Preceding chapters have covered specific aspects of magazine production; this one considers the question of overall quality and how to handle occasional problems that may occur.

Ensuring Quality

Whatever kind of magazine you produce, it is likely to be better valued if people perceive it as providing quality. To achieve this, there are several areas to consider and they are outlined below.

Appearance

This is about paying attention to how your magazine looks. Is it printed on good quality paper, which doesn’t show print through from the page behind and isn’t too reflective? Is it easy to read, with an adequate print intensity? Is the design pleasing and appropriate? Are the illustrations relevant and interesting?

Feel

This is about the tactile sensation your magazine creates. Does the magazine feel good to touch and handle? Is it a good size to handle and easy to hold up when reading? Is the paper a good weight – not too flimsy or unnecessarily heavy and stiff?

Content

This is about the material contained within your magazine. Is the content appropriate for the readership? Is there a good, balanced, mix of items? Is there a variety of topics and issues? Are the contributions of interest to those reading it? Are items topical and up to date? Are there new features from time to time?

Editing

This is about how your magazine is written and monitored. Is it well put together? Is it properly proof-read for typing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and layout? Are contributions appropriate in length and style?

Efficiency

This is about how well your magazine achieves its objectives. Does it appear on time? Is it well packaged, so that it arrives in good condition? Are enquiries from readers, contributors, advertisers or others responded to in good time, pleasantly and helpfully?

Expectations

This is about people’s opinions of your magazine. Does the magazine go beyond what people might expect? For example, does it give excellent value for money, does it have exciting offers or discounts, does it produce special supplements or editions, do its staff respond quickly and effectively to enquiries?

Development

This is about future progress. Does your magazine continually review its effectiveness? Does it keep in touch with, and respond to, its market? Does it maintain a lively and stimulating content? Does it have other plans for future development?

Identifying And Dealing With Possible Problem Areas

On occasion, you may run into difficulties when producing your magazine. How these difficulties are handled will affect the magazine’s success. This section deals with possible problem areas and ways of dealing with them.

Misunderstandings

Sometimes there are misunderstandings between people involved in magazine production. Often these misunderstandings are to do with words used. For example, what does the word ‘soon’; mean: does it mean quickly, tomorrow, in half an hour, in five minutes? What is meant by ‘Can you?’-, does it mean Please do this’ or does it mean ‘Is this possible’? Avoiding misunderstandings completely may be impossible, but working to minimise them is important.

One area in which misunderstandings often occur is in instructions for printers. A common area for confusion is to do with colour printing. When a colour is specified, it may appear differently in the completed product, depending on factors such as:

• the paper used
• how much ink is put on the rollers
• whether a tint is used
• whether spot or full colour printing is used

 

Often results involve a degree of trial and error and it is useful to know about possible areas of difficulty in advance, so that problems can be anticipated.

Delays

On occasion, delays occur. These can happen when contributions or advertisements arrive late, when design or printing takes longer than expected, when editing or proof-reading is not done on time, when postal delays occur, and so on. You cannot always prevent delays, but it is important to have a policy and procedure for dealing with them. Important elements of this are:

• letting relevant people know that a delay is likely, or has occurred
• considering alternative courses of action
• having a stand-by procedure