Introduction to Magazines. What is the magazine industry…?

Introduction to Magazines

What is the magazine industry…?

Yes it is…

Type: Consumer (B2C)Price: £2.99 Frequency: Monthly Circulation: 214,483 (ABC Jul-Dec 07) Readership: 1,006,000 (NRS Jul-Dec 07) Launch Date: 1920 Median Age: 43

Target Market: ABC1 adults aged 25-54

IPCMagazines

And it is also like this…

Type: Internal (CSR)Price: FreeFrequency: QuarterlyCirculation: BP Staff worldwideReadership: BP Staff worldwideLaunch Date: 2006 Median Age: n/aTarget Market: BP Staff worldwide

And it is also like this…

Grey Gosling

Pfizer PipelineType: Online magazine (B2B)Price: FreeFrequency: DailyCirculation: Pfizer customers in UKReadership: 7,000Launch Date: 2005 Median Age: n/aTarget Market: Pfizer customers in UK

Last example…

Type: Consumer Men’s Magazine (B2C)Price: £3.50Frequency: MonthlyCirculation: 315,149 (ABC figures)Readership: 2..4 million (more than Loaded, Nuts and Maxim combined / NRS)Launch Date: 1998Median Age: 26Target Market: BC1 16-34 year old men

Just some areas of the magazine market (there are more…)

Consumer magazines

Business magazines

Company magazines

Men’s Women’s Trade Interest CSRInternal comms.

Biggest selling US magazine?

Quick check on terms

Circulation: how many copies are sold; measured by ABC (Audit Bureau of Circulation)

Readership: how many people read the magazine; normally more than circulation, measured by NRS (national readership survey)

B2B: business-to-businessB2C: business-to-consumerCSR: corporate social responsibilityInternal Comms: internal communications, how

companies manage their messages to staff

Another key term: target market

A B C / C1 D E

Social classifications

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

Age

16-34s 35-54s

“Target Market” the market segment to which a particular product is marketed. It's often defined by age, gender, geography, and/or socio-economic grouping. It can consist of lists/reports that contains each ethnicity, ages, and gender, etc.., that effect the marketing of the product/services.” Source: Wikipedia

Target Markets…?

VS.

Target markets

A B C / C1 D E

Social classifications

16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55+

Age

16-34s 35-54s

Target Markets…?

VS.

The content…

How you would write for… women’s weeklies

• “We’re in a cyclical market, where the same stuff comes out again and again, so for us it’s all about reinvention – we’re totally dependent on finding new angles.”Elena Dalrymple, Editor, Mother and Baby

• “A good writer is actually very rare. They need to write to style, do very thorough research, get brilliant expert quotes, plus reader anecdotes that capture the essence of the feature, and deliver on time.”Claire Askew, Features Editor, Company

Women’s weeklies

• 82% of women read a magazine– Heat, Take a Break, Easy Living, Woman

• Total sales: 8 million magazines a month– New titles constantly launched

• First, news-led weekly for 30-somethings• Pick Me Up, real life stories

• Women: £563m on magazines in 2004• A freelancer gets: £300 per 1,000 words

• Up to £750 per feature for big name mags

Content found inside…

• Lifestyle features

• First person stories

• Real-life tales

• Women’s fiction

• Case studies

• Specialist (psychology, extreme sports)

• Interviews

Opportunities

“We want eyes and ears outside London. We can always do with people to knock on doors.” Julia Lawrence, Editor, Reveal

• Local and regional press as sources

• Personal contacts– You need a large contacts book– Not just celebs, but ‘real’ people with stories

Before you write… the strategy

• Build up your cuttings files– Write for free magazines, student mags, get work

experience, online magazines etc…• Do your research

– Read the magazine you target thoroughly– Address the commissioning editor by name– Get the right copy deadlines: make it timely

• Monthly magazines work 4-months in advance• Weeklies work 5-6 weeks in advance

“If you spot a story, don’t hang around. By tomorrow, every agency and freelancer in the country could be onto it.” Julia Lawrence, Editor, Reveal

Summary…

• Wide range of different magazines• Wide range of roles• Hard work to get your dream job (but you

can get it)• Target market is critical to success• Building a relationship• Brand values• The content…

Some resource areas

Circulation and Marketing Info for mags:

www.ppa.co.uk Periodical Publishing Assoc.

www.adassoc.org.uk Advertising Assoc.

www.abc.org.uk Audit Bureau of Circulation

www.intelligentcia.com British Rate & Data

Some resource areas

Contacts and Background

www.bsme.com British Soc. Of Mag Editors

www.magforum.com Sector Overview

www.mediauk.com Ind. Media directory

www.nrs.co.uk National Readership Survey

www.jbwb.co.uk Where to sell features…

Some resource areas

Publishers

www.natmags.co.uk National Magazines

www.emap.com EMAP

www.ipcmedia.com IPC

www.condenast.co.uk Conde Nast

www.dcthompson.co.uk DC Thompson

www.bauer.co.uk Bauer