Customer Reviews

Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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 ...

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!

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.

I read all the books about starting magazines for a school project and I think Woodard's book is the best. It covers things overlooked by books about design or editing or production - like how to set competitive ad prices, or how to sell subscriptions without a lot of money. And because this one is updated regularly, its very current, including how to integrate a website with a print magazine. Full of practical suggestions from real publishers, and links to a mass of resources, this book may be the only one you need.

If you're ready to become a publisher, it would be wise to head the experience of the co-founder of three very successful magazines in Starting & Running a Successful Newsletter or Magazine: it tells everything from how to find readers and stay ahead of the competition for their interest to understanding different circulation options, from newsstands to vendors, and learning how the entire distribution process works. This 5th updated edition explores web publishing and blogging, showing how to integrate this into an overall marketing and publishing strategy. An excellent pick for both general-interest and college-level libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book tells you everything from A to Z. I ordered three books on this subject. But I can't tell how how much more information I received from this one. I am thankful that I waited for this new edition to come out. I am confident that you will be just as pleased.

I did not find this book to be very useful. For one thing, it seems to assume that if you're going to publish a magaine you had better have a lot of money. I didn't have a lot of money, so this book started out by making me feel like I ought to throw my idea away. Second, it has a lot of information about management (how to make business decisions, budgeting, strategy, subscribers are a leaking bucket, blah blah) but I was already past that. I just wanted to know how to get started. Nothing truly practical here. If you're just thinking about starting a magazine, this book gives a decent overview of how to think about and plan your idea. If you're already in the process of putting together your magazine, you need something different. I recommend "How Not to Start a Magazine" by B. Ann Bell.

I recommend this book to an individual with no prior magazine publishing experience or know-how.

I am a small independent publisher. I have published a mag for a couple years yet but nevertheless found this book very helpfull. It helped me to look at my business and publication differently.

This is a great book! It's got loads of useful information on magazines. Definitely worth the money!