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(Research) Writing Magazines
I would love it if I could get some general feedback about writing magazines.
What do you look for in a writing magazine?
What are your favourite sections and what would you skip?
Would you be interested in a downloadable electronic magazine?
How much would you be prepared to pay?
Thanks so much for any help you can give.
What do you look for in a writing magazine?
What are your favourite sections and what would you skip?
Would you be interested in a downloadable electronic magazine?
How much would you be prepared to pay?
Thanks so much for any help you can give.
Comments
I've bought WF on the odd occasion and found it quite different to WM. Refreshing, for a change.
I'm most interested in interviews with authors/agents/publishers. I also like themed competitions as opposed to open ones, which gives WM the edge, as far as I'm concerned.
Not interested in downloading - there's loads of stuff already on the net and I tend to dip into websites and fly off as soon as I've found what I was looking for.
Wouldn't want to pay more than I pay for WM.
I personally would be less likely to want to pay for an online magazine. I'm not quite sure why, but when I pay money for something, I want it to be something physical. There are too many free e-magazines, so if I wanted to read one online, I'd probably end up reading those.
I don't think I'd pay more than I do for WM. If I did, it wouldn't be something I bought every issue of unless it was REALLY good.
Hope that helps :)
A new idea, on a "not previously written about" subject and I am still looking.
I don't have a kindle so I don't think anything about it.
The current magazines are priced at my top end. Because they cover every genre and area of writing they are more useful to the beginner than the jaded writer battling on a few years in. I haven't got a kindle by the way. For specifics, i.e. how to write crime fiction, I would borrow a library book rather than wait for a magazine to cover it.
I prefer one in depth interview rather than a few interviews in a magazine.
As writing and publishing are changing I'd like a magazine to reflect that without losing the core identity.
The trouble with you publishing it on your own is that it would be in danger of only having your opinion. There would be no board, no editors apart from you etc.
I have sometimes thought that Writing Magazine has fallen into that mould- the writers there see to have a job for life and also seem to be ancient. Nothing wrong with that, I'm ancient myself and wouldn't like to be ousted on the age front- but after say, 2 years or so, surely virtually everything you have to say has to have been said?
I'd have thought a better swoosh through some new contributors would be in order to keep things fresh, because I've lost count of the number of people on this forum who have stopped buying it because it is so samey.
How would you pay contributors if you are selling it for 1.99 copy? Because I for one don't agree with the editor and not the contributors being paid. in fact I don't agree with anyone not being paid for writing, if they are trying to be a professional writer.
Ah, but that's the key - there are new writers all the time, so some topics demand a repeat.
Ideally a magazine should cater for all with defined topics for all levels.
An experienced writer won't be interested in formatting a manuscript, but a newbie will be.
A newbie won't be interested (yet!) in marketing their book, but might read about it and be grateful it's a repeated topic when they've signed the deal a year or two later (that's how long it takes, isn't it?!).
Yep, that is true. But it would be interesting to new readers AND old readers perhaps if it was given by a new voice, with a different, but just as informational, slant? I don't avoid reading stuff I know about. Stuff changes, fashions come and go... opinion changes as to what is good and what is not...
That's not the way I choose to read, much prefer to feel the pages.
Another good aspect of the digital formats is they can be updated. One thing that is keeping papers alive right now is their willingness to open up the comments. So instead of having simple letters pages you cold have interactive comments sections about features and news. You can't get that with paper magazines so it would be a USP for this format.
I'm not really into electronic magazines - I prefer a hard-copy.
The current plan is to do a quarterly e-magazine that would be available online, via Kindle, and via iTunes. The price would be perhaps £1.99 which is inline with other e-magazines, or possibly a bit more as it is quarterly so would most likely have higher content. I need to do more research on the pricing.
I will be seeking contributors for all aspects of the magazine. Payment would probably have to be on a commission basis (which would essentially by nil in the early stages and yes I hate this too) until I can get advertising revenue. At the minute all this sounds very ambitious but I think with the right market-research, content and marketing it could work.
Content is going to be based on what the majority of the ideal readership want. I would like it to be part writing magazine, part original short fiction and poetry .
Please let me know your thoughts as you are the target audience.
Thanks so much
There are already good free ezines on writing etc, so you are going to need a special hook to get people to pay for it. And if you are unable to pay contributors, how are you going to get known, respected people to contribute?
I'm sorry if that sounds negative, but I suspect that this is going to take a lot of your time and I think you need to be very clear in advance what you are going to offer that is different from, or better than, what is already available free in order to attract paying customers.
Or perhaps if the contributers could contribute 'live' and as they write each bit readers could get the chance to ask and the next bit could be in answer to the most asked questions?
What does this mean, Emma?
I think you're saying you want part of it to be articles on writing - written by who, freelancers or people on your team?
And I think you're saying part of it to be filled with stories and poetry, sent in from anyone and everyone, is that right?
Surely not ANYONE. Or it will be dreadful.
Obviously, would have to leave it up to editor's discretion, after all, they have to do summat other than just turn up for work, don't they?
Contributions would be welcome from ANYONE but it would be an editorial decision as to what was suitable.
The idea is that the magazine would stem from a website where there would be forums, free articles and some showcasing of work.
i just liked tips and advice. I prefer that magazine to 'writing magazine' which just seems packed full of articles I don't read. Long how-to I guess, while 'writers' forum' articles are like reading a letter from a friend.
I skip through sections that don't interest me the young writers bit and the poetry bit. They have writing exercies in there which are good.
It's a shame they changed the prompts for the ideas though. I also like the author interviews.
I used to subscribe too writers digest from american as a child and liked the pages of writing prompts and constant advice but nothing beats writers' forum.
I prefer to read a carbon copy of a magazine I'm not a fan or reading things online. I don't even use my laptop to write, I can't type well at all I make a lot of mistakes and don't use punctuation. My brain thinks quicker than I can type. So I woudln't be interested in a downloadable magazine.