Starting Your Own E-Zine 101

So, you want to make an online magazine of some sort but are facing a few difficulties. Not to worry – any type of website can be a challenge and e-zines are no different. We are going to dive into the basics of creating an e-zine and what you may expect in your newfound passion. These are just a few basic tips and you are going to have to do a lot of legwork yourself, just like creating any other site, be it an online shop, blog, or a betting site like bets-ph.com.

Domain and Type

No, we are not talking about buying a domain name. You need to have a clear idea of what your magazine should be about. Make sure it is a topic you are familiar with whether it is because you are really keen on making a magazine about butterflies, or you think such a magazine would be profitable.

While we are at it, ask yourself whether you are planning on writing stories and pieces because you think the world should see them or because everyone is talking about a trend and you would like to be a part of it (nothing bad either way, but it could affect your writing style).

Business Plan

Many online magazines start out free. That’s one of the reasons they are much more popular than the magazines without digital editions. So, you are welcome to design your site yourself and pay for hosting, while charging nothing for your content. That being said, if you are planning on making this a profitable venture, or at least one that would cover your costs, you need to make a business plan.

You could, for example, make free and premium content. Plan on how often you are going to post stories, how active you are going to be on social media, whether or not you’re going to have an app, and whether this app is going to be an addition or the sole medium of your magazine.

From there, you need to move on to getting subscribers and keeping them without being overbearing. Another source of revenue could come in the form of ad space and affiliate marketing. Do not be afraid to reach out and examine other e-zines to see what options they went with and how it affects their business.

Format

There are a few formats that compete for subscribers, regardless of the content they are dealing with. Some people prefer native apps because they don’t often browse the web through traditional browsers, relying on their Google Play or Apple Store. The problem is that they require a lot of work, and you are going to give a cut of your profits to either Google or Apple.

Flipbooks are great for people that like magazines where they can turn pages, and PDF magazines are liked for a similar reason. The advantage is that they feel like an old type of magazine. The problem is that they are not always mobile-friendly, and different devices produce different results.

HTML5 magazines are much more versatile than PDF magazines. They can modify the content to fit the device it is being viewed on, which means they can be equally appealing on desktop computers and on phones.