Myth about small magazines...

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Permalink Reply by Rick Gladman on July 27, 2009 at 5:42am

How many copies do you publish per issue and how frequently?

What is your magazine about? Is it a local zine or national distribution?

A buzz can be created thru internet forums sometimes or by selling copies at related events.

Eg; if it is a film magazine, get a stand at a film convention and watch those issues fly off your table!

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on July 27, 2009 at 10:17am

Thanks Rick,
I think that you are right about going to festivals, trade fairs, concerts and stuff like that! I have a nostalgia magazine about classic cars. And I have visited that sort of venues and my mag sells fine. But the step from a sale of a single copy to a subscription seems like a giant leap.

I'm trying to create a buzz through the Internet forums, but many forums in my country don't allow you to show the adress to your website and they don't accept any kind of spam. So I'm not sure what you mean.

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Permalink Reply by James Blake on July 27, 2009 at 12:07pm

Have you thought about going into other countries with your magazine? you would need to look into the cost but i may just be worth it. what is your web address? If you are not already in digital then you may want to think about that as well and it would also make it easy to start advertising and going to a global distribution via the web.

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on July 27, 2009 at 12:43pm

Thanks, James
I think that my home market is pretty good since there are no other similar magazines here.

Before I launched my magazine I studied how other small publishers had launched their magazines and I would say that 95% of them never did any advertising. You just can't afford it at the start and neither can I. But I have a monthly newsletter with 8000 "subscribers" and I push out around 1000 pressreleases every fortnight. I'm spreading the word on forums. I'm contacting key people at the car clubs. I am at different car venues, I'm sending free copies to journalists etc... But buzz, hell no... And yet a lot of people contact me and say the magazine is beatiful but it stops there...

Things like Facebook, Twitter is the next thing for me to try...

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Permalink Reply by Rick Gladman on July 27, 2009 at 1:26pm

Fredrik, keep on trying man! Sounds like you're on the right track!
Set up a Facebook Group under your magazine name for starters giving people links to your website and places where they can buy it.

Also, join other like-minded Facebook groups and start networking!

I also just had a thought..maybe you're already giving people too much "free information" with your monthly newsletter, so that they then can't be bothered to actually pay for your magazine. Perhaps the newsletter can be downgraded to be more of a promotional flyer/advertisement for the magazine itself?

Fredrik Svensson said:

Thanks, James
I think that my home market is pretty good since there are no other similar magazines here.

Before I launched my magazine I studied how other small publishers had launched their magazines and I would say that 95% of them never did any advertising. You just can't afford it at the start and neither can I. But I have a monthly newsletter with 8000 "subscribers" and I push out around 1000 pressreleases every fortnight. I'm spreading the word on forums. I'm contacting key people at the car clubs. I am at different car venues, I'm sending free copies to journalists etc... But buzz, hell no... And yet a lot of people contact me and say the magazine is beatiful but it stops there...

Things like Facebook, Twitter is the next thing for me to try...

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on July 27, 2009 at 1:51pm

Thanks, Rick
I really appreciate your help. Been working with magazines for a lot of years and I can tell that you know what you're talking about. The funny thing is that everything is so different when your publishing your own magazine compared to when you work at a big publishing house. You really don't get anything for free as an indie...

I'm taking your advice on using social media and I will try to set something up already this week.

I think you're right, I'm on the right track. You just have to push and push and then finally the break comes...

Thanks for the support!

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on July 28, 2009 at 7:12am

I guess that my point with this thread was that even running a small magazine seems to be a "numbers game" just like a big magazine.

When I started my magazine I thought the most important thing was to find the right people and making them your ambassaduers and partners. But that hasn't worked at all for me. I have found loads of people that should be jumping the gun to buy my magazine. But no! I have to be on their back to get them to buy a single copy.

I'm working on this as a numbers game right now. Just like a big magazine. Pushing out huge amounts of newsletters, pressreleases and magazines right now.

Would be interesting to hear if anyone managed to do it the other way,

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Permalink Reply by Arlissa Vaughn on August 6, 2009 at 12:27pm

I started a small magazine (run from my home) about 6 months ago. I've only sent out 3 press releases. Could you give me more details on why types of places you're sending the press releases to, and also what is the content of the press releases? Thanks!

Fredrik Svensson said:

I guess that my point with this thread was that even running a small magazine seems to be a "numbers game" just like a big magazine.

When I started my magazine I thought the most important thing was to find the right people and making them your ambassaduers and partners. But that hasn't worked at all for me. I have found loads of people that should be jumping the gun to buy my magazine. But no! I have to be on their back to get them to buy a single copy.

I'm working on this as a numbers game right now. Just like a big magazine. Pushing out huge amounts of newsletters, pressreleases and magazines right now.

Would be interesting to hear if anyone managed to do it the other way,

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on August 6, 2009 at 12:43pm

Hi, VOM! Of course, we have to help each other :)

I'm using a basic newsletter tool. Cheap, but good stuff! I have a couple of different strategies

1. I'm pinpointing key people. These are people that I think should write and/or know about my magazine. I'm sending them a nice personal mail and I'm asking them if I can send my magazine to them. I'm trying to get them to like me and the magazine. After that I'm making an follow up. "Have you read it? Did you like it? If you don't answer I know you hated it *smile* otherwise I'd be happy to send you the magazine from now on." I never ask them to write about the magazine. That would be insulting.

2. I have a massive directory. I'm sending out massive amounts of pressreleases. Then I'm checking who has opened the pressrelease and I'm trying to do the same thing as above...

I hope this is helpful in some way. Good Luck :)

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Permalink Reply by Arlissa Vaughn on August 6, 2009 at 2:49pm

Ok, thanks for the info Fredrik. I always thought of press releases as something you sent to newspapers, radio, or TV for publicity. But it sounds like you're more or less sending an introduction of your magazine to people in your magazine's specialty? And is this nationwide?

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Permalink Reply by Fredrik Svensson on August 6, 2009 at 3:02pm

Hi, I'm actually sending a standard pressrelease. But I'm basically using the pressrelease as a tool to create knowledge among the journalists. I don't think the pressrelases will create a lot of publicity. I think it's the personal relations that create the publicity. But I'm using the pressreleases as a tool to get there. And I'm starting to get a lot of press.

Yes, it's nationwide...





Arlissa Vaughn said:

Ok, thanks for the info Fredrik. I always thought of press releases as something you sent to newspapers, radio, or TV for publicity. But it sounds like you're more or less sending an introduction of your magazine to people in your magazine's specialty? And is this nationwide?

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