Many of us will remember that feeling of looking through the magazines in a store. The sense of wonder as you picked one up and had a skim through. Even that alone could be enough to prompt you into wanting to start a magazine.
You might be surprised to know that people still prefer their magazines in print! With how much time the average American spends reading daily, it’s not too late to start a magazine.
If you want to know how to start a magazine, then have a quick look through some of these suggestions to get you started.
1. Start a Magazine by Identifying a Niche
One of the best ways to start a magazine is to identify a niche!
If there aren’t many publications in that space already, that’s even better. If you’ve got a lesser-known hobby of your own, you’ll know the hunger for more content all too well.
If the niche you want to start a magazine about revolves around a topic you’re already interested in, even better! Starting a literary magazine is a good example of this, as it will attract like-minded people.
Part of making a successful magazine is knowing how to target the demographic you want to attract. If you already know the hobby or topic well, you’ll know exactly what your audience is looking for.
That extends to more than just the content inside the magazine, too. Consider the design choices of your magazine, the “artistic direction.” Try to cater that towards your demographic too.
2. Pick a Medium
Once you’ve settled on a topic and a style, the next thing to do is decide how you want to publish it.
Being able to hold a physical copy of your magazine possesses a certain magic. There are a few things to keep in mind if you want to go the physical route.
Common sense says it should be expensive, especially if you don’t have an already-established printing system you can utilize. How much does it cost to start a magazine really, though?
Not as much as you might think. There are plenty of great, affordable options for magazine printing.
3. Hire a Great Team
Remember that a magazine will live and die by the content. If you want to start a magazine you should begin with the foundations. For a magazine, the foundations are the team.
For starters, quality writers. Skilled wordsmiths that can capture and engross your audience. They’ll be the ones filling your pages, so they had better be good!
An editor will be a must-have. Somebody to keep everything in check, to re-read the articles, and finalize the content for publication.
Last but not least, the designers and artists! An aesthetically pleasing layout and cover will draw eyes and attention. Appearances are everything, and nobody will read what’s inside if they aren’t sold on the way it looks.
Getting Your Magazine Out There
The trickiest part of starting a magazine is getting the exposure that it needs. That kind of marketing is a skillset all on its own, and one that you’ll have to experiment with.
Another thing that could help in addition to experimentation is reading our blog. As part of the wide variety of topics, we cover, business strategies that may help are often included.
Keep reading to pick up on insider tricks that might help!