ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

The Great Magazine Lecture

An adventure into the real world….

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Overview

Business Models Editorial Models Implications for the Professional Writer

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Business Models

Open “circ” (short for “circulation”)Sold to anyone with the cover price

Closed circSelected audienceOften free

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Costs

Money is the lifeblood of magazines. Costs include: Production and sales staff Materials of production (paper, ink) Distribution costs (postage, trucks, cost of

shelf-space)

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Income

Sales Advertising Donations

Usually in the form of a “real” contribution, such as office space granted by a college to a literary journal

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Critical Pause

Why aren’t the thickest magazines—the ones that cost the most to produce—the most expensive to buy?

How do closed circ magazines that give away copies stay in business?

If these questions puzzle you, go back to the slide about Income.

ADVERTISING!

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Ad Rates

Advertising rates increase with circulation. Magazine circulation is audited just as

independent accountants audit finances. Closed circ magazines can guarantee a niche

market to advertisers, and so can charge advertisers more $$$ per reader.

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Ad – Edit Ratio

Gauge a magazine’s financial health by comparing the number of advertising pages to the number of editorial pages.

A “healthy” ad-edit ratio is about 6:4 Some magazines have ad-edit ratios of 9:1

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Who cares? I just wanna write!

Expect little or no pay from magazines in financial straits.

Expect few readers if you publish in low circulation magazines.

and… Knowledge of business models = knowledge

of audience = more effective writing.

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Editorial Models

Consumer magazines

Broad demographics Newsweek Parade People

Niche magazines

Narrow demographics Quilting Yachts PC Gamer

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Magazine Feature Qualities

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?

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Kinds of Articles

How-to Personality profile – interview or narrative Op-Ed and reviews First person witness, such as travelogue

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Purpose of Articles

Entertain Persuade (foment attitude) Inform Provoke (foment action)

A feature article can have multiple purposes.

NOTICE: Purposes affect the reader.

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Implications

Know the magazine’s audience. Know your sources. The writer is never the subject. 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

ENG 301 – Perry Glasser

Good Magazine Writing

Effective – achieves purposes Collaborative Timely

No one wants to read yesterday’s news