Friday, November 6, 2009

Nov/Dec workshops: Websites, Ad Sales, Money Saving Strategies

I know some of you are waiting for blogs from RAMM. We're not sitting idle--AMPA's been busy working on some exciting seminars (websites, ad sales, money-saving strategies) for November and December. Keep an eye on the early-bird deadlines (first one's November 9th).

Hope to see you there!
-Anh

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November 16, November 18, 2009

Web Words: How to Engage Both Readers and Search Engines

In this workshop, we’ll explore how and why web readers consume online content differently than they do print, and look at best practices for keeping online audiences engaged, including the essential skills of web writing, editing and formatting, and the importance of optimizing your content for search engines. We’ll also take a look at your magazine sites and collectively discuss what works, what could be better and ways to effectively incorporate multimedia into your online mix. So come ready to perform a hands-on review of actual sites, including your own!

About the Speaker
Lisa Manfield has worked in print and online publishing for 13 years as Managing Editor at Orato.com, Marketing Manager at The Tyee, Contributing Editor for Backbone Magazine, Business & Finance editor at Suite101.com, Associate Editor at CGA Magazine and Editor of REALM Magazine. As a publishing consultant, she has developed print and online content, marketing collateral and courseware for CBC TV, the Knowledge Network, WorkSafeBC, the BC and Alberta Magazine Publishers Associations and Magazines Canada. She teaches “Writing and Editing for the Web” and “Marketing Magazines Online” for SFU Writing and Publishing Program and Summer Workshops respectively. She was a member of the editorial collective of Room for eight years and on the Board of Directors (three as VP) for the BC Association of Magazine Publishers.

Lisa came out to the Alberta Magazines Conference this past March, and will add to what she shared with you then, helping you to maximize your websites.

In Calgary:
Monday, November 16

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, 2425 9 Ave SE

In Edmonton:
Wednesday, November 18

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
CORRECTION: Strathcona Library, 8331 104 St NW, Strathcona Program Room (2nd Floor)

Register now via ampa@albertamagazines.com or 403-262-0081.

AMPA Members/Students (with valid FT status): $20 if registered by Nov. 9; $35 afterwards.
Non-members: $30 if registered by Nov. 9; $45 afterwards.


Payment via cheque must be received PRIOR to event to the AMPA office. If payment is $60 or more, we will accept a credit card.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Inject New Life into Your Ad Sales

If you sell advertising for magazines, you need to attend this half-day intensive seminar. Get the goods on developing a sales strategy in this tough economy. We’ll explore how to reach clients, stay on the rate card, handle objections, and build ad sales opportunities inside and outside your magazine. Designed specifically for ad sales people, this seminar ensures you’ll gain a better understanding of how magazine advertising works. Learn the tools of the trade that will help you develop sales strategies—and get the business.

About the Speaker

Gwen Dunant has been in the publishing industry for over 25 years, primarily as an advertising sales consultant. She has sold national and retail advertising space, worked with client publications to develop effective sales tools (such a media kits, rate cards, readership surveys, etc.) and done numerous sales trainings for small to mid-sized publications. She has given seminars at Mags U, MagNet, Ryerson University and many regional associations across Canada. She has played a key role in the development of many professional development programs for Magazines Canada and the Atlantic Magazines Association. She is also the author of “A Short Guide to the Development and Use of Sales Tools for Selling Advertising Space in Canadian Magazines” as well as a contributor to “Small Magazines Advertising – Essentials for Publishers and Sales Representatives”.

Monday, November 23, 2009

1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, 2425 9 Ave SE, Calgary

Travel bursaries are available to qualified out-of-Calgary magazine members.

Register now via ampa@albertamagazines.com or 403-262-0081.

AMPA Members: $25 if registered by Nov. 13; $35 afterwards.

Non-members: $35 if registered by Nov. 13; $45 afterwards.

Cash or cheque is preferred. If payment is $50 or more, we will accept a credit card.

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Taking a hard look: Money-saving strategies for publishers
There is money to be saved in most, if not all, magazine budgets. Of course publishers should pursue efficiency whenever they can; but in hard times, it's even more important to trim wisely and well. In this seminar, magazine consultant D. B. Scott will examine the typical magazine budgets and explore the kinds of hard questions that need to be asked by the people who manage them. Where is the greatest potential for saving money? And areas where it is penny-wise, but pound foolish to cut? The seminar will provide an opportunity to talk about attending magazines' particular challenges and to identify at least one area everyone can dig into when they get back to the office.

About the Speaker
D. B. Scott (David), the President of Impresa Communications Limited, has built a solid reputation as a consultant, writer, blogger, teacher, market researcher, publisher and editor. His concentration and specialty is the magazine industry. He has been called on for advice in such critical areas as strategic planning, content development, marketing, launches and relaunches, redesigns, audience surveys and focus groups, meeting facilitation and review and development of production and publishing systems. He is a member of Magazines Canada' professional development committee and its Travelling Consultants program. He teaches The Business of Magazine Publishing at Ryerson University in the Chang School for Continuing Education.

Friday, December 11, 2009

1:00 pm to 4pm

Inglewood Bird Sanctuary, 2425 9 Ave SE, Calgary

Travel bursaries are available to qualified out-of-Calgary magazine members.

Register now via ampa@albertamagazines.com or 403-262-0081.

AMPA Members: $25 if registered by Nov. 30; $35 afterwards.

Non-members: $35 if registered by Nov. 30; $45 afterwards.

Cash or cheque is preferred. If payment is $50 or more, we will accept a credit card.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Magazine Soapbox

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Magazine Soapbox on Tuesday, October 20th at the TRUCK Gallery!!!
Editors Anne Burke from The Prairie Journal and Leah Gillis from FreeFall talked openly about the ins and outs of small, independent magazine publishing. Both editors voiced the many possibilities for emerging and established writers and visual artists to contribute to local arts and literary titles and are keen to explore new and innovative ways to partner with creative people to enhance the cultural landscape in Alberta.

When Burke recalled the history of small, literary magazine publishing in Alberta and more specifically Calgary, she remembers Dandelion stood alone on the shelves. Now, more than 20 years later Dandelion is accompanied by publications such as AMPA members Prairie Journal, FreeFall, filling Station and Other Voices to name just a few. Although the landscape of literary magazines has grown, working in the industry is not for the faint of heart. Both Burke and Gillis agreed, "It is a labour of love" but with hard work also comes rewarding work. For both editors, one of the biggest rewards is the ability to expose writers and visual artists by giving them a platform to share their craft with the world.

Reader Geo Takach talked about the importance of magazines as contributors to the creative and cultural aspects of our communities and noted the importance of researching various types of publications to see where your work fits best. "When you have an affinity for a publication, your writing will most likely make sense within it."

Kim Firmston gave an emotionally charged reading of her latest piece of fiction, Life After War that is published in the Fall issue of FreeFall.

Thanks again!!!

For more information on AMPA's Arts and Literary members, visit www.albertamagazines.com

Friday, October 9, 2009

Paul Tough Q & A

AMPA is pretty stoked to be hosting a session by Paul Tough - New York Times Magazine editor, Slate, GQ, Esquire and New Yorker contributor, and author of Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada's Quest to Change Harlem and America.

Tough will be in Edmonton on October 23rd for The Inside Story on Magazine Features: Q & A with a Magazine Pro, at the Stanley Milner Public Library in Edmonton.

Paul will discuss how to develop a killer feature story, plus it's your chance to pick the brains of this star editor. So bring your questions and get ready to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

Cost: Free for AMPA members and students if registered by October 15th; $10 for AMPA members and students after October 15th.

$10 for non-members by October 15th; $15 for non-members after October 15th.

To register, email ampa@albertamagazines.com with your name, phone number and email address.

See Tough's answers to some of our questions in the next MagaScene, coming out Wednesday October 13th.

If you had the chance, what question would you ask Paul Tough?


Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Reality Bites - Re-cap of A Realistic Approach to Creativity in Magazines Panel

On Monday October 5th, as part of Read Alberta Magazines Month (RAMM), we invited panellists to Mount Royal University to speak on the subject of creativity and its role in the business of publishing. The discussion was passionate, insightful, but perhaps most importantly, a fierce reality check for those who think they can cut it in the magazine industry without burning that midnight oil.

The panellists were Veronica Cowan, art director at Where Calgary; Kathe Lemon, editor of Avenue Calgary; and Jack Newton, publisher of Where Canadian Rockies, speaking to a room made up mainly of aspiring designers with a sprinkling of writers-to-be. The panel was moderated by AMPA Executive Director and freelance writer and editor, Colleen Seto.

The Creative Process
Editor Kathe Lemon spoke of creativity as a process, rather than the popular notion that creativity is chaos. She said that this shift in perception is a necessary one, because at a monthly magazine, one must be creative consistently, day after day, month after month. But creativity shouldn't simply be limited to extravagant ideas, it has a practical application in a workplace where "nothing ever goes as planned." Things go wrong all the time. So, be creative in your problem-solving.

Art director Veronica Cowan suggested immersing yourself in all kinds of art. For herself, she looks at sculptures, paintings, and anything that can inform her design. But, she emphasizes that knowing how to use design software like InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator is important as well.

It's okay to take chances with art, but be able to back your vision up to the editor. Cowan said that showing the editor two versions of an ad (ex: version A is what the editor wants, version B is what the art director envisions) can help inform decision-making. Lemon, on the other hand, disagreed, noting that compromise between all parties is necessary, and that time constraints often mean that mocking up multiple versions of something is not possible.

Don't Be Boring
Publisher Jack Newton said that one of the most important skills a person can have, is the skill to "not be boring." True story. Being boring is the death of the growth of anybody in a creative industry.

Writer/editor Colleen Seto said that being flexible is key to getting work again. Meet your deadlines. Comply with re-writes. Communicate. Offer creative story ideas. Do all these things and more, and you'll be able to find work.

For those looking to get started, either as a writer or designer, remember this: Know the magazine you're pitching to, inside and out. Who is the magazine's audience? Read back issues to see if your topic's been covered already. You're not only selling your idea, but you're selling yourself--what makes you the best person to write or design this story? All panellists agreed that demonstrating you've done your research is key to making your first inroad.

Internships
The panel recommended that students participate in an internship with a magazine. All of Where Calgary's editorial staff were former interns. Many interns have also been hired on-staff at Avenue Calgary. That said, interns need to do a number of things: a) apply at the magazine(s) they wish to work for directly, b) demonstrate they are the right candidate, c) show they are critical thinkers, and d) be keen, keen, keen.

AMPA provides publishers with subsidies so that they are able to offer a valuable work experience to students or recent graduates. Find out more about internships.

Conclusion:
Most students and newbies are most concerned with how to "get started" in the industry, failing to realize that longevity and staying in the industry is the true test of success.

While it might not have been the most glamorous, praise-laden diatribe on the industry, I thought the panel's honesty was most valuable. Magazines require hard work, so if you entered the industry on the premise of an easy ride, you'd do best to reevaluate--stat.

Don't miss more exciting panels and events during October. Check out AMPA's events page for details.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

What is Ed Stelmach reading?

That's a question we, at the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, also had.

So, we decided to help Premier Ed Stelmach build his collection of Alberta mags, in case he wasn't aware that there are over 60 magazines that are part of AMPA, and over 200 publishing in Alberta alone.

Here are some quick facts about Alberta magazines:
  • The Alberta periodical publishing industry encompasses nearly 200 magazines and nearly 100 scholarly journals.
  • Based on Statistics Canada data, the estimated 2008 value of the Alberta magazine industry is $83.4 million in revenues.
  • Based on the above value, the return on investment made in Alberta magazines by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for fiscal year 2008¨C9 was 179:1.
  • The annual contribution made by Alberta magazines to the GDP (mainly of Alberta) is $106.8 million.*
  • more facts can be found at whatisedstelmachreading.com
If you read and enjoy magazines, no matter if you're from Alberta or elsewhere, we urge you to send a letter to Premier Ed Stelmach to show your support of this vital cultural industry that provides jobs for a creative community of writers, photographers, designers, and more! It's an easy online form that will have an impact on the industry in Alberta.

Have a look and tell us what you think of our psychedelic campaign.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Alberta mags, now on Twitter

No fail whales here.....We're finally on Twitter!

Find out the latest Alberta magazines' events, promotions, and news by following @albertamags.

Or, follow us here:
http://twitter.com/albertamags

Read Alberta Magazines Month kick-off, Art Central, this Thurs

October is a busy month for Alberta magazines because, if you didn't know, it's Read Alberta Magazines Month!

Right now, we're busy prepping for our RAMM launch at:

Art Central, this Thursday, October 1st, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Calgary.

Exhibitors so far include: an arm wrestler from AirdrieLIFE; Nectar Desserts, Wild Rose Brewery, Alloy featured in Avenue (Calgary); fly-tying expert from Fly Fusion magazine; illlustrators from Vehicle magazine, and more.

There will also be a scavenger hunt with fabulous prizes, plus, free food, music, magazines :)

Come one, come all--this event is FREE and open to the public.