Before you start, you will want to know how to produce and finance your project, and you can find that information at How to Publish Your Own Book.
Publishing Your Genre Magazine
Publishing your own genre magazine can be very similar to publishing a book. Plan your method and think everything through long and hard, so your magazine best suits your original vision, and you can avoid easy pitfalls. Deciding on a focused idea, and knowing what unique feel you want, will help to set your ‘zine apart from the pack.
Successful publishing often depends on your brand and the following that it generates. Despite the numerous failed publications that come and go, a unique, well thought out concept, can be turned into a winner.
For example, Cemetery Dance was a hobby for editor Richard Chizmar, but has been one of the premier horror magazines since the early 90s. This magazine’s success is due in part to its unique feel, and catering to a niche audience, but it has also invested money in featuring excellent authors. Other successful genre magazines, such as The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine also invest in excellent authors to create an excellent product.
How to Choose Stories for Your Genre Magazine
The selection process for your genre magazine can be a very long and painstaking one, but you do have several options. One option is to post market guidelines on websites like Ralan.com. When you post your guidelines, remember to note your response times, and whether or not you accept simultaneous submissions. One caveat of an open submission period is that you might become flooded with off-target submissions and inferior writing.
One alternative is to solicit manuscripts from established writers. By doing so, you can add marquee value to your magazine. You can also ensure that your stories are well-written and crafted.
If you want to attract professional writers, you will need to pay professional level rates. The Horror Writers Association (HWA) and the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) have established their own definition of a professional pay scale.
The most important axiom for this is to understand that paying writers next to nothing will not attract the quality of work you will want. Even if you choose the way of the open submission period, you will want to offer attractive monetary compensation to land the best writers.
How to Distribute Your Genre Magazine
Distributing your genre magazine might be your most difficult task, and one in which some cannot break even. Some editors/publishers find that, even though their magazines will sell through distribution to large chain stores, they cannot make up for lost money. For example, a distributor might not pay the publisher for copies sold until long after the fact. The Catch 22 here is that such distribution is vital for your magazine to receive the mainstream recognition that you want.
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