SCHOOLMAG GUIDE NO 1: PICKING YOUR TEAM:Before getting down to the nitty gritty of producing a magazine, it is important to organise a team and make sure all members are fully aware of their responsibilities, writes Louise Holden
EVERY MAGAZINE is a team effort. It's very important that everyone knows their responsibilities from the start. The editor keeps the show on the road, but he or she is only as good as the magazine team. Before you start, sit everyone down and discuss your strengths as a group. You need to allot the following positions and everyone has to have a clear picture of their job for the next few months.
Editor: You will all decide the content of the magazine together - it is the editor's job to make sure that you stick to the plan, or, if changes need to be made, that they work in the overall scheme. All work gets sent to the editor for final approval, although editing should be a group effort. Give your editor support - sometimes it's not an easy job telling someone that their work needs improving. Take it on the chin - it's not personal, it's for the good of the mag.
Designer: Whether you are producing your publication using state-of-the-art desktop technology or scissors and glue, you will need someone with a design eye to create a great cover and to decide on the overall look of the magazine.
Reporters: To bring fresh, newsy stories to your mag, you need to put some reporters out on the street. It's too easy these days to do all your research on the internet - the result can be that your stories are stale and generic. Winning magazines are always original. Get out on the corridor or street with your notebook or dictaphone and find out what is going on.
Arts and Entertainment Editor/ Sports Editor/ Fashion Editor/ Music Editor, and so on: You may not need to fill any of these posts, but if you are planning a large sports or music section in your SchoolMag, it's helpful to put one person in charge.
Photo Editor: The photo editor will work with the other editors and writers to decide what images are needed for each page and to find those photographs or organise for them to be taken.
Advertising Manager: You may not bother with sponsorship or advertising for your publication, but if you do you'll need a sharp business brain to sell the ads and get the money in.
Start with the people you know and work out into the local community. Who would stand to gain the most from advertising in a magazine read by school students?
Sub-editors: It's up to the sub-editor to check all the articles for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, inaccuracies, libel and plagiarism. He or she will also need to cut long articles down to size and write headlines, captions and so on. Come back next week for tips on sub-editing.
General staff: Feature writers, photographers, illustrators. Naturally, individuals will cover a range of roles, with writers doubling up as photographers, editors and a host of other roles. The important thing is to use all the available talent on the team to maximum effect.
Print liaison: Someone needs to take responsibility for dealing with printers from day one.
If you are going with a commercial printing company, you should talk to a number of suppliers about budgets and requirements early on.
For more information on assembling your team, visit www.irishtimesschoolmag.ie.
Next week: Sub-editing
