Mary shares secrets of top magazine

WHAT makes church magazines among the best read local newspapers?

The Rural Community Council of Essex was keen to find out, so they invited Great Bentley's church magazine editor, Mary Maskell, along to their workshop in April to share her experience. The Month is delighted to reveal Mary's top tips.
 
1)  Remember that more non-church people will read information about your church if your magazine contains a selection of news and not just church articles. Ask clubs, organisations and individuals
to contribute articles. List relevant local people, services and clubs. The magazine is a lifeline, especially to the housebound.

2)  Decide whether you want your magazine to be purely for your church or integrated with, for example, your local council. Encourage the local council to use the magazine as a means of publicising their
work, and, for example, for consultations and surveys. In return they may well make a donation to the church.

3)  Include a map of your parish. The magazine is an important first link for newcomers.

4)  Try to include articles to interest all age groups. Include a children's page. Diversity
helps to increase your magazine's circulation.

5)  Try not to be too serious. Some humour helps to lighten the tone!

6)  Sell advertising slots. These pay for the production costs and can produce a surplus for the church. But don't set the rates too high or you will lose advertisers; and don't set them too low or you will have too many adverts.

7)  You can run small features on some of your advertisers.

8)  Proof read your magazine thoroughly before you go to print (although some slip through the net and cause great mirth!).

9)  Invest in a good quality copier or printing machine to produce your magazine. It can also be used to print neighbourhood booklets and events programmes for your locality and help to serve the
community as a whole.

10)  Enlist the help of volunteers to collate, staple the magazines and to help to deliver them to each street.

11)  Decide whether to give your magazine away free of charge or make a nominal charge and give concessions.

Chelmsford Diocese co-sponsors the Essex Community Magazine Awards with Essex Life and the RCCE. Church magazine editors will receive details of how to take part in the summer.

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