MAGAZINE WORK - THE PROPOSAL

 

I want you to create your own magazine, with a front cover and at the very least a double-page spread inside. First you're going to create a proposal for a new magazine you're going to create. Do this as follows. 

1. Create a new blogpost/word document. Call it 'MAGAZINE PROPOSAL'.

Then have a think.

What do you care about? What do you care about enough to be able to create a magazine about? It HAS to be a mag about something you care and are passionate about or you're simply not going to be engaged enough, or care enough, to create a good mag. So have a think and ask yourself - what do you care about? What do you want your magazine to be about. Do you want it to be about a very specialized area (gaming, film, music) or a more general-interest combination of these?

2. Brainstorm your ideas by creating a Pinterest board containing the kinds of images, icons, looks, people, news stories, articles and items of interest that your magazine would feature. This is an essential btw, not optional. Once you've created your board and added at least a dozen or so items, put a little heading 'MOODBOARD FOR MY MAGAZINE' and paste in a link to it. 


Then, make sure the post includes the following elements. It must include these or it doesn't count as a good proposal. Actually use my basic questions as headings if you wish. 

3. What's the magazine going to be about?
What's the subject matter going to be? Remember you're not just proposing a single article but a whole mag. If you want to write more than just about one subject, say so here. What other magazines are there out there that are similar - what mags will your mag be competing with (merit indicator)? 

4. Who is it for? 
Who is the target audience? What's the age-range, the gender-mix, the social class of the readers you want to reach? What other things are they likely to be into apart from the main focus of the magazine, what kind of lifestyle will they lead and why will the magazine suit that lifestyle/set of interests? 

5. What’s the CONTENT going to be like? 
What mix of sections will it have? What kind of types of articles will it contain - news stories, reviews, previews, consumer advice etc etc - Perhaps give us a sample contents list that breaks down how the sections will appear

6. What’s going to be the TITLE? 
Don't go crazy about this but I want you to think of a title today. This is the name that will appear as the MASTHEAD on your front page so make it good and not daft. Anyone trying to be a smartarse/take the mick with their title will get marked down accordingly. When you have chosen a good title- tell me why did you choose that? Where did you get it from? How will it appeal to the audience?

For now, that'll do. Part II of your proposal will be contained in the next post on the blog. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD END UP WITH 

The first part of your magazine proposal containing a Pinterest moodboard of initial ideas, as well as information about what your magazine is going to be about, who the target audience is, some hint as to the kind of content it will contain and what the title will be.