Guide to Magazine Publishing Industry Overview

Magazine publishing has become more demanding in an online world

By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Discover custom magazine publishing as an avenue for revenue

Custom magazine publishing is one area of the magazine publishing business that is growing, at a time when many consumer and trade magazines are seeing revenues shrink. Custom magazine publishing can run the gamut from developing a newspaper insert for a local business, to developing a specialty family publication for a local school district or hospital, for example. If you're currently publishing a magazine, consider branching into custom magazine publishing to add dimension to your services and bottom line.

I recommend: The Magazine Group, a custom publishing company, offers information on publishing custom magazines that you can use to learn more and sell your clients on custom publishing. The Custom Publishing Council, a magazine publishing group, offers insight on why custom publishing works.

Join an association of magazine publishing companies to learn more and grow your magazine business

Join an association of magazine publishing companies to learn more and grow your magazine business

I recommend: The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) is a professional organization for magazine publishers that offers news, statistics and opportunities for growth and development. The Western Publications Association (WPA) offers publishers and those who serve the publishing industry to interact and exchange ideas. For publishers and others west of the Mississippi River.

Find out industry news and trends to learn more about trade magazine publishing and periodical publi

If you want to learn more about publishing magazines and industry trends, look to publications and news sources that offer indications of where the industry is heading in the future, and what's working now. Also look to leaders in the magazine publishing industry to see the latest trends in the magazine business.

I recommend: Folio: Magazine offers news, trends, marketing and other publishing magazines advice and information. Wooden Horse Publishing offers a free weekly newsletter on magazine publishing companies, including advertising and subscription statistics and much more. The Hearst Corporation publishes some of the most popular and influential magazines in America today. Keep track of what they're doing through their website. Time Warner is the parent company of Time, Inc., one of the most respected publishing companies in the world.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  No magazine publishing industry overview would be complete without a look at digital publishing. For many publishers, it's the wave of the future, and many periodicals may bow to the pressures of the Internet and turn their publications into digital publications as the popularity of iPhones and other digital media increases. Another major trend is custom digital publications with longer shelf lives than their traditional print cousins.

1. Find a market that needs informative magazine publishing such as hobby enthusiasts or fan groups.
2. Be editor, publisher, and marketing manager yourself; the only help should be volunteer
3. Start small with a quarterly black and white publication

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine the start-up costs of a magazine publishing company

The start-up of a magazine publishing company does not need to cost a lot. Start with a publication that is little more than a newsletter--maybe not even published more than once a month. The only necessary beginning costs are paper, printer cartridges, and a quality printer.

I recommend: Find good industrial-quality printer and printing supplies at Dell, Hewlett Packard, Video Jet, or Brady Industrial Printers.

Use software for the layout and subscription management

You may be able to create the layout and handle the subscriptions on your own, but there are many software programs, ranging from low-cost to high end, that can help. Using software helps ensure that you produce a very professional aesthetically-pleasing publication in an organized manner.

I recommend: Try The Magazine Manager for layout. Try CWC Software, Inc. or Media Services Group for subscription management.

Enlist help in some areas

Find free help in the form of volunteers, interns, students or friends to help in areas in which you don't posses expertise, such as the writing and graphic design. Look for those willing to work for free in the beginning to build experience. Many college students can provide high-quality professional work.

I recommend: Search for interns or professionals at Guru.com or Elance.com.

Print the advertisements carefully

Since the advertisements are the magazine's main source of income, it is essential to print things correctly to keep the investors happy. This is not a good place to cut corners to try and save money. Find help with the advertisements in the form of another person, software or printing services.

I recommend: Use professional printing services at Printing For Less, Mimeo or Kinko’s to print the advertisement pages, especially if in color.

Add illustrations to the print

Illustrations are very important to the overall look of the publication. They may be as simple as black and white line drawings in the beginning, but even tiny cartoons can add interest to the print.

I recommend: Find thousands of stock illustrations to use at Shutterstock, Snap Village or Punch Stock.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Cover costs with advertisements.
• •  Distribute the magazine for free or next to nothing to build readership.
• •  Sell advertisements to local businesses offering products or services that compliment magazine subject matter.

Guide to Supplies for Magazine Publishing

Choose the right supplies for magazine publishing to increase your subscription base

By Sherril Steele-Carlin, Freelance Writer

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy the right magazine publishing paper to give a good first impression

When publishing magazines, first impressions are invaluable, and a high-quality paper with a good feel to it is one of the first things your readers will notice and appreciate. Most magazine publishing firms purchase their paper in bulk rolls for their presses, that's the way to get the best value for the purchasing dollar.

I recommend: Even publishing companies are going green, and SMART Papers offers green products produced in a green facility for all digital press needs. Neenah Paper offers a wide variety of papers for both desktop publishing and digital presses.

Purchase industrial inks created especially for magazine publishers

Depending on the type of press you acquire and the types of periodicals you'll be publishing, you'll need an array of industrial inks to keep your magazine publishing services humming. Luckily, you can find everything you need from global suppliers that specialize in high-quality printing inks for a variety of presses.

I recommend: Many high-quality printing ink manufacturers are located overseas, but they have offices in the United States to make ordering easier. Van Son Holland Ink Corporation offers numerous inks for all kinds of presses, including metallic and fluorescent inks. ColorTrac inks by INX International Ink offer special inks that reproduce in almost photo quality in your publication.

Purchase the supplies you'll need from major magazine publishing suppliers

Design and layout is an essential part of companies that publish magazines. If you want the most professional layout and design, you need good design software that the standard in the publishing industry. You'll need a press, too, whether it's new or used, and you can use the inks and paper you've found to keep the whole operation running smoothly.

I recommend: Quark offers some of the most well known and accepted publishing software in the world. MKL Pre-Press Electronics offers used printing presses and other supplies for the periodical publishing industry.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Don't forget, whether you're doing custom magazine publishing, trade magazine publishing or journal publishing, you're going to need content. That means photos or illustrations, editorial content and of course lots of advertisements to pay for the magazine and its' printing. You'll need people, as well as supplies for magazine publishing to grow your magazine and help it survive.

Guide to Magazine Publishing Key Terms

Know key terms as you prepare to launch your magazine

By Rachel Davy, Writer/Editor

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Content

The content of a magazine is the articles, photographs and art that make up the magazine. Many magazines have staff writers, photographers and artists who produce articles, take photographs and create graphics. Magazine publishers also purchase content for their publications from freelance writers, photographers and artists.

I recommend: Read the article that analyzes news magazine content for various publications from The Project for Excellence in Journalism.

Layout and design

Layout and design is the process of putting the magazine together with art and graphics. Many magazines have their own full-time layout and design staffs, while others hire companies to do layout and design for them. Layout and design includes the magazine's logo, fonts, art and art placement and graphic design.

I recommend: Read about the magazine layout and design solutions offered by Ellis Graphic Services.

Periodical

Weekly, monthly or quarterly magazines are called periodicals. There are several kinds of periodicals. Newspapers are usually called dailies, but in magazine publishing, there is weekly (once a week), biweekly (every two weeks), quarterly (every three months) and annually (once a year). Periodical magazines are usually specialty magazines, such as those written about sports or fashion.

I recommend: Read the article at History.com to learn about the history of periodicals.

Advertising or ad space

The majority of most magazines' revenue comes from advertising. So it's important for magazines to learn how to attract advertisers to their publication so they will buy ad space. Ad space is the amount of space that advertisers agree to buy. They can purchase ad space by the column all the way up to full-page ads. Many magazines have advertising departments whose job it is to sell space.

I recommend: Read about magazine advertising at Magazine Publishers of America.

Printing

Printing is the process of reproducing the images and content of the magazine. There are printing presses of many sizes that can publish large- or small-circulation magazines. Printing can be in black and white, in color or a combination of both. Publishers also have to decide what kind of paper to use for their publications. There are high -gloss papers and those that are closer to newspaper.

I recommend: Review the printing services provided by Pelican Magazine Printing.

Circulation

Circulation is the distribution of magazines to vendors and those who have subscribed to receive them. A magazine's circulation number is also the number of copies distributed on an average day and is a measure of a magazine's success or failure.

I recommend: Learn about the circulation services provided by Circulation Specialists.