How do I start my own magazine?

[tether]

so your income and mag financing comes only from advertising?

Startup financing is mostly from investors, although you should be able to attract some advertisers pre-launch. Once you are up and running, the majority of your running capital will be based upon advertising. Subscriptions may provide some working capital, but that will be minimal compared to advertising.

 

[imagensfashions]

This thread is amazing!!!!

Great ans useful informations...

 

[siamese]

i think it all sounds like great advice, but it all sounds like advice if you are going to start a massive magazine, which you probably are not..
you don't need heaps of cash to start something small, just some clever people to help you out.
I have an online magazine and it used to be in print.
I think online is a really good way to start, its a good way to build an audience, and it takes time to work out what you are doing and what your aesthetic and stuff is, so at least online you can change things and you don't have so much pressure on you.
anyway, either way is nice!

 

[Nenipu]

A fashion blog like mine..

It´s free, public and really addictive...

Check it!

www.coolandchic.blogspot.com

I wanted a fashion amgazine but I found blogger...

 

[delerith]

I'm working in a magazine now and I'd like to learn somewhere how to make a magazine because all here is done so unprofessionally. Can you give me some links where I can read about this? I'd like to know about how to organize my time, when do what. How to search for an advertizers, how to plan the volume of texts, for ex. when should I know about what AD and texts are in next month issue? A month before or may be two? In fact, I am in charge of all the photo shootings for a mag (not only related to fashion) but want to know more about all stages of making a magazine.

 

[rainbowrosa]

I'm 14 years old and an aspiring journalist. When I was younger, I used to make my own magazine. I'd make it at home on my computer, make 20 copies and give it to my friends. They loved it and I even got an award at my school for it. I might do another issue, but just make one copy for myself.

Working at a magazine would be an absolute dream for me, but at the same time, there are lots of things about magazines that I don't like and annoy me. An idea was suggested to me that maybe I could start my own magazine. This sounds very difficult and maybe expensive, as well as the fact that it would be difficult to compete with the hundreds of magazines already on the market. I have no idea how I would go about starting my own magazine (when I'm older I mean).

Does anybody know how I would go about starting my own magazine?
Thanks

 

[gius]

This sounds great, rainbowrosa
I'm also into doing the same
If you mean how do you make a magazine that looks like a real magazine (glossy cover, etc.), you can just have it made at a print shop. There are services at office supply stores, like Kinko's or Staples, etc. Try different shops out before you decide because the quality is not always the same
For example, I made a book recently and had pages printed at a store called Grand & Toy here --the print outs had a bluish tinge on them that I really didn't like...

I also used to make books in high school (glossy cover, newsprint on the inside) and in all, we had to sell them at $12 each to make up for how much we spent having them made.

You can also have an online magazine... !

 

[tocceve]

I think the most important thing at the beginning is the name of the magazine or the cover in general

 

[rainbowrosa]

Ooh good idea gius! About the online magazine, I do actually have my own fashion blog, its mainly for practise though as i don't get many readers - www.rcfashion.blogspot.com

And no at the moment I'm not too worried about it looking like a real magazine, I mean when I'm older and when I wan't to actually have it properly published.

 

[gius]

The thing about being published is, it sometimes takes a very long time or you will get rejected often. By all means, keep trying, but you also know you can publish it yourself You can visit bookshops that might also like to sell them. My friends did that with our books --we also sold online
I use a blog too, but I think if I were to make a magazine, I would have specific theme for each issue Much more in depth

Also you can have some of your artsy friends join along with you, make a team --create your own photographs and graphic designs... Would be a lot of fun!

Marcel that's one point
Another important thing is what will you write about, and what will make it different from other magazines

We have threads on blogging too...
Starting & Promoting a Fashion Blog
Blog design technique & tips

 

[rainbowrosa]

well it will probably be like a fashion magazine

oh yea and some of my friends have agreed to be my models and they're going to wear all like summery clothes then we're going to go to the park and do our own little fashion shoot! so that will be really good. but that's just for this magazine i'm doing at the moment

i'm not sure where i'd be able to get it published but it would have to be reaaally good though lol

 

[homeboy]

well it will probably be like a fashion magazine

oh yea and some of my friends have agreed to be my models and they're going to wear all like summery clothes then we're going to go to the park and do our own little fashion shoot! so that will be really good. but that's just for this magazine i'm doing at the moment

i'm not sure where i'd be able to get it published but it would have to be reaaally good though lol

You don't start a magazine. Starting a magazine is really a final destination of a long journey. Many of people involved in starting a magazine have a bag full of journalism experience. It's great that you have ambitions and dream though, because that's what will drive you keep your candle of fashion journalism burning for the years to come.

Most magazines are started by a a few individuals who get picked up by a publication giant offering printing, infrastructure, copywriters, a legal team, facilities, connections and distribution. Internet and blogging particular have revolutionized consumer media. So if you sincerely believe that you posses the creativity and talent to run a magazine then the only way to prove yourself is by taking your blog to the sky. Your chances of succeeding on the worldwide web is a million times greater than the chances of you starting your own magazine in the next 10 year.

 

[kimair]

merged with the existing thread...

 

[Business of Art]

So my dream job is to one day be e-i-c of my own magazine =). I'm interested in the whole design/layout/creative aspect of magazines, but also the journalistic facet of writing about fashion/music/entertainment. Before I embark on creating my own magazine, I definitely want to gain experience by working at different magazines. However, the questions is.... what college major will lead me to this ultimate ambition?

 

[gius]

^ We have many threads where you can find your answer --just type magazine in the search function in this forum...

Here are a few to get you started
What education you need to do to get into magazines??
Majors and corresponding fashion careers

bonne chance!

 

[love.cat]

find people to advertise in your magazine. It alot of work you need to know your market. I reccommend reading the first few chapters of richard bransons losing my virginity book! He set up a magazine when he was 18 which set off his career really and he goes into quite alot of detail.

 

[rainbowrosa]

ok so i've realised that starting my own magazine would be a lot harder than i thought, so for now i'm going to stick with the magazine i make that i told you about. all i need to do now is think of a name! so far, it's out of MANERA, which means fashion in spanish, or POISON, because the industry it often seen as bitchy and poisonous!

can anybody else think of any other good names for it?

 

[rainbowrosa]

i also really like SPARKLE, even though it's in 13 going on 30.

 

[theLreport]

I would be glad to offer any advice to anyone wanting to start a magazine in the real world..meaning no rich daddy, no contacts, no advertising dollars like Vogue..Im 21, and if I can do it..anyone can

 

[IWantToBeChloe]

I do all the PR and marketing (and much more, actually) for a very successful magazine publisher- we currently publish 11 titles. I've done everything, from photo shoots to sales material to Web site stuff to distribution breakdowns, editorial, events, PR and promotions.

The one thing that's hardest for people to understand is that you NEED to make it successful for advertisers or your sales (if you have any) will dwindle- it isn't all about fashion and design, unfortunately. Having a third party (like the Audit Bureau of Circulations) audit your circulation is so important, so you can prove your magazine is where you say it is. You also need to have a very clear audience so you can easily sell the idea to businesses. So many magazines fail because they don't have a clear market/platform.

Visit www.magazinedeathpool.com to see what NOT to do