When starting a magazine, you should begin with a firm grasp of your publication's editorial direction, decide on a magazine distribution method, and develop a realistic budget. You may also want to seek investors from both inside and outside your social and family networks for your magazine start-up. In addition, you should speak to an attorney about incorporating your new business so as to protect your personal finances from any liability generated by starting a magazine.
If you are starting a magazine, it is likely that you already have an idea as to the type of content you want included in your publication. You should also speak to a competent artist about magazine design and a good format for publishing and presenting the articles and illustrations that it may contain. In addition to artistic professionals, you should also determine your need for other employees, including editorial contributors as well as business professionals who can assist you in marketing your publication to potential readers and subscribers.
New media offers you several options for publishing and distributing your publication. You may decide to publish a magazine entirely online, either through an interactive website or by offering a downloadable publication. If you decide to go with a print magazine, print-on-demand services can minimize your financial risk by not requiring you to pay for a print run before you have actually sold any issues. You may decide to print your magazine in a traditional way, which can be riskier, but also lowers the price that a reader or subscriber has to pay to get a copy of your magazine. By doing a full print run, you may also have a better chance of getting your magazine on newsstands.
Unless you are working with a group of people in starting a magazine, you will likely need to raise money so that you can afford to pay employees to do the work required to publish a magazine. Possible investors may include friends and family, but you may also be able to attract outside investors who have an interest in your magazine's focus. If you have connections with communities in which you may find potential investors, working your social networks may help you raise the money you need to get your magazine started. You may also wish to approach more traditional investors and venture capital groups with your business plan in order to fund your start-up and get your publication off the ground.