Magazine Journalism Stages of Magazine Production

 Latest Research:  82% of readers spent up to 45 minutes reading a custom magazine.  64% of readers returned to it more than once.  For this reason, many companies include custom magazines within their content marketing strategy Stages of Magazine Production

 1. Define your objectives  What do you want to achieve?  Why have you decided to launch a printed custom magazine?  How does your magazine content fit into your marketing strategy? 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 2. Define your target audience  Do research:  What are your buyer personas?  What are their sensitive points?  How do you communicate with them?  What do they read?  Are they a homogenous group, or are there two or more very distinct groups within your target audience? 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 3. Define the main concept  What content will be in your new printed custom magazine?  What will be its main message?  What underlying messages do you plan to communicate?  It is stressed that the concept is the only constant in your magazine 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 Covers  Do you want to use an original photo or illustration?  What will the theme be?  How many headlines do you want to include?  Do you want to include page numbers and your company’s logo?  What will be their overall concept?  Sections  Easy-to find in every issue  Keep things simple and consistent  Editorial Board selection  Division of Labor well defined from the start 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 4. Technical parameters  Page count  At least 24 pages to 36 pages  Use of photography and other visual representations  Page/spread size  Type of paper  Issue’s circulation  Magazine’s frequency 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 5. Design a magazine  Decide your criteria for design content based on your customers/readers. 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 1. Create a production schedule  Deadlines for when each story must be submitted to the editor  Ample time for proofreading  A design schedule  Enough time for the editorial board (if there is one) to look over the magazine and add comments  Your printing deadline  Your distribution date 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 2. Create a content plan  Create an editor’s table of content for all pages, including the front and back covers  Build your content for at least one issue ahead of your schedule to make sure you are never left with an empty space if an article falls through  This provides a safety net for articles that might need extra time to be written, photographed, illustrated or designed 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 3. Create a detailed plan for each story  The content of a story  Types: What type of article will be the best fit for the story? e.g., interviews, features, news stories, infographics, etc  Create modular content  Create a design mock-up  Instructions  Authors 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 4. Proofread and edit stories  Headlines  Lead  Body  Picture captions  Calls to action 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 5. Design  Now your magazine is ready to be designed. Submit all final materials to your graphic designer  Take print-outs of dummy  Check, look, compare, and make necessary changes. 5 Steps of Magazine Production

 6. Checking  Before the magazine goes to print, take one final detailed look at it. Make sure there are no mistakes.  Finally the magazine is ready to print. 5 Steps of Magazine Production