Plan to Succeed in the Magazine Production Process
A clearly defined editorial plan can help ease the magazine production process and help you reach your communications goals.
These best practices can organize your editorial leadership and help you develop best-in-class communication pieces that your members can trust as the voice of your industry.
- Create an editorial committee that regularly meets and plans relevant editorial topics for your magazine.
- Create an annual editorial plan. This will help you plan article topics and allow you to gain early advertiser support.
- Develop relationships with members and other industry professionals who might be interested in writing for your publication. These two groups are often excellent sources for low-cost or free content.
- Develop a bank of articles that are appropriate throughout the year to help take the pressure off when an article is needed on short notice.
- Solicit feedback about your magazine from readers and advertisers using an annual (or more frequent) survey.
- Check your digital edition’s metrics to discover which pages readers view the most and to verify your survey results.
1. Create an Editorial Committee
A committee that meets on a regular basis to discuss the magazine and plan editorial topics can be extremely helpful in keeping your communications piece focused and relevant to your members.
In addition to providing feedback on the topics you’re planning to cover, the committee members can also be helpful when it comes time to find sources or writers for the articles you’re planning. For example, the Texas Society of Association Executives has a committee that meets once annually for major planning and then about a month out from each issue of their magazine’s content due date.
These meetings are composed of a small group and are run by TSAE’s communications director and the chair of the committee. Minutes are provided after each meeting and serve to keep those with action items on task and on schedule to meet the magazine’s production deadlines.
“I’ve found these meetings to be a great place not only to plan the current issue, but to also develop ideas for future features,” said TSAE’s Association Leadership Editor Elsbeth Russell. “It’s really helpful to hear about things that the committee members are doing in their associations and organizations, and what they’re hearing from their fellow industry leaders.”
2. Create an Annual Editorial Plan
An editorial plan helps take the guesswork out of each issue of the magazine and also helps gain and earn advertiser support.
It’s helpful for everyone involved to map out an annual editorial plan every year that at least determines themes and cover stories for each issue. While you can leave some space open for breaking news that can’t be determined in advance, the plan helps to create goals and a mission for the magazine.
“From an editor’s point of view, an annual editorial plan can assist in securing writers and interview sources for future articles. During my tenure as editor of ADCI’s UnderWater magazine, I have experienced numerous occasions when industry thought leaders reached out to me to offer press-ready articles directly correlating to items in the annual editorial planner,” explained Sean Garrity, editor of the Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI). “The most difficult part of an editor’s job, in my view, is the solicitation of content. A good editorial planner works to alleviate some of this difficulty and, in some cases, does the work for you.”
When you’re working on a plan start by outlining what you are trying to accomplish with the magazine—this could be anything from keeping members up-to-date on regulatory details to educating members on industry news and trends to building a brand for your association. The goals and mission statement do not need to be shared with the readers or members, but can serve as additional guidelines to keep the editorial committee focused.
Beyond helping with organization and goal-setting, Garrity says that from his experience with UnderWater magazine, an editorial plan can “make a difference in the financial and editorial success of a publication.”
“From an advertiser’s perspective, an annual editorial plan allows companies to allocate advertising dollars around specific topics throughout the year. Budgeting this way gives the advertiser the best value for the investment,” Garrity added. “The readership also benefits from knowing when to lookout for certain topics that are of interest in their fields, and advertisers don’t hesitate to take advantage of this.”
When you’re working on a plan start by outlining what you are trying to accomplish with the magazine — this could be anything from keeping members up-to-date on regulatory details to educating members on industry news and trends to building a brand for your association. The goals and mission statement do not need to be shared with the readers or members, but can serve as additional guidelines to keep the editorial committee focused.
3. Develop Relationships
Often members and industry thought leaders are the best group to go to for free content; they are experts on various topics. Reach out to these individuals and ask if they are interested in providing content on those specific topics.
Many of your members may also be looking for continuing education credits and providing an article for your magazine can be a win-win for everyone involved. You receive a helpful article and a greater feeling of member engagement within your publication, and your member receives the credits they need.
4. Gather Editorial Content
Even with the most detailed advanced planning, sometimes stories or writers fall through at the very last minute. Developing a bank of articles that are appropriate throughout the year can help take the pressure off when an article is needed on short notice.
Many industry groups have email lists that you can sign up for that will send you general articles on myriad of topics. These articles are often applicable to leaders regardless of industry.
You can also include a call for editorial in your magazine, including your editor’s contact information and encouraging readers to provide content or feedback about the magazine. When general articles are submitted and you don’t have a spot for them, save them for a rainy day. One will come along sooner or later.
5. Solicit Feedback
Conducting an annual survey that gathers reader feedback can be very helpful in making sure that your magazine is a true member benefit. Ask about likes, dislikes, how the magazine could better serve your members, what they want to see more of or less of and what they like the most about the content and design.
This helps to ensure that those goals you set up as a committee are on track and in sync with what your members really want from your communications piece.
You may also want to consider including advertisers in your solicitation for feedback. In many cases, they are the ones who make the magazine possible and deserve a voice.
6. Use the Digital Edition
When you’re looking for feedback, don’t forget to review your digital edition’s metrics. Comparing the survey data to the digital edition metrics can help you determine if your members’ responses match up to the reality of magazine readers.
Are issues or articles with a certain topic receiving more clicks? How does traffic compare with survey results? What trends can be observed?
Your magazine should be the voice for your association and your industry as a whole. Make sure you’re clearly stating your goals and objectives in order for your publication to speak eloquently and persuasively to and on behalf of your members.
