How to start a
magazine
A beginner’s guide
(from Magazines Canada)
Got an idea for a magazine?
The magazine publishing industry eats, sleeps and breathes
ideas. A lot of the best magazines fill a niche that no one even
knew existed before the magazine was invented to serve it.
If you’ve got the concept, you have two options: you can sell
your idea or publish the magazine yourself. Nearly all small
magazines in Canada are published by the same people who
dream them up.
You will only be able to sell your idea to a publishing company if
you can guarantee that it will make vast amounts of money, that
it fits with the rest of the company’s titles, and that it will thrive
by garnering steady and appropriate advertising over the long
term. Basically, it’s got to nearly publish itself, and it’s got to be
unique and saleable.
Do it yourself
Publishing your own magazine means you get to
maintain control of the vision of your publication, and
you are its main spokesperson and financier.
You may balk at the prospect of devoting yourself to
the start-up of a new magazine—this is a good
indication of whether you’re committed to your idea.
Don’t be frightened. When you decide to publish, you
join the ranks of a collegial, ingenious and diverse
cultural industry.
Do I need a business plan?
A business plan identifies the boundaries of your
magazine and helps you find your way as you move
forward. It serves as a way of identifying your mission
and priorities, as well as your prospects as a business.
Also, it is a nice, concise document to be able to hand
to the bank manager who you’re asking for financing.
Researching the market
To find out if anyone else is publishing the same type
of magazine, head to a few well-stocked newsstands,
perform a search at the National Library and Archives,
search the names of registered businesses in Canada,
use Google, contact Magazines Canada and/or the
Canadian Business Press.
Registering your business
Magazine publishers are required to register their
business in the same way as everyone: by contacting
Industry Canada or the Business Service Centre run
by the government in the province where your
business is located (for instance in Ontario, contact
Ontario Business Connects), paying a small fee, and
waiting for your licence in the mail. This is incidentally
the same way you apply for things like vendor
permits, Employer Health Tax, et cetera.
Funding your magazine
You know better than anyone to whom your business will
appeal. Unfortunately there is no cache of Canadian
magazine enthusiasts whose pockets are bursting with
money, who are just waiting for you to call.
What you must do is think broadly and creatively in your
pursuit of potential investors, and develop a concerted
strategy for your fundraising.
Does your magazine speak to any particular industry?
Seeing your magazine in the broader marketplace is a
helpful place to start. Networking is your best tool in
approaching potential investors with an attractive
proposal.
Are there grants I can get?
There exist in Canada several granting agencies that fund
magazine publishing. The Department of Canadian
Heritage runs the Canada Magazine Fund, which currently
has four different types of grants available to publishers
(namely Support for Editorial Content, Support for Arts
and Literary Magazines, Support for Business
Development for Small Magazine Publishers and Support
for Industry Development.) The Canada Council funds
small arts and literary magazines, as do many of the
provincial arts councils. The Ontario Media Development
Corporation awards project funding to Ontario-based
publications.
What’s an ISSN and do I
need one?
Obtaining an ISSN (an International Standard Serial
Number) is simple, and free of charge. Visit the
National Library and Archives Canada website at
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/issn/index-e.html.
Once you receive an ISSN, the Library will also send
you information about how to go about getting a
barcode.
How much money do I need
to start a magazine?
The general rule is: more than you reckon. It is a good
idea to have money enough to last through three
years of starting up.
Some would-be publishers want to start right away
with a lavish glossy, or a differently sized book that
they think will garner instant praise and newsstand
sales because of its obvious looks and appeal. This is
not always the safest way to go—indeed it is a sure
route into debt unless you have millions in seed
money.
How do I reprint things from
other sources?
Knowledge of rights and permissions is important in
publishing. Contact Access Copyright
(www.accesscopyright.ca) to learn the fundamentals.
Don’t reprint anything without permission.
What is a good editorial-toadvertising ratio?
If you’re not a ‘magalogue’ (magazine/catalogue)
then you’ll want to keep your editorial and
advertising in careful balance. Most mainstream
consumer magazines contain about 50 to 60 percent
advertising. Arts and literary titles often differ quite a
bit, and some contain no advertising at all. How much
advertising your magazine carries depends on your
publishing strategy.
How do I print my magazine?
To print your magazine, you must contract a printer.
Finding a good printer and developing a business
relationship makes life working on a magazine so
much nicer. If you’re having trouble knowing where to
start looking, call a few publishers whose books you
admire and ask them what printer they use.
How do I get my magazine
into stores?
You can try and strike a deal directly with retailers,
which would entail you dropping off and picking up
your own magazine in the stores and making all of
the calculations of returns, draw and sell-through, or
you can get a distributor.