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?
An independent print magazine is one that is published without the financial support of a large corporation.
2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?
They suggest that despite the decline of print, independent magazines have been quietly thriving due to their niche market.
3) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?
The article suggests that the reason independent magazines have been successful is because they have a strong online presence and have taken advantage of developments in technology.
4) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?
They use tools such as social media to target audiences based on their interests and form an online community of people with shared interests while simultaneously recruiting new readers.
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?
It means they’re free from commercial pressure as they don’t have to listen to advertisers/larger corporation owners that fund mainstream magazines. This allows them to create more genuine and niche content.
6) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
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?
It means they’re free from commercial pressure as they don’t have to listen to advertisers/larger corporation owners that fund mainstream magazines. This allows them to create more genuine and niche content.
6) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?
It gives publishers creative freedom and encourages collaboration.
7) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
Having a print copy of a magazine has become increasingly appealing to a niche audience due to reasons such as nostalgia, the experience of holding an actual magazine infront of you rather than your device and some may use these as a form of decoration to show people who visit their homes their personality.
8) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
They rely on crowdfunding and high cover prices which makes it hard for them to compete with mainstream magazines who can afford to pay professional rates while keeping costs low for the end user.
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?
They’re popular due to the rise of social media allowing publishers to reach audiences worldwide and the appeal of newspapers being collectibles also adds to their popularity.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
Big global conglomerates have the upper hand as they’re economies of scale and rely on advertising revenue rather than cover costs which means they can charge a much lower price.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
If the target audience is too broad they’ll get lost but if it’s too narrow then there won’t be as many buyers. This means they have to be specific but not too niche in order to survive.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
They need to find an audience before publishing as the cost of shipping magazines and returning unsold magazines is a huge risk for publishers.
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
7) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?
Having a print copy of a magazine has become increasingly appealing to a niche audience due to reasons such as nostalgia, the experience of holding an actual magazine infront of you rather than your device and some may use these as a form of decoration to show people who visit their homes their personality.
8) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?
They rely on crowdfunding and high cover prices which makes it hard for them to compete with mainstream magazines who can afford to pay professional rates while keeping costs low for the end user.
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?
They’re popular due to the rise of social media allowing publishers to reach audiences worldwide and the appeal of newspapers being collectibles also adds to their popularity.
2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?
Big global conglomerates have the upper hand as they’re economies of scale and rely on advertising revenue rather than cover costs which means they can charge a much lower price.
3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?
If the target audience is too broad they’ll get lost but if it’s too narrow then there won’t be as many buyers. This means they have to be specific but not too niche in order to survive.
4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?
They need to find an audience before publishing as the cost of shipping magazines and returning unsold magazines is a huge risk for publishers.
5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?
They make money by creating additional revenue streams through things such as merchandise and events. The examples given for the League of Ireland fan culture magazine being that you can “host events, sell graphic prints, T-shirts and maybe set up a Patreon account where you can host football podcasts.”
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