Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine [Paperback]

Cheryl Woodard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2006

Expert insight from the co-founder of PC and Macworld magazines!

Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine gives you the practical know-how you need to put together a profitable publication. Whether you're creating simple newsletters, or publishing a sophisticated magazine and website, it provides all the information necessary to start and run your business.

Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine covers the ins-and-outs of:

raising start-up money

attracting the best help

choosing the right marketing strategies

creating a solid subscription base

building loyalty among readers and advertisers

competing effectively against even the biggest adversaries

What's new?
The 5th edition explores the latest trends in Web publishing -- including blogging -- and how to integrate online and print strategies into a unified front. It also provides tips on selling ads on your website and other ways to make money online. (20090101)

Editorial Reviews

Review

An excellent book. (Jane Applegate 20090101)

If you have the will to publish in today's changing print and digital media, then let this book show you the way. It is absolutely teeming with essential, practical information. (Peder C. Johnson Desktop Journal 20090101)

The Resources for Publishers chapter, providing a reference guide to related books, associations, and software, is truly indispensable. Those considering entering into the world of publishing will gain a distinct advantage by reading this book. (La Cocinita Magazine 20090101)

Tells everything from how to find readers and stay ahead of the competition... to understanding different circulation options. (Midwest Book Review 20090101)

The business expertise that all publishers need is well-presented in this book... Woodard's professional qualifications, coupled with her clear writing style... make this book a must-read for would-be publishers. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune 20090101)

Contains many cautions and bright ideas... (Orange County Register )

I really wish I had this book when I started publishing eight years ago. It's the only book I've seen that provides all the crucial information publishers need to know. (Tim Keck The Seattle Stranger )

About the Author

Cheryl Woodard learned the publishing business like most people do -- by jumping bravely into it without any preparation whatsoever. She co-founded PC, Macworld, PC World and Publish magazines, concentrating her attention on ad sales, circulation marketing and business management issues. In 1993, Cheryl began consulting with book, software, newsletter and magazine publishers. Author of Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine, she specializes in helping business owners or chief executives sort out marketing and overall business strategies. Woodard teaches business planning at the Stanford Professional Publishing Course and other professional development programs. She also serves on the board of directors of the Independent Press Association in San Francisco. She lives with her husband and two children in Berkeley, California. She can be reached via her Web site at: http://www.publishingbiz.com .

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: NOLO; 5 edition (October 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413305237
• ISBN-13: 978-1413305234
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #534,202 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cheryl Woodard learned the publishing business like most people do -- by jumping bravely into it without any preparation whatsoever. She co-founded PC, Macworld, PC World and Publish magazines, concentrating her attention on ad sales, circulation marketing and business management issues. In 1993, Cheryl began consulting with book, software, newsletter and magazine publishers. Author of Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine, she specializes in helping business owners or chief executives sort out marketing and overall business strategies. Woodard teaches business planning at the Stanford Professional Publishing Course and other professional development programs. She also serves on the board of directors of the Independent Press Association in San Francisco. She lives with her husband and two children in Berkeley, California. She can be reached via her Web site at: http://www.publishingbiz.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

53 of 54 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but ...., July 3, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine (Paperback)

This book is a good general overview, but it misses some important stuff that someone who is generally unfamiliar with the publishing business will need to know before attempting to start a magazine.

I found the book lacking in the basic details I needed to know, such as where to find distributors, how to get a UPC code, how to recruit new writers, etc. For a basic overview and particularly for the marketing side of owning a magazine (which is very important), I'd recommend this book. For the nuts-and-bolts stuff I'd recommend the e-book, "How Not to Start a Magazine," published by Palfrey Media ...

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not perfect, but pretty darn close., February 5, 2003

By 

Travis C. Ward "C. William Anderson" (Silverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine (Paperback)

Other than not saying much about design or providing statistical information, this is about as good as a book for this topic can get.

I found the information regarding circulation and subscriptions to be of especial help from a hands-on viewpoint. Note that James Kobak in How To Start A Magazine and Publish It Profitably takes a more statistical view which also is of vital importance, but he lacks the down-to-earth manner of Cheryl Woodard. It's a shame the two couldn't get together and combine both views!

What I found of less value was the chapter about raising money and managing employees. Frankly, such topics could be removed and the book would suffer no a whit.

She did a great job discussing internet publishing and should expand on the topic in the next edition.

Cheryl was a co-founder of PC Magazine and MacWorld and certainly understands the business aspects. Readers need to understand this. They also, though, could use lay-out help, say by the inclusion of examples and templates on a companion cd that could also list the web sites she refers to. Then, you would have a book that would be pretty close to perfect!

Again, I heartily recommend this book!

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Falls Woefully Short, January 13, 2005

By 

Patrick Brady (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine (Paperback)

Starting a magazine, as I have done, requires more than just an editorial plan. Woodard's book does a nice job of establishing what needs to go into an editorial plan but it completely ignores production issues, printing, advertising and funding. It's a little like telling someone how to design a car without mentioning that in addition to nice upholstery and great body work it needs an engine and tires. Put another way, she only talks about the part of the iceberg you can see.