The Great Magazine Lecture An adventure into the

The Great Magazine Lecture An adventure into the real world…. © Perry Glasser

Overview w Business Models w Editorial Models w Implications for the Professional Writer © Perry Glasser

Business Models w Open “circ” (short for “circulation”) l Sold to anyone with the cover price w Closed circ Selected audience l Often free l © Perry Glasser

Costs w Money is the lifeblood of magazines. Costs include: n n n Production and sales staff Materials of production (paper, ink) Distribution costs (postage, trucks, cost of shelf -space) © Perry Glasser

Income w Sales w Advertising w Donations n Usually in the form of “real” contribution, such as office space granted by a college to a literary journal © Perry Glasser

Critical Pause w Why aren’t the thickest magazines—the ones that cost the most to produce—the most expensive to buy? w How do closed circ magazines that give away copies stay in business? w If these questions puzzle you, go back to the slide about Income. ADVERTISING! © Perry Glasser

Ad Rates w Advertising rates increase with circulation. w Magazine circulation is audited just as independent accountants audit finances. w Closed circ magazines can guarantee a niche market to advertisers, and so can charge advertisers more $$$ per reader. © Perry Glasser

Ad – Edit Ratio w Gauge a magazine’s financial health by comparing the number of advertising pages to the number of editorial pages. w A “healthy” ad-edit ratio is about 4: 6, or 40% w Some magazines have ad-edit ratios of 9: 1, or 90% © Perry Glasser

Who cares? I just wanna write! w Expect little or no pay from magazines in financial straits. w Expect few readers if you publish in low circulation magazines. and… w Knowledge of business models = knowledge of audience = more effective writing. © Perry Glasser

Editorial Models Consumer magazines Broad demographics n Newsweek n Parade n People © Perry Glasser Niche magazines Narrow demographics w Quilting w Yachts w PC Gamer

Magazine Feature Qualities w w Urgency Up to date information Primary sources Specific details Critical Pause: Ah-ha! Could this be why so many cover lines include a specific number? © Perry Glasser

Kinds of Articles w How-to w Personality profile – interview or narrative w Op-Ed and reviews w First person witness, such as travelogue © Perry Glasser

Purpose of Articles w Entertain w Persuade (foment attitude) w Inform w Provoke (foment action) A feature article can have multiple purposes. NOTICE: Purposes affect the reader. © Perry Glasser

Implications w Know the magazine’s audience. w Know your sources. w The writer is never the subject. w An article must give readers “value. ” A reader who takes away no value, won’t buy the next issue, circulation sinks, advertising rates go south… disaster © Perry Glasser

Good Magazine Writing w Effective – achieves purposes w Collaborative w Timely © Perry Glasser