale Review had its first publication four years later of The North American Review. It is initially referred to as the “The Christian Spectator,” and deals with theological contents. It was Henry Walcott Farnam who changed its name into the “The Yale Review” and has broadened its contents. However, it is in 1911, when Wilbur Cross became the editor of the publication, which has totally revolutionized The Yale Review. It has then been transformed into the nation’s leading university publication. It is the oldest and one of the most respected literary magazines that is still being run today.
Two of the most distinguished literary magazines that are also still up today began in the early part of the 20th century: the Southern Review and The Times Literary Supplement. The Southern Review accepts literary works such as short stories, novel in progress, poetry and critical essays that focuses on the Southern culture and history. It specially caters to contemporary literature and is open for experimental writing.
However, it does not want to dwell on literature that relies on extremism and sensationalism. The Times Literary Supplement was originally intended to be a supplement to The Times but later on became an entirely separate publication in 1914. Literary reviews by T.S. Eliot and Virginia Wolf had appeared on their issues.
The later part of the century saw the rise of the two influential and controversial literary magazines there is: The Kenyon Review and The Partisan Review. The two publications not only have literature and criticism in its content but also politics. The Partisan Review used to be associated with the American Communist Party but broke off its ties after Stalin’s regime. Some of the significant names that appeared on its issues are Saul Bellow, George Orwell and Susan Sontag. Its final issue was on April 2003.
The rise of the small presses in the 1970s made literary magazines more prolific. Due to the establishment of the Committee of Small Magazine Editors and Publishers or COSMEP, the small magazine publishing companies has been assembled and formalized. Artists can then choose which publications suit the style of their works.
Also around this time is when AGNI was formed. AGNI is a leading literary publication in providing an outlet for talented and aspiring writers. The publication believes that its contents are aimed in creating social and cultural dialogues. Jhumpa Lahiri, Susanna Keysen and Ha Jin have been featured in the magazine before becoming well-known writers in the academic and mainstream literature. They accept works from artists coming from different countries, culture, gender and genre. The publication has been running for thirty-six years, producing at least sixty issues.
During the late 1990s, Francis Ford Coppola launched Zoetrope: All-Story. The publication dedicates itself in featuring fiction and one-act plays. It publishes works from promising, aspiring writers alongside the prominent ones like David Mamet, Salman Rushdie and Yoko Ogawa. Other than these, it also features reprints of classic works and contemporary artworks.
It is also during this time that e-zines or online literary magazines began to appear. This marked the changing face of literary magazine publishing. Some of the well-acclaimed e-zines are The Barcelona Review, Ecletica Magazine and Spike Magazine. Nevertheless, it is still a relatively young alternative to literary magazine publishing.
With the abundance of e-zines emerging, the quality of literary content and technique has yet to be evaluated before it they could fully become a valid literary output.
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How to put up a magazine publishing company
When before there are only magazines for beauty and clothes, now there are magazines for every conceivable subject in the planet. There are magazine for crafters and those who are gaga over scrapbooking. There is one about coin collection and antiques. There is even one that tackles the not so well known subject of ikebana.
Magazines have started to do niche marketing where they target specific readers. This is easier to do as few people will need to be informed about it. Marketing, advertising and sales will not be as huge a deal as the marketing involved with magazines that have a diverse target market. In fact because of this, magazines that target a town or a community are also being put up to cater to smaller readers.
But putting up a magazine publishing is not as simple as it seems. It is hard to do and sometimes a headache to organize. But if you know the market and already know what to expect, starting a magazine can actually be easy to do. Here are some tips on how to put up a magazine publishing without having to go through the aches and pains in the head.
1.Look for a good market of readers
With a lot of magazines available, it will be hard to find a target of readers that have not been addressed yet. And if ever, you find one, chances are the magazine for that niche was already created years ago, only that it did not work. But hey, nobody said that you too will not succeed. When you look for target readers do not just stop on the demographics. Research on the articles that they want to see in magazines. Zero in on the products that they feel they will be able to use. You can even make a survey on the people that they want to be featured or the people in the field that they look up to.
2. Look for famous columnists
One secret to promoting your magazine and thus ensuring the success of the venture is to look for famous people in the industry. Their names are often enough to pull some readers into buying your magazine. They will also be able to help in marketing your magazine through word of mouth and industry news. Once everybody finds out that a recognized expert in the field is writing for a magazine, they will buy the mag, even just out of curiosity. It will be a nice start.
2.Content
Even with the biggest name in the field in your magazine, without good content, your magazine will go nowhere. The number one selling point of any magazine are the articles that you will find within. Remember that having big names is just the introduction. What you need is to sustain the interest with features that they can relate to and use. To do this, you also need to hire good writers in the field. Pick one who does not only write well but one who has interests in the field.
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Magazine Publishing in America
Reader’s Digest
Reader’s Digest is one of America’s highly successful general interest magazines. It was founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. Though the magazine is only roughly half the size of a regular subscription magazine, Reader’s Digest has reached a wide audience not only in America but also the rest of the world. It is published in 50 editions in 21 languages and was hailed as the best-selling consumer magazine in the United States. The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. ranks sixth in the top 25 magazine publishing companies in terms of annual revenue.
The National Geographic Magazine
The National Geographic Magazine is the official publication of the National Geographic Society and has become one of its major output since then. It features articles about science, history, archeology, and just in the recent years, travel and adventure. From its first issue in 1888, the magazine has reached readers throughout the world with thirty-two language editions. Aside from its articles, the magazine itself has been known for its photography and the trademark yellow border on its cover. The magazine has been awarded with the General Excellence Award in 2007 by the American Society of Magazine Editors.
PC World
The PC World is the flagship publication of the International Data Group. It was launched in 1982 and the first issue was released on March 1983. Most of the pioneer staff of the magazine came from the PC Magazine. The magazine mainly features reviews of the different softwares, hardwares and services on the computer market. PC World is published in 51 other countries under different local titles. By 2006, it became the largest-circulating computer magazine in the world.
Popular Mechanics
Popular Mechanics is a magazine devoted in bringing trends and news in science and technology in the mainstream media. It was first published in January 11, 1902. In 1950s, the Hearst Corporate Communications took the magazine under its wing. Together with other prominent publications like Good Housekeeping, the Hearst Corporate Communication is one of the leading magazine publishing companies in the USA.
Time Magazine
By far, Time magazine is still the largest magazine in terms of the annual revenue despite a drop of 3.4 M in 2007. A part of time magazine’s success was its writing style. It is able to integrate in its weekly issues a range of topics, from the serious and political, to the light and popular. Its signature articles are the Time Person of the Year, and the more recent, Time 100 which features the 100 most influential people of the year. On the later part of 2007, the magazine has done revisions in order to reach a younger generation
Despite advances in communications and technology, magazine publishing is still a thriving industry. It had a revenue growth of 1.5% in 2007. The onset on online advertising and publication has been one of the major competitors for its advertisers. Nonetheless, it still proves to be one of the handy and enjoyable forms of media accessible to a very large market.
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Concepts in Magazine Publishing
Still, businessmen do not count out magazine publishing as a possible venture and no one can blame them. For one, who has not seen the hit series Ugly Betty? Watching it alone can convince you that running a magazine is a wonderful challenge. Yes, it is not all glamorous but there is money in it for the Mead family to be that rich. In the real world, some of the old magazine magnates have sold their shares but the point is someone else is buying it and it’s not like they bought these companies at a cheap price. So there, now that you are quite sold to start up your own magazine you want to know what should be the first step.
You have to play with concepts first and you can start by brainstorming in your own. The mere interest in joining this world would suggest that you actually like reading magazines. Keep up with the reading but complement it with reading articles about what goes on behind the cover stories and what in general is happening to your favorite titles. After that then you can go about observing other people and what they read. Do not stick to one area, go out of your comfort zone and check out what the rest of the people are reading. These exercises will help you a lot in coming up with fresh ideas.
When you have already picked certain interesting niche concepts then choose the one that you think you are more interested in and capable of handling as well because interest alone will not be enough. If you feel like sense and style are your strengths then go on fashion lifestyle but you have to figure out to veer away from what is already there. If music is your passion then think of ways on how you can beat Rolling Stones. As mentioned earlier, this is no easy endeavor you are taking so be very prepared. It is best to start off with a very strong concept and then you can wing it afterwards.
Magazine publishing concepts are bountiful but again a word of caution because it is in pinpointing the one thing that works best for your decided target market that will spell your ultimate success or doom. Upon learning that, make sure that you invest time and energy in coming up with that winning concept. It sound daunting but if you think you have it then do not be afraid.
Rest assured that when you have that concept thing covered then it is safe to say that you are already halfway to making your business work and which can also mean future success is not far along.
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Finding Your Niche in Magazine Publishing
Editorial/Writing
For anyone who has flair for writing, a career in magazine publishing is an easy one. A good start is to work as an intern in a magazine publishing company. Though this is the least fabulous of all the positions, it will provide you training and connections in the industry. It would also be helpful if you would have a folio that it always on hand. One may also start in an entry-level position as an editorial assistant. Aside from writing, rewriting and copyediting, certain office duties may also be asked. You could then work your way up to being an associate editor, managing editor, executive editor and finally, an editor-in-chief!
Marketing
If you are meticulous, could communicate well and could convince people into an idea or a brand in ways other than writing, then you could have a spot in marketing. Through marketing, you make sure that you make your market hear what the magazine wants them to hear. You must then know how to harmonize the behavior and trends of your market with your publications. This may involve overseeing the sales, the distribution of the publication as well as what kind of articles goes into the magazine.
Production
This is the actual production of the magazine. You must be very keen with the details, the deadline and the technology that goes with it. Production is used to be associated with machineries and heavy equipment. However now, production goes beyond the tangible paper and ink. Online publishing have changed the way magazines are produced. Production now also involves a great deal of information technology skills.
Design
Other than writing, you could also channel your creativity by being involved with the design of the magazine. Magazines rely heavily on the aesthetics, not only for sales, but also as an alternative way for expression. The design of the magazine also helps it to turn into a brand. Magazines like Time have a signature red border on its cover while the National Geographic has a yellow border.
Sales
Just like any business, magazine publishing also has a concern with sales. However, there is more to it than simply being able to sell. You need to be charismatic, diplomatic and to have integrity. Building good relationships with your clients is important. Aside from people skills, you also need to develop your analytical skills in studying market reports and sales. You have to know how will your ads will be effective to your magazine and its market.
There are many career paths to choose from in the magazine publishing industry. You may have a proven ability for writing or graphic design but a university degree would be, if not mandatory, extremely helpful. Keep in mind that magazine publishing also involves corporate work and that companies do want to present a professional image to the market.
Just make sure that the degree that you’ll be having or is already pursuing is relevant to the industry. If you are still undecided of which field to choose, it is highly recommended that you take an internship in a magazine publishing company. You may not start out glamorous (think Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada) but you’ll definitely learn a lot. In time, you’ll learn the tricks of the trade and you’ll be on your way to the top.
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Things You Need to Know about Magazine Publishing
What is a Magazine and How Different is it from a Book?
The most obvious difference between a magazine and a book is that magazines are changed. They have schedules by which issues are published and distributed to the different bookstores -- weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. This gives the magazine publishing industry the edge of being constantly renewable. They have the chance to constantly adjust to their readers' demands such that they will be able to encompass a larger audience and keep the interest up.
Books don't have this advantage because once the story is out, it's out. The only chance authors have at change is through different editions which don't really alter the story drastically. Magazines, on the other hand, are capable of providing a wide variety of articles suitable to the majority of their readers' interests, and thus, the industry continues to thrive.
Magazines as a Major Production on Paper
There are so many ingredients before you are able to publish a legit and official magazine. First, and obviously, you won't expect to just write a few articles, paste some pictures and voila, a magazine is born. This is not how it happens in the magazine publishing industry. Aside from consumer profit, the industry lives on because of the advertisements that fill the pages with new product lines, promos and simple attention-getters.
Second, you'll need an appropriate publishing schedule, depending on the content of the magazine. For continuously changing content such as news and current events, they could come by weekly or twice in a week. More specific content could be published within a longer time period since it takes more time to gather up special topics and relevant material.
You'll find on most magazines that there's a specified date by which they assume the magazine was published. In truth, magazines are prepared for many weeks in advance and are published before the indicated date. This is to anticipate for any delays from the many writers that contribute to the content.
Third, you'll need to be aware of the availability of the magazine. Are they available on newsstands or bookstores? Will they be sold in specialty stores and vintage bookstores or just the main multinational bookstores? Will there be the option of subscribing to the mailing list? Usually this gives the readers the incentive of not having to line up for a copy and just getting the issues in the mail every time they are distributed.
Sometimes readers even get special offers and early published issues. As for those who have missed out on important issues, there may also be the option of ordering back issues. These are issues published in the past that were returned to the publishers, usually because they were not completely sold before the next issues arrived.
Magazine publishing is a process with undoubtedly complicated shoes to fill. So many elements go into the publishing of a magazine that sometimes we may even wonder how so many of them are offered and distributed all around the world.
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Things you need to know before going into Magazine publishing
Unlike what was shown in the movie, magazine publishing is not always about the glamour and the freebies. In fact, when you get into one of those magazine companies, you’ll realize that it is not a tushy job after all. The work can be very hard and the hours horrifying. Some do not even go home for weeks when the closing of one issue is close by. So before you decide to apply in any of those magazines, here are some things that might make you think twice.
1. Dog eat dog world
Competition is tough in a magazine. This is especially true if you plan to go into magazine writing. There are only a few key positions that will be available for people and chances are they will go to those who have better connections within the company and in society. Fact of life is, you need to first BE someone before you get to hold those high positions as magazine editor. Because of this, the culture inside a magazine can be stressful. It can be a dog eat dog world where everyone is out to get anyone that steps in their way towards promotion. Besides with purely girls in the company, there is bound to be a catfight.
2. It’s a girl’s world
Magazine publishing can be dominated by girls especially those who are more into the fashion and beauty stuff. It being a girl’s world can be an advantage as you will be able to relate more with them and share their interests. It can however be different for a guy. So if you are straight and you want to work in magazine publishing, choose the magazines whose subjects are more oriented towards male pursuits like golf, yachting, body building. Men’s magazines will also have more male staffers but they may also have a lot of gay people.
3. Weird hours
People who go into magazine publishing especially the core departments that really work on the magazines until the publication will need to stay for hours in the office just to close pages. This is the unglamorous side of the job. Some would not even go home when the deadline is so near. The hours can be really weird especially when issues are being closed or photo shoots are being done.
4. Social events or boring conference
If you are not much into hobnobbing with the rich and the famous in the field, magazine publishing is not for you. The job does not only entail attending events and conferences and writing about it, you are also expected to socialize with these people and perhaps get them as advertisers or sponsors of the magazine.
People who work on more technical publications on the other hand have to endure a different thing— boring conferences. If listening to studies and experiments is not your thing, do not go into magazine publishing.
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Writing for a Magazine Publishing
Most magazines hire people who graduated with a degree in Journalism. But it takes a special skill to write about airplanes, cars, medicine and computers. This is where you come in because if you are knowledgeable about any of these topics, a magazine publication would like to get your input and have this published.
Are you well compensated while working for a magazine publication? A lot of people say yes. Just to give you an idea, some companies who make brochures and fact sheets pay writers from $50 to $1000 per project. A blogger is could be paid per word, by the hour or per project that could also translate to thousands of dollars.
These rates vary on several factors namely where the article will be published if it is print or online, the kind of article being written, word count, number of pages and if there will be diagrams or images included.
For writers who are required to add images to their articles, the rates will also vary because this will be assessed by an article editor and a photographic editor.
If you are able to work for them for quite some time, naturally the rate will be higher. You may even be able to demand how much you want to be paid. This is not applicable to a newcomer because he or she has to prove themselves first. They will have to prove their writing abilities and eventually build up their own portfolio so they too can negotiate how much they will be paid.
For veterans and newcomers alike, once your article has been approved, do not think that the job is finished. Most often than not, some things will have to be revised so be prepared to edit.
If the article you wrote is not approved, find out why so you can improve your writing skills. Getting feedback is better than not getting any.
Also try to submit this elsewhere so all the hard work you did in doing the necessary research does not go to waste.
Some people find it easier to write for a newspaper than a magazine publication because of the larger circulation size. People who have tried both say that the pay rate is not that far apart. You just have to work for it.
Once you have landed a nice writing job for a magazine publication, the trick now is to keep it. The only way this can be done is by maintaining consistency in your work.
So should you write for any magazine publication? This depends if you share the same interests. If you don’t, perhaps you should work for someone one else. If you have a magazine in mind, it is best to read as many copies of that magazine as possible so you know how they work and who their target audience is.
If the editor likes what you did, the title of your article may just get on the front cover and this could be the start of something big in magazine Publishing.
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