How to Self Publish a Magazine

If you're thinking about self-publishing a magazine, consider that more than 7000 English-language magazines are published annually raking in more than 24 billion advertising dollars. Also consider that of the 900 annual start-ups, 60% fail in the first year, 80% don't see their fourth birthdays, and 90% disappear by their tenth anniversary. Despite the competition and prospects of failure, if it's your dream with the right concept, you can self publish a magazine.

Instructions

1. Plan out the subject and scope of the new magazine. Visit newsstands and websites to check out competition and gauge interest. Create a MySpace page for the magazine. Market the magazine as much as possible with small ads as the budget allows.

2. Join discussion groups that pertain to the magazine's scope of interest. Create a signature with the magazine's title and an email of "info@" the magazine domain. Cultivate as much buzz as possible.

3. Kick off with a professional website. State the mission, tone and style of the magazine. Create a contributors page with writers' guidelines, rates, publishing information and policies. (See Resources)

4. Set up an online subscription page. Visit the bank and set up acceptable forms payment via the website. Consider PayPal as a way around credit card set-ups and a dba account. Include contact information, including a physical address and an email address at the magazine domain.

5. Contact advertisers and offer nominal rates to charter sponsors. Be careful about which companies and organizations are invited to advertise. Make sure those selected mesh well with the mission of the magazine.

6. Collect at least six issues' worth of articles from writers. Sort through and choose the most applicable, the most interesting and appealing and the most well-written. Edit the material and return it to the respective writers as a courtesy; they may have questions or helpful points to make about editorial decisions.

7. Lay out the magazine using publishing software. Take a class to learn the software. Scan in photos, artwork and ads. Consider printing the inside pages with a good laser printer with duplexing, or negotiating a deal with a local printer. Arrange to have the cover printed professional. (See Resources)

8. Visit the post office to discuss the best method for mailing. Send or personally deliver copies of the premier issue to potential advertisers and, as a courtesy, to the charter sponsors.

Tips & Warnings

• Make subscribers the main priority. Keep them happy by resolving any issues immediately. Hold drawings for small gifts or subscriptions.

• Maintain all receipts and records for the business. Consider engaging the services of a CPA.

• Consider blogging at the magazine's website to cultivate a position as a publishing expert. Offer a few articles each month to give visitors a taste of the magazine. Set up the website as an online resource rather than just a subscription portal.

• Ask writers to supply artwork and photos for their articles. Be sure that the proper release forms are on file. Consider making a one-time purchase of a group of stock photos for the magazine.

Resources

• InDesign, Adobe's publishing tool.
• Corel's Ventura and CorelDraw publishing tools.
• A magazine on how to self publish a magazine.