magazine publishing – Publishing By Degrees

Live Publishing Project: Turadh

Since January, I have been part of a wonderful group who have been working hard over the last few months to get Turadh, an ethical and wellbeing magazine based in Edinburgh, ready for publication. This experience has been incredibly worthwhile and not only will we soon have the first issue as a physical copy, but it has also helped open my eyes to another side of publishing.

At the beginning of the Publishing MSc at Edinburgh Napier University, when I thought of a career in publishing: I thought of books. Magazines weren’t something I had ever considered, despite spending a small fortune on them every month. However, within the first day of the course we had already been given the opportunity to attend MagFest, the international magazine festival held in Edinburgh, later in the month. Fast forward a few months to where we were given a choice in modules, and I immediately chose the newly structured Magazine Publishing option. So, why the change in heart?

The Magazine Publishing module now gives students the opportunity to work in a much smaller group than previous years, meaning we would have a more practical experience creating our own magazine. The Turadh team is made up of five students, meaning that we were all able to pitch in and got more of an opportunity to improve upon the technical skills that we had built in the first trimester of the course. Our small group now have experience creating a layout for a magazine, checking resolution of images, communicating with collaborators, and editing content so that it suits a house style, among other skills.

Given that one of the aims for Turadh was to give local artists and businesses a platform to showcase their work, the fact that we have been able to use content from so many amazing local contributors has been unbelievably exciting. Seeing how this magazine has transformed from obscure ideas of pastel theme colours to a magazine full of recipes, guides to the city of Edinburgh, and much more, has been such a rewarding and educational experience.

I will soon be beginning a placement at Foodies magazine in Edinburgh, an exciting opportunity that the Magazine Publishing module has helped me to prepare for: both with technical skills and also with the experience our team now have in working with collaborators, such as illustrators and writers. The skills I have learned creating Turadh have been vital in acquiring this placement and have also opened my eyes to the magazine publishing industry, and the opportunities it presents.

To get a sneak peek of our magazine and for any updates on publication details, you can visit turadhmag.wordpress.com

Let’s get researching: my time at Four Letter Word

As a student new to the publishing industry at the beginning of the course, formerly a psychology graduate, the publishing placement was one I was avidly looking forward to. Desperately divided between my love of books and magazines, I chose new magazine Four Letter Word as the placement to be. Four Letter Word is a magazine that discusses what it is to be human in the 21^st century, looking at gender, transhumanism and augmented living (e.g. technology’s impact on our conceptions of being human), food, fashion, arts and culture. It celebrates gender and sexual diversity, and nothing quite like it exists in the magazine market right now. As students on the course last year, the women behind theFLW are proof that the course works, so of course I wanted to learn from them. As a company dedicated to celebrating diversity, and magazine design that kills, this was the company for me. Continue reading “Let’s get researching: my time at Four Letter Word”

Interning With Four Letter Word

When the opportunity to intern for a start-up arose, I knew I had to take it.

During the second trimester of my MSc Magazine Publishing course, the creators of new Four Letter Word came to speak at Edinburgh Napier. When the opportunity to intern for a start-up arose, I knew I had to take it.

Before coming to Edinburgh Napier University to pursue my MSc in magazine publishing, I worked as an associate editor for a B2B publishing company in the United States. Prior to that, I did several internships at various consumer and trade publishing companies. They all had one thing in common – that was that they had been in business for decades.

There are lots of pros to being with a longstanding, established company, of course, of which I won’t go into detail.

But the defined structure that exists and helps a company to thrive also presents a few challenges for a newcomer. Continue reading “Interning With Four Letter Word”

100 Years of Scottish Magazine Publishing

MSc Publishing and MSc Magazine Publishing are proud to be hosting the “100 Years of Scottish Magazine Publishing” exhibition.

This unique exhibition, commissioned by PPA Scotland, shows how our nation’s publications have developed since the early 1900s – displaying a variety of covers alongside nostalgic, contextual descriptions of each period.

To inspire the next generation of magazine publishers, the exhibition will tour Scotland over the coming year, and Edinburgh Napier University is privileged to be its first stop!

The exhibition is curated by PPA Scotland aided by MSc Publishing student Emma Wilson. Programme Leader Avril Gray said, “Our Programme’s strong links with PPA Scotland and the magazine industry at large, highlighted by our accreditation, ensure that we have our finger on the pulse of magazine publishing. Emma did a fantastic job working with PPA Scotland and magazine publishers across the country to create this historic exhibition. We are very proud of her and are absolutely delighted to be the exhibition’s first host on its Scotland-wide tour.”

Nikki Simpson, Business Manager of PPA Scotland, said “This exhibition is a critical part of our centenary celebrations, and in light of the creative partnership with Edinburgh Napier University and its Publishing programmes, it was obvious that they should be the first host. To quote our Chairman, Alan Ramsay of Connect Communications, ‘This historic year allows us to celebrate our industry’s past and also to look ahead to the future, when we can make magazines greater than ever before.’ We look forward to working ever more closely with the University and the Publishing students who will help drive this forward.”

The exhibition will be in the Glassroom at Merchiston Campus from 24 June until 19 July, followed by the Mitchell Library until the end of August, then moving to various locations around the country.

Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
Admission free.

NEW postgraduate magazine launched!

One of the most exciting aspects of the undergraduate and postgraduate Publishing degrees here at Edinburgh Napier University are the live projects.

For the past 3 years, Edinburgh Napier University has been responsible for several student-run projects, specifically book production and book launches. This year we are proud to launch our first Postgraduate Publishing magazine…

buzz… Everything else is just noise.

Independent magazine with a fresh offering of up-close and intimate interviews, capital conversations, style, travel and cultural musings – buzz talks to the city’s twenty-somethings. Say hello to your new seasonal pick-me-up.

buzz magazine is brand new and is produced by MSc Publishing and MA journalism students. Pick up a copy from all Edinburgh Napier University campuses and a number of other locations throughout the city this summer, or browse the latest issue here.