Tips for a Successful Magazine Launch

Insights from:• Cheryl Woodard, publishing consultant/co-founder of PC Magazine, PC World, Macworld and the Macworld Expo• Tom Broberg, president, MagazinePublisher.com• Imad Atalla, publisher of the recently launched Publio magazineIn an era when the appetite for information is insatiable as ever, the entrepreneurial spirit continues to inspire publishers to launch new magazines on a regular basis. 207 new magazines have been launched (through Oct. 12) in 2005, according to Magazine Publishers of America. The road to a successful launch is not without peril. Most reports estimate that 50 percent to 60 percent of new magazines fail. A lesser-known statistic is that of the publications that fail, half are launched by experienced publishers (the other half by newcomers to publishing), according to www.MagazineLaunch.com. To help publishing executives improve their chances of success with their future launches, InBox sought the insights of two magazine publishing consultants and a publisher fresh off the launch of his new magazine.CHERYL WOODARD, co-founder of PC Magazine, PC World, Macworld and the Macworld Expo, is a publishing consultant (www.publishingbiz.com) and weighs in with some thoughts on magazine startups.InBox: What sort of advice would you give a publisher considering launching a new magazine?Woodard: Cash is the thing that kills most smaller publications: printing and postage are two big expenses that are typically paid in advance of publishing an issue. Newsstand sales and advertising are the major sources of cash income, but advertisers typically pay 30 to 90 days after the issue is distributed, and distributors pay even later (sometimes as long as 120 days after the issue goes off sale). Make sure you have enough cash to manage your printing and postage bills for the first couple of years, and don't count on advertising or newsstand cash to cover those expenses. By the way, if you stick with one printer during this period, you might build up a relationship that will lead to more lenient credit terms, which could greatly improve your cash problems. Printers have the capacity to help startup magazines, but publishers often don't know to cultivate a relationship of trust with their printer, and therefore miss out on that support.[Also], advertisers are always slower to buy into a new magazine than you expect they will be: even publishers who plan for a slow buildup of advertising revenue find themselves facing disappointment. It can take years of constant effort to get some advertisers into a new magazine, even when the fit is completely obvious. Make sure you have enough funding from other sources to survive three years or more of disappointing ad sales, and make sure your ad sales effort is professional and persistent during that period.TOM BROBERG is president of MagazinePublisher.com and has been servicing the magazine industry for the past two decades.InBox: When a publisher is plotting out a timeline for a launch, is there a recommended amount of lead time that should be alloted?Broberg: It generally takes six months to a year. Whatever lead time you figure, double it. [On the flip side, some] people tend to give it too much time, though. Instead of putting out a smaller magazine to get it … into people's hands [and to kick off its promotion], people try to put out a 'Cadillac' on their first issue. The most important issue [of that first subscription year] that you're going to put out is their renewal issue.InBox: What would be some appropriate outlets at which to seek valuable feedback on your magazine in its earliest stages?Broberg: I think your best feedback is from a random sampling of readers, as well as your advertisers. If [an advertiser's] phone is ringing and they're seeing their products fly off the shelf, you know you are reaching your audience.InBox: What are some common launch mistakes that can be avoided?Broberg: The first would be that people tend to invest too much in their premiere issue. They're not using common sense: It's vanity vs. profitability. Another is that most people that start a magazine try to do it all themselves and don't delegate things to professional services … when they need to be focusing on the overall operation of their magazine—not the stuff that they can outsource. IMAD ATALLA published the premiere issue of Publio magazine (www.Publio.com) in September. He serves as the magazine's publisher and executive editor.InBox: Did you make any mistakes in launching your first magazine that you think you could have avoided?Atalla: I don't think I gave it enough lead time and planning. Initially, I started with a totally unrealistic assumption that in about five months I could put out the first issue. It took me about nine months and, in hindsight, my advice is to plan at least a year ahead before doing a launch.InBox: What are some keys to promoting a newly launched magazine?Atalla: You have to be out there on the newsstand. For me, being on the newsstand at Barnes & Noble, and Borders helps promote the magazine. That's how I've gotten [some of my] subscribers. I would also allocate money for marketing and work with a marketing agency.InBox: Where would you recommend getting advice on your magazine during its early stages?Atalla: Distributors are gatekeepers. My advice is to [show your magazine to them] one at a time, because every time you have an interaction with a distributor, you learn something [about your magazine]. There's always something you hear that [turns a light on in] your mind. I also joined an association of publishers. They can be very enlightening. They give you a reality-check and the right perspective on things.MORE TIPS IN PRINTFor more tips on everything from successfully launching a new magazine ... to creating a successful Webcast program ... to negotiating print contracts ... to building information communities (and dominating the market), check out the November/December issue of PrintMedia, due out in early December. It's the annual "tips" issue—don't miss it!

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Tips for a Successful Magazine Launch

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