Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
The Great Magazine Lecture An adventure into the real world…. © Perry Glasser Overview Business Models Editorial Models Implications for the Professional Writer © Perry Glasser Business Models Open “circ” (short for “circulation”) Sold to anyone with the cover price Closed circ Selected audience Often free © 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) © Perry Glasser Income Sales Advertising Donations Usually in the form of “real” contribution, such as office space granted by a college to a literary journal © 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! © 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. © 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 4:6, or 40% Some magazines have ad-edit ratios of 9:1, or 90% © 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. © Perry Glasser Editorial Models Consumer magazines Broad demographics Newsweek Parade People © Perry Glasser Niche magazines Narrow demographics Quilting Yachts PC Gamer 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? © Perry Glasser Kinds of Articles How-to Personality profile – interview or narrative Op-Ed and reviews First person witness, such as travelogue © 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. © 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 © Perry Glasser Good Magazine Writing Effective – achieves purposes Collaborative Timely © Perry Glasser