Scotland's Source - How to...Start a Magazine

How to...

Start a Magazine

I learned how to start a magazine in a roundabout way – by first learning how not to start a magazine. You see, I did everything wrong. My background was in do it yourself publishing. I would make my own homemade magazines, give them out to friends, put them in the front of stores, and do anything to get my writing out there. I didn't worry about making money. I just wanted to have fun.

When I approach the problem of how to start a magazine, I had no business experience. I knew what I wanted my magazine to be about, but I didn't think much about how I wanted it to look. Instead, I used the same tactics that I had been using all along. I typed everything out on a typewriter, cut and pasted with scissors and glue, and photocopied.

Needless to say, this did not work well. Learning how to start a magazine does not mean learning how to generate content. I already knew how to make good articles. What I didn't realize was that the corporate world has a much different standard of beauty than the do it yourself one does. Fortunately, I did not invest that much money in how to start a magazine, so I did not lose much. Nevertheless, I used a lot of time to learn some simple lessons about how to start a business.

If you are someone who loves to write and are facing the problems of how to start a magazine, sooner or later you'll have to realize something that can be a little bit crushing: starting your own magazine has more to do with how it looks than what is in it. I know that this can be hard for you to take, but think about it. Last time you were in a bookshop looking at magazines, think about the you stopped and looked at. Sure, they reflected your interests, but they were also well produced and well put together.

You probably did not look at a single magazine that did not look pretty to your eye. Knowing how to start magazines means knowing what looks good to people. If you market yourself, you have a good chance of succeeding. If not, however, your magazine endeavors are probably doomed to failure. If you want to self publish your own magazine, go ahead. This can be a fun way to get other people to read your writing. If you want to make profit at it, however, you have to take a more corporate approach.