How to launch an independent magazine with Steve Watson

The only course an independent publisher will ever need

New independent titles hit the shelves every week, but very few of them make it past their first year. So how do you go about making a beautiful independent magazine that reflects your passions, but is also a sustainable business? This comprehensive weekend masterclass looks at independent publishing from every angle, including how to find an appreciative and profitable niche, how to get the distribution you need for a price you can afford, how to create a workable digital strategy, and how to create a media pack that will attract stockists and advertisers.

Led by Steve Watson, founder of innovative magazine distributor Stack, the weekend offers expert instruction from leading editors, publishers and creative and digital consultants, as well as detailed handouts and individually tailored practical projects to ensure you end the course with a better, leaner and more focused publication.

This course is for you if…

• You plan to launch an independent magazine or online magazine and want to know how to connect with an audience and monetise your enterprise
• You currently publish an independent magazine and are looking to increase its circulation, visibility and/or profitability
• You run a blog and are considering establishing a complementary print edition

Course description

A range of talks, discussions and practical workshops designed to achieve practical results for your project over the weekend, and give you the skills, strategies and contacts to build your brand over the longer term.

• Overview of the independent magazine market and the opportunities within it
• Creating a media pack that will impress distributors, stockists, advertisers and contributors
• How to use social media and retail strategies, including merchandising, to make an impact and increase revenue
• Introduction to distribution, and the costs, services and benefits of lead providers
• First-hand lessons from magazine publishers
• Finding your niche and establishing your place in the market, using reader profiles and research to identify your audience
• Building an effective digital strategy no matter what your needs or technical abilities
• Turning your ideas into reality

Tutor profiles

Steven Watson is the founder of innovative magazine distributor Stack, which he started five years ago in an attempt to help independent publishers find a wider readership. He also co-founded the Printout events in east London which recently featured in the Observer. A keen champion of the UK and global magazine scene, Steven has written for and edited magazines for the last 10 years, and as lead tutor brings a wealth of experience to this event.

Danny Miller is the CEO and co-founder of Human After All, a creative agency whose clients include Google, Adidas, Facebook and BAFTA. Danny founded Little White Lies magazine and is currently working on two new titles, Weapons of Reason and a weekly film newsletter called Delve.

Esra Gokgoz is content strategist at multi-award-winning creative agency Human After All. With clients including Google and Adidas, HAA are global leaders in creative consultancy, and Esra's talk on digital strategy is a priceless opportunity to benefit from their experience.

Rob Orchard is the co-founder and editorial director of The Slow Journalism Company, the publisher of Delayed Gratification magazine, which revisits the events of the preceding quarter and makes a virtue of being "Last to Breaking News". He spends his days writing and editing long form features for the publication, which he describes as offering an "antidote to PR-driven stories, knee-jerk reactions and churnalism". Prior to starting the Slow Journalism Company, Rob launched and ran magazines for Virgin Atlantic, created the Middle East's biggest travel magazine and worked as the editor of Time Out Dubai, Time Out Croatia and Time Out Paris.

John L. Walters is editor and co-owner of Eye magazine. He was a musician and record producer before becoming a journalist, launching the journal Unknown Public and working as a music columnist for the Guardian. He tweets as @eyemagazine and @JohnLW and Instagrams as @eyemagazine_.

Simon Esterson is a newspaper and magazine designer. He has worked with the Guardian, helped launch the architecture and design title Blueprint and in 2008 was one of the team that bought Eye magazine.

Success stories from this course

We've been running the magazine publishing course since September 2012, and have enjoyed watching lots of magazines find their way into the world from our classroom. Libertine and The Loop both started from that first class, and more recently we've been pleased to have Holo and Animae amongst our number. Whatever stage your project is at, and whatever the subject matter, we'd love to help you achieve your aims.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website