Tuesday, December 23, 2008 MagaScene Volume 57

Please note that the AMPA office will be closed starting Wednesday December 24th, and re-opening on Monday January 5th. The AMPA team wishes you a happy holiday and we’ll see you in the New Year!

Get a gift for yourself! The Bundle Up and Holiday Crunch offers have been extended until January 5th.

 

Budgeting Brilliance

Between Christmas and the economic downturn, penny-pinching season is officially upon us! It’s more important than ever for publishers and editors to track spending and manage their costs. But low-cost doesn’t have to mean low-quality!

The most recent installment of Magazines Canada’s Hotsheet Series features 10 tips for editorial budgeting, written by Jessica Ross, executive editor of Homemakers Magazine. Her advice suggests that with advance planning and careful decision-making, editors can continue to put together fantastic content while staying within their budget through these tough times.

Check out Jessica’s tips in Magazines Canada’s newest industry Hotsheet here.

And, if you have some budget-saving tips of your own, pass them on to ampa@albertamagazines.com and we’ll publish more tips the next issue of MagaScene.

Canadian Magazines Neither Down Nor Out

Canadian magazines are in good shape heading into 2009, according to a story published in the Toronto Star on December 16, 2008. While 2008 saw the closure of many U.S. publications (the extensive list includes: Cottage Living, Conde Nast’s DNR, O at Home) and some prominent Canadian magazines (Wish, Time Canada, Gardening Life), as in any other market analysis, it is not fair to draw a direct correlation to the U.S. market.

In the article, Mark Jamison, president of Magazines Canada, says, “A lot of the American industry is finally looking at their costs and efficiencies for the first time. We've been doing that for five or six years, while we've been experiencing growth.”

According to the Print Measurement Bureau, readership is still set to increase slightly this coming year. At the end of 2007, Canadian magazines had 111 million readers, an increase of 4 million from 2003.

Despite layoffs of 4%, Rogers Publishing CEO Brian Segal is optimistic about 2009. “I don't think there's anything unique about it. When the level of the lake goes down, it doesn't matter what boat you're sitting on. Advertising is down. But there's no real change in market share. And circulation is holding nicely."

For the full article, go to: http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/55432

News

Canadian Writers Group: Newfangled Agency for Freelancers

“Creators in other fields—musicians, actors, photographers—have done a much better job of protecting their rights. And freelance writers need to learn from that.” This statement comes from Derek Finkle, former editor of Toro magazine, and founder of the Canadian Writers Group (CWG), as published in the Canadian Magazines blog on December 8, 2008.

Being a freelance writer has never been the most lucrative career. You scribe day and night, chase leads like there's no tomorrow, research your eyes out, and yet, you haven’t seen a raise in 30 years. That’s the raison d'être for the CWG, a new agency that works on behalf of freelance writers, negotiating writers’ rates, much in the same vein that talent agents work on the behalf of actors. A December 8th entry on the Canadian Magazines blog discussed with Finkle what the agency intends to do, how it plans to operate in this economic climate, and how he’ll prove critics wrong. Here’s an excerpt:

Q: How do you respond to people who a) fear some writers will lose out if other writers get paid better and b) scoff at the very notion of publishers negotiating and paying higher fees?
A: One of the biggest problems with magazine freelancing is that not only are the rates generally abysmal, there isn’t a sufficient career arc for even the most in-demand and experienced writers. Too many talented people see the low ceiling and drop out altogether...And should CWG writers start to get paid more fairly for the value of their talents and time, that’s going to positively affect all kinds of other writers. So it’s not about a money grab for a select few, it’s about creating a more realistic pay scale or arc for everyone, whether it’s a young talent or a prize-decorated veteran.

Do publishers want to start paying more for content? If the past few decades—regardless of the economic climate—have proven anything, it’s that they don’t. But if we represent the majority of a magazine’s regular contributors—and that will be the case for a number of publications—then I don’t think it will be difficult to get publishers and editors to come to the table, especially when most magazines already deal with all kinds of other agencies. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from successful agents all over the Western hemisphere, it’s that even in lousy economic times, quality still sells.

Read the whole interview here: http://canadianmags.blogspot.com/2008/12/three-questions-and-three-answers-from.html
Meetings are still to be held in Calgary and Montreal. Stay tuned for details.

 

Intern at a Cultural Magazine

Looking to gain experience at a cultural Alberta magazine? The Youth Internship Program (YIP), put on by the Cultural Human Resources Council (CHRC), in partnership with Canadian Heritage and Human Resources Development Canada, may help you do just that.

Funding is available for internships 4 to 12 months in length, and is intended to help post-secondary graduates gain the necessary skills and experience to transition into the industry.

Interns apply to the magazine of their choice and then the organization must apply for the Youth Internship Program.

Funding is available through two streams, as described below on the YIP website:


Through Building Careers in Heritage (Department of Canadian Heritage), employers must contribute 50 to 75% of the costs of the project in cash and in kind, with at least one-half of the employer's contribution in cash.
Through Career Focus (Human Resources Development Canada), employers must contribute twice as much as the amount requested from CHRC, with the whole amount going towards the gross salary of the intern and the employer's mandatory employment-related costs (such as Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan contributions, vacation pay and other mandatory deductions).


Details can be found at: www.culturalhrc.ca/YIP

Job Board

Office Assistant – Alberta Magazine Publishers Association
Location: Calgary
Schedule: 16 hrs / week
Deadline to apply: position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found

Interested in the Alberta magazine publishing industry? The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA), a non-profit organization that promotes Alberta magazines, is looking for a part-time Office Assistant. This position is 16 hours a week, pays $14/hour (plus perks) and is great for someone looking to be exposed to the inner workings of the magazine industry.

Duties include, but are not limited to:
  - Updating blog, website, Flickr account
  - Working at AMPA events
  - Reception
  - Maintaining spreadsheets, file management
  - Working collaboratively with the Executive Director, Accountant and Communications and Programs Assistant

Skills:
  - Exceptional organizational and communication skills (both written and oral)
  - Experience with Microsoft Office: specifically Word and Excel to compile letters and data as required
  - Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
  - An interest in the Alberta periodical publishing industry
  - Ability to take initiative, be creative
  - High level of attention to detail and great follow-up skills
  - Flexible and able to adapt to a rapidly changing environment
  - Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator is considered an asset

*Divas and/or whiners need not apply.

Interested applicants please send resumes stating why you’d like to work for AMPA to Colleen Seto at director@albertamagazines.com.

Events & Contests

Current events and contest. For details, check out our News & Events page

 - Web Editing with Angela Wiens

 - FreeFall's 2008 Annual Prose and Poetry Contest

 - Howard O'Hagan Award for Short Stories - Call for submissions

 - Poetic Licence for Youth

 - 2008 Craigleigh Press Adult Poetry Contest

To UNSUBSCRIBE from MagaScene, please send an email with the subject "UNSUBSCRIBE" to ampa@albertamagazines.com.