Industries: the appeal of print - blog tasks

1) Writer's Edit journal article

Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industry and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?

Independent magazines are defying the predictions of many that print magazines are a fading relic of the pre-digital world.

2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?

A small but growing body of evidence suggests that small printed magazines are quietly thriving even as the global newspaper and book industries falter”

3) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?

This market has been referred to as the “global niche” (Hamilton 2013: 44) and highlights the differences between independent and established mainstream magazines. Magazines produced by large companies like Bauer Media and News Limited in Australia are struggling to keep readers from moving online.

4) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?

In contrast, those behind independent magazines use digital developments to their advantage, and have a strong online presence. These creators set their own terms and rely on collaboration to achieve them.

5) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?

Independent magazines are able to maintain a strong vision for their magazine without feeling the pressure to appeal to a wider market each issue. “It is this literal ownership that differentiates the idies from mainstream niche magazines, where editors and art directors can be hired and fired by the owner or the owner’s delegate, the publisher”(Le Masurier 2012: 392).

6) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?

“The term “do-it-yourself/do-it-with-others” emphasises semiotic self-determination in how citizens formulate and live out their identities and actions as citizens” (Hartley 2010 241). It is through this collaboration that the concept of a magazine community is established.

7) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?

This preference for print media does not mean that the creators of independent magazines have rejected digital technology, “the preference for print is born of a refusal to see print and online content as opposing camps…In producing printed works that rely upon digital networks for promotion, distribution, discussion, and community building, contemporary small publishers are affirming that the material and the online world are interrelated and interact in mutually beneficial ways” (Hamiltion 2013: 57)

8) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?

independent magazines struggle to reach widespread distribution in newsagencies and other typical magazine retailers. Brimble’s realisation that independent magazine production is “10% creative, 90% hustle”(Brimble 2014) exemplifies this dilemma. A small print run prevents large-scale distribution, while founders need to locate venues where their readership may frequent in order to chase their market. For Brimble, it has been a matter of trial and error. 

2) Irish Times feature on independent magazines

Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:

1) Why are independent magazines so popular?

We are seeing a resurgence in independent magazines in an era where traditional print has never been more unstable. Yet independent publishing, far from dying, is undergoing a renaissance. These are not the A4-sized, glossy, free-DVD-inside commodities that dominate the newsstand. These are as much objects as magazines, collectible and shareable in the best sense of the word.

2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?

That’s partly due to the way the magazine publishing industry is set up to favour the big publishers – those with multiple titles, large sales teams and economies of scale. These are the titles that rely on advertising (rather than copy sales) for revenue. They have a relatively cheap cover price (a 12-issue subscription to Vogue UK costs less than £20), and are filled with adverts.

3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?

The independent titles are reliant on copy sales, as their print runs are too small for advertisers and the media agencies that represent them. Go to an independent magazine shop like Magculture in London or Do You Read Me? in Berlin and you will be hard pressed to find an indie title for less than a tenner.

4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?

For the new publishers, the challenges are similar. One big issue is distribution. Shipping boxes of magazines is expensive, and with publishers taking all the risk (they pay for both shipping, and if the magazines don’t sell, the price of shipping them back), it’s key that publishers focus on getting as many direct sales online as possible. This goes back to building an audience - the more people aware you exist, the more people will purchase your magazine. That conversion rate will probably be less than 1 per cent, which shows how important it is to start building an audience before you publish.

5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?

For those that do make the plunge, the rewards are many. From the feeling of seeing your publication on sale in shops across the world, to leveraging the magazine into paying work, to the satisfaction of executing a complex creative project. As for the money, if it does come, it’s often indirect. If you do set up that League of Ireland fan culture magazine, you can host events, sell graphic prints, T-shirts and maybe set up a Patreon account where you can host football podcasts.

3) Interview with Ruth Jamieson

Finally, read this excellent interview with Ruth Jamieson, who has written a book on the renaissance of the independent magazine sector. Answer these three quick questions: 

1) What does Ruth Jamieson suggest about the 'death of print'?

I can see why it was a seductive narrative at a time when we were all very excited about digital media, but I don’t think print will ever die. New media doesn’t necessarily replace old media, it just refocuses its role. The internet is very good at delivering cheap, disposable information quickly. We used to use print for that, but the internet can do it better. But print does remain very good at other things. It can provide a more luxurious experience- you can unplug and immerse yourself in a magazine in a way that you can’t online. It’s collectable- it can sit on your coffee table and say something about who you are and it’s physical so it can appeal to all your senses. 

2) What are the common themes for successful independent magazines?

The internet is part of what’s driving the new wave of indie magazines. In the past you needed a studio to publish a magazine, today a magazine maker can access lots of relatively cheap or free tools and services to help them get a magazine out there. From the programmes that allow you to design it and publish it, to using social media to find contributors, stockists and, most importantly readers

3) How many of these aspects can you find in The Gentlewoman? 

independent escape from reality and positive.