How to Start a Magazine

Rating:
Summary: A must read for people in magzine business
Review: A very readable account which gives perspective on the nature of the business, its pitfalls and surprises. It encapsulates a wealth of experience in pithy sentences and straightforward format. A must for anyone serious abut the magazine business or with even a gleam of becoming a publisher in his or her eye.

Rating:
Summary: A relief...
Review: Every single book that I'd ever picked up about the magazine business was pretty cut-n-dry and hard to understand (vocabulary wise) with entirely too many numbers that made me go "???" But this book was conversational and informative. I found out some things that I didn't know about from the magazine I was writing for. It's a great way to learn about the magazine business if you're starting it on your own or just to understand the behind-the-scenes of what the owners do. He lost me in the end with the numbers but I still enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: A relief...
Review: Every single book that I'd ever picked up about the magazine business was pretty cut-n-dry and hard to understand (vocabulary wise) with entirely too many numbers that made me go "???" But this book was conversational and informative. I found out some things that I didn't know about from the magazine I was writing for. It's a great way to learn about the magazine business if you're starting it on your own or just to understand the behind-the-scenes of what the owners do. He lost me in the end with the numbers but I still enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: A relief...
Review: Every single book that I'd ever picked up about the magazine business was pretty cut-n-dry and hard to understand (vocabulary wise) with entirely too many numbers that made me go "???" But this book was conversational and informative. I found out some things that I didn't know about from the magazine I was writing for. It's a great way to learn about the magazine business if you're starting it on your own or just to understand the behind-the-scenes of what the owners do. He lost me in the end with the numbers but I still enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: Why some magazines succeed while others go bankrupt
Review: How To Start A Magazine And Publish It Profitably by business consultant and entrepreneur James B. Kobak is a no-nonsense, imminently practical, how-to guide to the magazine market, including a wealth of invaluable "tips, tricks and techniques" on how to raise venture capital, why some magazines succeed while others go bankrupt, how to choose the best name and develop a solid business plan, and much, much more. An informed and informative, highly readable primer, How To Start A Magazine And Publish It Profitably is an absolute "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in venturing into the world of magazine publishing.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Experienced Publishers Too....
Review: How to Start a Magazine is a must read for anyone thinking about starting a magazine, and anyone currently in the business. While the book targets the wanna-be publisher, it is also one of the best books I have read for experienced magazine professionals too. Kobak masterfully describes all of the key competencies of magazine publishing in a straight forward no nonsense manner. Unlike many texts on this subject, this book is full of practical real-life examples of what to do, and what watch out for. The author also does an excellent job of exploring how to expand the business of established magazines into international markets, book publishing, list rentals and custom publishing. This book is well worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: Great for Experienced Publishers Too....
Review: How to Start a Magazine is a must read for anyone thinking about starting a magazine, and anyone currently in the business. While the book targets the wanna-be publisher, it is also one of the best books I have read for experienced magazine professionals too. Kobak masterfully describes all of the key competencies of magazine publishing in a straight forward no nonsense manner. Unlike many texts on this subject, this book is full of practical real-life examples of what to do, and what watch out for. The author also does an excellent job of exploring how to expand the business of established magazines into international markets, book publishing, list rentals and custom publishing. This book is well worth your time and money.

Rating:
Summary: A wealth of information
Review: So you want to start a magazine? It won't be easy..it won't be fast--and it definitely won't be cheap!

Author James Kobak took up the unthankful task of trying to write a user-friendly guide to a profession that many magazine publishers study for four years or more at a university or college.

For the most part, Kobak does a pretty good job. He is obviously enthusiastic about the subject. He has been direct witness to the start-up and/or purchase of many magazines. So he knows his subject.

The reader faces one big challenge. Reading this book is like scraping the top off a mountain. Once the reader moves past the initial "you can do it" enthusiasm of the first few chapters, s/he is immediately faced with the immensity of the task that starting a magazine may present. By the time Kobak closes up his last few chapters with the drudgery of statistics, bookkeeping and forecasting, the shackles of optimism will have rolled away from the reader's demeanor and the reality of his/her endeavor will stare him/her boldy in the face.

There is so much information crammed into the 300-some pages of this book that I ran my highlighter dry trying to capture it all. Kobak writes in an unintimidating style for those new to publishing. That said, however, the information is sometimes muddled by sloppy editing and the author's occasional lapses of clarity in his writing.

For its wealth of information alone, this is a must read for anyone who plans on starting a publishing venture without going the college route. Kobak eplains very clearly that starting a magazine is not inexpensive. Perhaps that is why he priced his book so reasonably. So that we readers could learn that fact first.

Rating:
Summary: First half great. Second half wanting.
Review: Unlike the more down-to-earth Starting And Running A Successful Newsletter or Magazine, this book is targeted for the up-scale magazine publisher wannabe. Still, it is a worthy addition to anyone serious about publishing for profit.

I have researched high and low for statistical data regarding circulation promotion. This book is the only one that provided quality information that can be used to guage one's prospects after test marketing. This information will prove intensely valuable when I get game and small livestock farming in the test marketing stage.

He also provided great advice regarding establishing the scope to insure you provide what your readers want, with the operative word WANT instead of need. To a degree, of course, he slips into consultant mode, but this wasn't too distractive.

It was only as he got into the later chapters that I felt like he was too intent on getting readers to hire consultants than in providing content for the reader.

James does a great job in explaining the life cycle of periodicals and why so many die after having outlived their usefullness.

I encourage all who consider publishing to buy this book when they buy Cheryl Woodard's.