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"9 Steps to a Successful Launch"Folio(February 2001)
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Okay, you’ve done the research and found a niche in the magazine market,
came up with a catchy title for the magazine, created a mission statement, got
some funding, and feel psychologically ready to make your idea come to life.
So what’s next? Here are nine steps you need to take for a successful launch.
About three and a half years ago, I was doing some consulting for Hachette Filipacchi magazines, when I was called in to field a catastrophe. Hachette’s new magazine Body by Jake was halfway to the launch date, and needed a new editor-in-chief. Quite simply, the problem was that the former editor had been used to working with a staff of about eighty, and the staff of Jake had, oh, about one additional editor in place. Obviously, there was no small mismatch in expectations. I, on the other hand, had worked as editor for two other small-staffed publications, and was quite used to a hands-on environment. So I stepped into the job, and, by tapping into my network of fast-working freelance writers, I managed to put together a publication I was proud of, and get it to the stands by launch date. That leads me to the number one step you must take as a publisher to ensure a successful launch of a content-oriented publication.
Although getting a “big name” editor will get you talked about, it is absolutely no guarantee of success--but definitely a guarantee that you’ll be spending a lot more money on staffing. Some of the most successful consumer launch’s such as Mode and Men’s Health, had editors who didn’t have big names, but did have proven track records. Look for an entrepreneurial-type editor who has contacts with writers and is experienced working with small staffs and budgets. Then make sure the editor has a vision of the publication that meshes with your own. It would also help if your editor has had experience writing coverlines, deks and titles, and can also put together a pagination. In big publishing companies, many editor-in-chiefs are simply what I call “veto persons”, which means that others bring them the ideas and they either give them the green light, or sink it. Your editor-in-chief needs a different group of skill sets. He or she needs to be an idea person, a troubleshooter and extremely resourceful (helpful for those times when a photo shoot falls apart, a writer turns in a story that has to be killed, and your one staff person quits a few weeks before shipping).
It must be clear with the rest of the edit team, including the art director, that the editor has the final say. As publisher, you need to support the editor you hire, but unless it is a matter of policy, or a case where the editor is going way off track, your best bet is to steer clear of most editorial decisions. Trust the person you hired to do the job you hired him or her to do.
As editor-in-chief of W.I.T (Women in Touch), an intelligent publication
for upscale women, I had to work with an already hired graphic design team,
who had never designed a magazine with an editorial focus. I knew I had a problem
when, during one of the first meetings, they came up with the idea of a graphic
image of an egg, that they insisted belonged on every page. They
passionately argued that “the egg symbolized birth, and since a new, groundbreaking
women’s magazine was being born, we should use the egg.” Their designs
showed a lack of understanding of our market (think generation X-style, for
a magazine for upscale women, twenty-five to forty-five), but for lots of reasons
my hands were tied. Luckily, just before we shipped, the
company that funded us, stepped in and fired the team. Although another shop
tried valiantly, they literally had two days to totally change the layouts.
As a result the first issue of W.I.T. looked more like Wired than
a magazine for upscale women. By the second issue, my publisher supported my
decision to hire an art director who had editorial art experience, which enabled
us
to bring the look of the magazine back into focus so it resonated with the editorial
content.
When staffing up, you will need at the very least: an ad sales person, a circulation director, a part-time managing editor, an editorial assistant (who can also double as a fact checker) and an art director. You can get a production person, and a proofreader when layouts are complete, closer to shipping.
You need someone to work out a deal with a printer, distributor, color separator, etc. Often an art director or production person will have printing and color separator contacts, and a sales person will have contacts with distributors. To check out cost-effective opportunities, take a look at the mastheads of smaller magazines, which will often list their printer, distributor, p.r. staff, color separator, etc., as a good will gesture.
Because budgets for new launches are often small, not everyone you hire will be able to work in the office. (I was mainly home-based for both W.I.T. and Body by Jake.) But make sure that the editor you hire holds weekly planning meetings with the rest of the staff, and plan to attend those meetings, at least in the very beginning to make sure the plans are on track. You should also all be working from a production schedule (see"Follow a Production Schedule," below), so everyone is aware of the timeline. Another good idea is to add a reader survey into the first issue. You’ll reap the rewards in valuable feedback. If you can afford it, it’s also quite helpful to do a website that will support the magazine--you can place the reader survey on the website as well.
This will help you immeasurably, give your publication instant credibility, and your editor can even use the board to vet certain stories in their areas of expertise. For example, I had an obsetrician-gynecologist on the editorial advisory board for W.I.T., because we did a few controversial medical stories, on healthcare reform and women’s health. One of the stories a new freelancer handed in had some gross inaccuracies, which the doctor, who I’d asked to vet the story, pointed out. I was able to quickly get another writer to turn around the story, and it was a happy ending to a potentially problematic situation.
Try to think out of the box to get your publication some buzz. The publisher of W.I.T. arranged for media training for himself, myself and the marketing director--a good decision, which paid off when we each appeared on television promoting various aspects of the magazine. Another tactic we used to create buzz was to enlist celebrities for the cover whose careers were on the upswing, but who hadn’t been widely publicized, as in the case of CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, and actress, Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond). If you can tie in with a charity, or local event, that’s terrific buzz. An, a controversial story, with accurate reporting, doesn’t hurt either. If you have the budget, I recommend hiring a p.r. company with magazine launch experience. One caveat: Make sure that the person who sells you on the company is the person you’ll be dealing with. Ask to get copies of their press lists, because you may be on your own, after the first issue.
Creating a new magazine is much like a work in progress. It’s a far more
creative venture, than keeping up the history of an already established publication.
From issue to issue, depending on reader feedback, you will find yourself shifting
the editorial focus slightly as you continue to fine tune the magazine’s
art and editorial presentation. Launching a magazine and following its
development is slightly like raising a slightly rambunctious child, but if you
have decided to do a launch--you probably wouldn’t want to have it any
other way.
This should be one of the first schedules your editor-in-chief and managing
editor can create (armed with production information from the distributor, who
you should already have in place). The best way to create a good schedule is
to work back from the ship date, allowing enough time for proofreading, printing
and color separations. Always add in an extra cushion of time, because despite
your best estimates, something will always come up. Here is an example of a
timeline:
Editorial lineup due: 8/20
Manuscripts assigned 8/20-8/27
Photo shoot/design/edit 9/10-10/10
Ad Close 10/14
Pagination final 10/15
50% of book to separator 10/16
100% of book to separator 10/18
Edit files ship 10/23-10/27
Bluelines 11/1
Start printing 11/3
Start binding 11/6
Ship 11/10
On sale 11/12