Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-05-24
THE MAKING OF A MAGAZINE

SpOnsible for success or failure
magazine really has its beginning when
its maker has definitely decided what
IDEAS shall govern the choice of its
contents, and has selected its title.
The title is very important. If it is a
good one large number Of people will
be attracted to buy a copy, and If they
are pleased with its contents they viii
probably become regular purchasers
In the case of Il dollar and n half novel
the title does not count so much, but
many people are willing to pay ten or
twenty-five cents for the attractive
title ana cover Of n now magazine. and
take a chance on its contents 1T is the
magazines own fault if they do not
buy it again.
The second step to be taken is the
procuring of the necessary capital, the
amount of which il will be impossible
to gauge exactly. A conservative plan
is To begin business with a sufiicien.
amount in the bank TO pay for the con
tribuuons. printing. paper and binding
Of tho first twelve issues. There are
all kinds of men financially interested
in magazines. from Boston millionaires
TO ex-cabinet ministers. And man
who wishes to start a new magazine
viii find n financier willing to discuss
il like any other business. With the
necessary capital in the ban; n date
six months ahead can lie set for the
publication Of the first number. Tho
business manager at once engages an
editor. the second important man on
y magazine. The editor and business
manager should be one man. but the
combined work could not be borne by
one pair Of shoulders. and the most
the business manager can do is to on
gage an editor who viii faithfully
carry out his ideas in selecting ma
terial. | am not speaking OF an ideal
magazine which should. perhaps. be
edited first and sold afterwards, but
Of a magazine which its promoter and
business manager intends shall pay.
\ magazine must begin printing at
least 4 month before the date of issue
while month is not 10 long to allow
for the setting up ana correcting, etc.
of sufficient material TO make one
number. This leaves the editor four
months to gather the kind of copy
that he wishes for the first number
We will suppose the size of the maya
zine TO be 100 pages, Of 500 words each
a total of 12S. coo words. II will he
readily understood that the editor s
task is not an easy one: il would be
impossible without the help Of the
| business manager, who will insert in
| all the leading newspapers and maya
zines preliminary announcement of
the new magazine, inviting authors to
| submit manuscripts.
Clever and liberal advertising can
| insure n large sale for at least the first
number of magazine. Millions of
people buy every month ut least one
| me- aazinc, and they offer fruitful
| field for the enterprisinG newcomer.
The proprietors Of n recently started
| ms gazine spent over 500. 600 in adver.is-
ing it before . Copy was issued. with
the result that more copies We're sold
Of the first number than that of any
other American magazine started.
| They have also Literally advertised
each succeeding number as it has ap-
peared. and today it has n larger
circulate ton than many of its older
| rivals.
The cost Of contributions. paper.
| printing and binding for 100 900 copies of
: p first-class magazine If 100 pages un-
Illustrated. will he not less than $4,000.
: and may very easily be more. An il
lustra ted ma caZne of the same num-
Der of pages will cost at least fifty per
cent. more.
There is very little profit to the pub
Usher on the production of n first
! class magazine. 1t costs him, per COPY
very nearly what he sells il for to the
| trade. He is fortunate if he makes
sufficient profit on the copies sold to
| pay for the copies returned by the
ncwsdealers. which are valueless. The
profit Of n magazine. of course. lies in
its advertising pages. and out Of the
price paid for these must como the cost
of printing them Some magazines of
enormous Circulations charge between
$500 and S4OJ per page for advertise
! mcnts. but the cost of printing several
hundred thousand copies of their ad-
Vertisc!nent pages is no small item. n nd
must be deducted. \ complete COPY of
Munsey's Magazine. including the al
vertiSement pages, costs more than il is
sold for.
The publisher of 4 magazine has only
one customer-the American News Com
pany-to whom he delivers all the co-ies
intended for the trade. which are re-
shipped TO the different branch new.
companies all over North America \
Magazine is v ishcd simultaneously al
over North America. The first delivery i,
made to the American News Comuany tor
days before the date of publication. ana
copies are Immediately sent to San Frau.
cisco and other far Western points With
two exceptions all the big magazines ar,
retGrEablc. so that the nowsdealcr Ia Aka
no risk in stocking them A newsiealc,
pays seventeen to nineteen cents for a
twenty-five cent magazine and seven
cents for tcn-ccnt one. The plblishc,
supplies the American News Company nj
price about fifteen per cent less than
, this. to allow for their profit on distrihut
Company charges the Publisher with all
the EXPENSES connected with the returns
This charge amounts 10 about two cents
q copy.
The American News Company is abso-
iutely essential to a new magazine and
sible. Its proprietors control the entire
news trade of the country and their ey-
pcrience and knowledge is Invaluable to
The newcomer. and it Is always gener-
oisiv given Munsey's is the only large
ma gaZine not handled by them while
Munseys and the Cosmopolitan are the
only large magazines not returnable. The
demand for them is such that the news
dealer is Obliged to- continue stockin
them (they have only recently been made
not. returnablep. but 9. new magazine
could not adopt their policy.
on every magazine you will find printed
the notice. Entered at - postofficc as
second class mail matter, which means