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Started By
Message
Question about starting a magazine
Posted on 10/3/12 at 7:39 am
Posted on 10/3/12 at 7:39 am
Friend on the Northshore is wanting to start up a local magazine. He's inquiring about a local print press.
I told him he needs to find a market analyst to sit down with and come up with a game plan.
Any suggestions I can pass along to him?
Thanks.
I told him he needs to find a market analyst to sit down with and come up with a game plan.
Any suggestions I can pass along to him?
Thanks.
6
Posted on 10/3/12 at 8:03 am to meauxjeaux2
He needs to be able to sell a lot of advertising.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 8:44 am to meauxjeaux2
quote:
Friend on the Northshore is wanting to start up a local magazine.
Does he know that it's 2012 and that there's this thing called the internet?
Posted on 10/3/12 at 9:00 am to meauxjeaux2
One magazine in BTR goes to print in TN, I believe.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 9:08 am to meauxjeaux2
A hard copy magazine isn't going to sell locally in that size of a market. It'll be hard to find a large enough audience that is interested in the specific topic of your friends magazine.
He'd be better off creating an online blog w/ an iPhone app for readers and such.
He'd be better off creating an online blog w/ an iPhone app for readers and such.
This post was edited on 10/3/12 at 9:11 am
Posted on 10/3/12 at 9:41 am to meauxjeaux2
He either needs to include very useful and unique content, or he needs to build his business model around giving it away free at grocery stores. He'd probably be better off starting up a web site around this niche than a magazine.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 10:07 am to TigerinATL
we discussed the website idea and he's stuck on magazines right now. Thanks for the input.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 10:15 am to meauxjeaux2
Other than restaurants I cannot think of a more difficult business to start in this day and age. Print communication just doesn't seem to be a viable business.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 10:24 am to VABuckeye
Print media can still be successful but it damn sure better be free.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 10:26 am to bamaphan13
this is going to be an Outdoors related magazine.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 12:04 pm to meauxjeaux2
How much revenue is he expecting to generate with this project?
Posted on 10/3/12 at 1:14 pm to meauxjeaux2
quote:
this is going to be an Outdoors related magazine
This idea has money pit written all over it. Among other things,
1. There is no market for a start-up print magazine in 2012.
2. A local magazine does not have a large enough audience to attract sufficient advertisers to make it a profitable venture.
3. An "outdoor" magazine in a local market is way too limited. Cabella's is not going to pay enough to cover the print costs for a local outdoor magazine with a subscribers list of five and a potential readership of 10.
OP, if he's looking for investors, you should turn and run away quick. Also, if this is the kind of hair-brained ideas this dude comes up with on a regular basis, you might want to question his judgment globally.
Lastly, if the "friend" is you, please reconsider unless you have a bankruptcy attorney as a brother.
This post was edited on 10/3/12 at 1:15 pm
Posted on 10/3/12 at 1:36 pm to meauxjeaux2
I'm trying to think of a worse business idea than this, and it's hard. Maybe a DVD rental store?
Posted on 10/3/12 at 2:10 pm to wrlakers
It's an idea he was just talking with me about. He wants to do it because he's made a pretty big name for himself in the outdoor community here in Louisiana and was hoping to ride the coatails of his professional success with other money making ventures.
And no,he did not nor ever would ask me for investment money.
And no,he did not nor ever would ask me for investment money.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 3:10 pm to meauxjeaux2
So I work with media, and here's my take:
1. The posters who said he will have a tough time going the print route are right. If he has made a name for himself like you say, I would definitely advise him to start a blog first. Consider it a stepping stone - once he has a following he can sell ads on his blog, and eventually do a print version and try to convert his following later if he still wants to/thinks it is viable.
2. Print media are going under and downsizing every day because they can't make the same revenues they used to. I have a friend who works in ad sales for a major daily, and the only thing she even pitches anymore are online ads. From an advertiser perspective, it is so much better to pay per click or pay per thousand so you actually know how many people saw it. Print publications have nothing on internet ads when it comes to cost, because online you pay for what you get.
3. Cutting printing costs is the easiest way to cut costs aside from laying people off. Since he's a a one man show it means he goes down with the ship. He can't exactly cut personnel.
4. There are new print publications coming out nowadays, but the vast majority are affiliated with existing media conglomerates. I know of a new weekly coming out that is targeted at rural Mississippi and will serve as a supplement to an existing daily paper. It's being funded by a major conglomerate to start and get it off the ground. Since they are able to do that, they can sell ads without contracts to get some advertisers in there. If he's really dead set on this, he should consider talking to those types of companies first, maybe selling himself as an outdoors columnist/reporter with an idea for an outdoor supplement later.
Hope that helps.
1. The posters who said he will have a tough time going the print route are right. If he has made a name for himself like you say, I would definitely advise him to start a blog first. Consider it a stepping stone - once he has a following he can sell ads on his blog, and eventually do a print version and try to convert his following later if he still wants to/thinks it is viable.
2. Print media are going under and downsizing every day because they can't make the same revenues they used to. I have a friend who works in ad sales for a major daily, and the only thing she even pitches anymore are online ads. From an advertiser perspective, it is so much better to pay per click or pay per thousand so you actually know how many people saw it. Print publications have nothing on internet ads when it comes to cost, because online you pay for what you get.
3. Cutting printing costs is the easiest way to cut costs aside from laying people off. Since he's a a one man show it means he goes down with the ship. He can't exactly cut personnel.
4. There are new print publications coming out nowadays, but the vast majority are affiliated with existing media conglomerates. I know of a new weekly coming out that is targeted at rural Mississippi and will serve as a supplement to an existing daily paper. It's being funded by a major conglomerate to start and get it off the ground. Since they are able to do that, they can sell ads without contracts to get some advertisers in there. If he's really dead set on this, he should consider talking to those types of companies first, maybe selling himself as an outdoors columnist/reporter with an idea for an outdoor supplement later.
Hope that helps.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 3:30 pm to meauxjeaux2
quote:He'll almost certainly have to have the magazine on the web in some form regardless.
we discussed the website idea and he's stuck on magazines right now. Thanks for the input.
Posted on 10/3/12 at 3:38 pm to Queen
yes it does. I will pass this info along to him. Thanks for all your help. 
Posted on 10/4/12 at 12:28 pm to meauxjeaux2
quote:
and he's stuck on magazines right now
does your friend own a toilet? tell him the first step is to take his seed money and flush it all because it will save him time, heartache , embarrassment and more than likely lots of debt to go ahead and do it now.
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