For a lot of people, surfing is not only a sport, it is a lifestyle. The sport has attracted people from all walks life. Some had already built their everyday life around the sport. It has established a whole new culture by itself. With a culture of people with an intense love and commitment to surfing, they have posed themselves as a good market. It is a good niche of people that magazine publishing companies have definitely explored. Here's a list of magazines that have dedicated themselves to the community.

Surfer

John Severson founded this very successful publication from his own garage in the 1960s. It originally served as an accompaniment to his third surf film, Surf Fever. The magazine proved to be a success, prompting Severson to launch The Surfer Quarterly which later on became the Surfer Bi-Monthly. Surfer was such a huge success that it helped to initiate the boom of the surf culture in the 1970s to the 1980s. It has opened the doors between surfers to talk about almost everything that is related to it. 

One important outcome from the magazine was the environmental awareness and movement among the surfers. Articles about marine pollution, reef and harbor conservation have been featured on regular sections. This then has lead to the establishment of the Surfrider Foundation in the 1980s.

John Severson later sold the magazine to Better Living, Inc. Forty-one years later after Surfer was started in his garage; the magazine has undergone several changes in its staff and ownership. The company has also turned itself into a full-sized magazine publishing company.  It has since then hailed as the "surfer's bible."

Pitpilot

Pitpilot covers the British surfing scene. Combining sensible articles with just anything crazy, the magazine aims to be THE British surf magazine. It links up British surfers with the rest of the world.  The magazine has been a hit since only after six months since it started; they already had, in their own words, "a cushy little office in town."

Surf Girl Magazine

In a scene which seems to be dominated by men, surf girl gives it a fresh air. In fact, it is the only widely distributed magazine aimed at the female surfer. Orca Publications in Newquay, Cornwall publishes the magazine. It merges topic from the usual women's magazine like fashion, health and beauty into the surfing culture. Articles on famous female surfers, surfing spots and environmental issues are also featured.

Zigzag Surf Magazine

Zigzag surf magazine is the fourth oldest surf magazine in the world. Started by Paul Naude, Doug MacDonald and Mike Larmont, the magazine was conceived after the team met up with publisher of the Backdoor, a Hawaiian tabloid magazine. The original shop is in the rooftop of Mike Larmont's surfboard factory.  The magazine was later sold to Craig Sims and Rob Von Wieringen in 1988.  Presently, the team of John McCarthy and Will Bendix publishes the magazine.

Wave Action Surf Magazine

Like the other magazines, wave action surf magazine started out humbly, in a small apartment in Huntington, California. Surfers Mike Freihofer and Pete Rocky pioneered the magazine while still working for another magazine publishing company, International Surf. With two other friends, Tracy Mikulec and Jake Knight, they launched Wave Action Surf Magazine in 1993. The magazine publishing company went on successfully thereafter, creating four more publications.

Wave Action surf magazine initiated the idea for other publications to look out for the next top surfers by releasing an "All Grom Issue" with the article "Hot 100." 

Magazine Publishing is a good business to get into. However, the industry is quite cluttered these days in the sense that it is becoming more and more difficult to find a new formula that can beat the already existing titles. Add to that the pressure of competing against giants in the industry who have been around for so many years along with the new players who seem to have bottomless finances that they can afford to experiment with different titles before retaining the one that will bring them the highest return investment. That is how cutthroat it will be for someone who decides to join the foray.

Still, businessmen do not count out magazine publishing as a possible venture and no one can blame them. For one, who has not seen the hit series Ugly Betty? Watching it alone can convince you that running a magazine is a wonderful challenge. Yes, it is not all glamorous but there is money in it for the Mead family to be that rich. In the real world, some of the old magazine magnates have sold their shares but the point is someone else is buying it and it's not like they bought these companies at a cheap price. So there, now that you are quite sold to start up your own magazine you want to know what should be the first step.

You have to play with concepts first and you can start by brainstorming in your own. The mere interest in joining this world would suggest that you actually like reading magazines. Keep up with the reading but complement it with reading articles about what goes on behind the cover stories and what in general is happening to your favorite titles. After that then you can go about observing other people and what they read. Do not stick to one area, go out of your comfort zone and check out what the rest of the people are reading. These exercises will help you a lot in coming up with fresh ideas.

When you have already picked certain interesting niche concepts then choose the one that you think you are more interested in and capable of handling as well because interest alone will not be enough. If you feel like sense and style are your strengths then go on fashion lifestyle but you have to figure out to veer away from what is already there. If music is your passion then think of ways on how you can beat Rolling Stones. As mentioned earlier, this is no easy endeavor you are taking so be very prepared. It is best to start off with a very strong concept and then you can wing it afterwards.

Magazine publishing concepts are bountiful but again a word of caution because it is in pinpointing the one thing that works best for your decided target market that will spell your ultimate success or doom. Upon learning that, make sure that you invest time and energy in coming up with that winning concept. It sound daunting but if you think you have it then do not be afraid.

Rest assured that when you have that concept thing covered then it is safe to say that you are already halfway to making your business work and which can also mean future success is not far along.

Magazine publishing is a multi-billion dollar industry. What other industry could you find that caters to every niche of market there is? It is no wonder that careers in magazine publishing would be as prolific as the type of magazine there is.  Here's an overview of the different type of professions for anyone who considers making a career in this industry.

Editorial/Writing

For anyone who has flair for writing, a career in magazine publishing is an easy one.  A good start is to work as an intern in a magazine publishing company. Though this is the least fabulous of all the positions, it will provide you training and connections in the industry. It would also be helpful if you would have a folio that it always on hand. One may also start in an entry-level position as an editorial assistant. Aside from writing, rewriting and copyediting, certain office duties may also be asked.  You could then work your way up to being an associate editor, managing editor, executive editor and finally, an editor-in-chief!

Marketing

If you are meticulous, could communicate well and could convince people into an idea or a brand in ways other than writing, then you could have a spot in marketing. Through marketing, you make sure that you make your market hear what the magazine wants them to hear.  You must then know how to harmonize the behavior and trends of your market with your publications. This may involve overseeing the sales, the distribution of the publication as well as what kind of articles goes into the magazine.

Production

This is the actual production of the magazine. You must be very keen with the details, the deadline and the technology that goes with it.  Production is used to be associated with machineries and heavy equipment.  However now, production goes beyond the tangible paper and ink. Online publishing have changed the way magazines are produced.  Production now also involves a great deal of information technology skills.

Design

Other than writing, you could also channel your creativity by being involved with the design of the magazine. Magazines rely heavily on the aesthetics, not only for sales, but also as an alternative way for expression. The design of the magazine also helps it to turn into a brand. Magazines like Time have a signature red border on its cover while the National Geographic has a yellow border.

Sales

Just like any business, magazine publishing also has a concern with sales.  However, there is more to it than simply being able to sell. You need to be charismatic, diplomatic and to have integrity. Building good relationships with your clients is important. Aside from people skills, you also need to develop your analytical skills in studying market reports and sales. You have to know how will your ads will be effective to your magazine and its market.

There are many career paths to choose from in the magazine publishing industry. You may have a proven ability for writing or graphic design but a university degree would be, if not mandatory, extremely helpful. Keep in mind that magazine publishing also involves corporate work and that companies do want to present a professional image to the market.

Just make sure that the degree that you'll be having or is already pursuing is relevant to the industry.  If you are still undecided of which field to choose, it is highly recommended that you take an internship in a magazine publishing company. You may not start out glamorous (think Andy Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada) but you'll definitely learn a lot. In time, you'll learn the tricks of the trade and you'll be on your way to the top.   

Getting issues from a magazine Publishing is an ideal gift for anyone these days because it encourages that person to read. It may be thinner than a book but it has stories, tips and ideas which people can learn and apply.

For one, children who want to learn about animals can look through it. Parents can do the same as there are magazines which cater to good parenting, interior design, cooking and a lot more available in newsstands and stores.

Another benefit of subscribing to a magazine is that you get to save a few dollars paying for it for 6 months to one year in advance instead of getting this monthly. Some of these are 45% to 50% cheaper than those being sold in the newsstands.

This is delivered right to your door free of charge and once the subscription expires, you may decide to cancel or continue getting copies from the magazine publication.

You can subscribe to a magazine by filling up the form that is attached to the magazine you have or look for one that matches the interest of the person online.

Some children's magazine worth subscribing to includes Action Comics, Disney Magazines, Crosswords and Kids Discover. For teenagers, you can try Seventeen, Boys Life Magazine, American Cheerleader and Guidepost.

For students in college, perhaps nursing or the American Journal of Medicine. If this is too heavy, then offer some more mature publications such as Time, the Financial Times, Life, Popular Mechanics and a lot more.

The right magazine to get should be something they really like. If you have no idea, ask someone close to them so you don't subscribe to something they will not even bother to read. Another will be to ask that person what he or she loves to read which is much better than snooping around their room as this will likely be perceived as an invasion of their privacy.

The nice thing about magazines is that unlike clothes or other items you may buy, they will never go out of style. It is a one size fits all kind of thing unlike others which have to be returned so can use it.

Another reason why these will never be outdated is the fact that those who are responsible for producing these publications always have something new to offer and you can always order a back issue if you missed something a few months ago.

If the person you gave the magazine gets to appreciate the gift, chances are others will also feel the same way when you decide to give the same thing. Chances are this person will likely read something else so you just have to know their hobbies.

A lot of people for instance love cars because of how it looks and the way it powers down the road. If this is something they like, the only problem will be choosing which one to subscribe to as they are so many to choose from.

Getting someone issues from a magazine publishing as a gift is good because you are able to impart with them some knowledge. This may be just a hobby or part of their job which is worth knowing. The important thing is getting good value for money with something you know for a fact is their interest.  

Magazine publishing is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. More and more people are getting into the magazine publishing business, acknowledging the widening influence and scope of magazines. You only need to look around to see just where the industry stands now.

When before there are only magazines for beauty and clothes, now there are magazines for every conceivable subject in the planet. There are magazine for crafters and those who are gaga over scrapbooking. There is one about coin collection and antiques. There is even one that tackles the not so well known subject of ikebana.

Magazines have started to do niche marketing where they target specific readers. This is easier to do as few people will need to be informed about it.  Marketing, advertising and sales will not be as huge a deal as the marketing involved with magazines that have a diverse target market. In fact because of this, magazines that target a town or a community are also being put up to cater to smaller readers.

But putting up a magazine publishing is not as simple as it seems. It is hard to do and sometimes a headache to organize. But if you know the market and already know what to expect, starting a magazine can actually be easy to do. Here are some tips on how to put up a magazine publishing without having to go through the aches and pains in the head.

1. Look for a good market of readers

With a lot of magazines available, it will be hard to find a target of readers that have not been addressed yet. And if ever, you find one, chances are the magazine for that niche was already created years ago, only that it did not work. But hey, nobody said that you too will not succeed. When you look for target readers do not just stop on the demographics. Research on the articles that they want to see in magazines. Zero in on the products that they feel they will be able to use.  You can even make a survey on the people that they want to be featured or the people in the field that they look up to.

2. Look for famous columnists

One secret to promoting your magazine and thus ensuring the success of the venture is to look for famous people in the industry. Their names are often enough to pull some readers into buying your magazine. They will also be able to help in marketing your magazine through word of mouth and industry news. Once everybody finds out that a recognized expert in the field is writing for a magazine, they will buy the magazine even just out of curiosity. It will be a nice start.

2. Content

Even with the biggest name in the field in your magazine, without good content, your magazine will go nowhere. The number one selling point of any magazine is the articles that you will find within. Remember that having big names is just the introduction. What you need is to sustain the interest with features that they can relate to and use. To do this, you also need to hire good writers in the field. Pick one who does not only write well but one who has interests in the field. 

Working for a magazine is the ultimate dream job for most writers especially for girls who dream of getting those freebies and attending those exclusive events. But magazine publishing is not just about the events and the giveaways, it is about writing articles that readers of the magazines will respond to and relate to. This can be hard to do especially if your events are not really worth writing about.

Behind every page of the magazine is blood sweat and tears of the stuff. After all the fun, staffers will need to get back to reality and work on the material that they have gathered. They now have to write the article, do follow up interviews and even stay for layout and proofreading.

So before you apply for any magazines, here are some things that you need to know first. Read on and it might save you from going into a field that is not really for you.

1. Hard work

People only see the glamour behind the job but work in a magazine publishing is far from glamorous. For instance, you may get all the freebies for skin care but you have to sacrifice sleep in order to finish a deadline, harming your skin even more. With their stressful jobs and odd hours, these people really need skin care products!

2. Additional expenses

Pulling out clothes for fashion shoots may seem fun. After all, it's like shopping without having to pay for your choices. But wait until you yourself do the deed. You will be carrying armloads of clothes, shoes and accessories all in one day or look for unique fashion finds until your feet kills you. And be careful with staining the dress or ruining the material of the shoes. A small damage will mean paying for clothes that are beyond your monthly clothing budget. Some clothes will even be more expensive than your annual income.

3. Socializing with people you don't know

The job will also entail attending events and parties. This is great for people who love the party scene and those who are exactly into the party circuit. But if you are the kind of person who would rather stay at home and read a book, this job may not be for you. Hobnobbing with the rich and the famous without genuine interest may come out as contrived and false. This is not good for your reputation and for reputation of the magazine that you work for.

4. Overlapping deadlines

If you think you will just be given one assignment in a week, think again. Most writers will have several coverages in a day! And what is more, they are expected to write all of them. If it has a time element, the stories may even be published in one issue.

5. Boring coverage

Not all events are fun and happening. In your job, there will be events that are super boring and worthless. But no matter how bad the event is, you need to write about it as it is your job. So if you are not creative enough to come out with something out of nothing, magazine publishing is not for you. You need to be able to find a connection between things that are not really there in the first place.

Sounds tough? It is. So it's definitely not for everyone.

One very important component of magazine publishing is circulation. It is probably just as important as your magazine itself. After giving so much of your time and energy coming up with concepts and finally choosing the one that you think will do your wonders then you of course proceed to promoting your magazine. You think you have the dream team of a marketing and publicity committee.

Their plans and grandiose and the initial implementation seem to point in the direction of a popularity explosion. Soon your magazine will be known everywhere but wait, are your magazines out on the stands already? Will your target consumers be able to buy it anytime and anywhere they can think of purchasing it? These are questions that can be addressed by your circulation department, a team which should be just as brilliant as your other teams.

When you launch a magazine, it is very important that you have very good circulation managers who are great at determining the best circulation points and as well as great in teaming up with circulation partners. Let us start off with circulation points. Your research and other important details behind the forming of the magazine will be very important to the circulation team.

Your target market's hobbies and interests in short their psychographics and demographics will play a major role in ticking off which places should be considered as circulation points. Identifying these areas is crucial as an initial step. The next steps will be determinant of the decisions made from there.

Moving on to the circulation partners, this step entails sending out letter and meeting up with major distribution areas or establishments. This will include the country's biggest bookstores or 24 hour chains. These two establishments are probably two of the most important deals you can ink. Now if you have identified certain key cities or hang outs where you are sure most of your target readers or subscribers reside or go to often then work on penetrating those as well. If you believe in your magazine and what it brings then your job of convincing these people will be easier. And when you have finally convinced them then you also have to make sure that you deliver copies on time.

Why is prompt delivery essential? In magazine publishing, it is in your best interests if you are on the stands first because there is a higher chance that people will buy whatever new issue is out already and available. Should there be any instance wherein you have the same celebrity on the cover of your magazine as your rival or you carry the same top stories, it is a greater advantage if you are seen first.

Being seen first means you completed everything first so it kind of brings about the notion that you had the scoop first. On the other hand if your magazines arrive late then there is a chance, no matter how fabulous your content is, that your consumers are no longer interested in shelling out money if they already have their stash and on something that came out late.

They say there is no business like show business but show business is not all there is because judging from everything that is written here there is also nothing else like the world of magazine publishing.

A magazine publishing is a great source of information and entertainment. Depending on the contents, magazines are generally classified into categories, targeting different readership.

General interest magazines - They are distributed with the most readerships on the minds of publishers. They are often tailored to go well with the topics which a common man would actually like to read. Stories that are easy to read and often gratify the interests of the general public are mostly the contents of such publications.

This kind of magazine publishing caters to a reader with a specific idea of what kind of information each page has to present. It may focus on a singular subject throughout the pages or cover many different ones, accordingly to the target readers' intents. The main idea of a magazine that falls under the general interest kind is to entertain, endorse and sell products and promote readership viewpoints.

Scholarly / academic magazines - They present information focusing on the educational. They provide the targeted readership with information in detail, often written by scholars, specialists or researchers in different fields. Articles are written using a technical or specialized vocabulary.

The main purpose of this magazine is to teach and provide data in researches. Charts, graphs or tables often accompany articles; little or no photos and other forms of graphics are used, except in cases tackling visual arts or architecture.

Trade / professional magazines - Magazines of the trade or professional kind are distributed to a very specific readership, usually managers, businessmen and those identified with trade and industry. Some of these magazines are not available to the general consumer, and the subscription is, as a rule, directed to people in the trade. This is also to ensure that any form of advertising contained in such publication reaches the target end user.

Most of the articles, news and commentaries in this magazine are written by specialists or journalist. It is issued weekly or monthly to catch up with the fast changes occurring in the trade arena. Since this caters to a particular professional or occupational group, keeping them abreast with the current trade and industry sure counts a lot.

News magazines - This kind of magazine publishing is often distributed on a weekly basis, and is directed towards a broad readership. It intends to provide the consumers with a singular source of news, current events and other topics that are in demand.

News magazines generally tackle something more in detail, as compared to the stories presented by newspapers. Rather than just the facts, magazines like this give the readers an understanding of the context around significant events in the society. They are available at newsstands, bookstores and by subscription.

Sensational magazines - Magazines of the sensational kind are inclined to creating a stir. They are usually thinner than most magazines, but larger in size and almost looking like a newspaper. Designed for attracting the attention of the consumers, they use flashy headlines written across the pages in huge font sizes. Most of the articles are related to celebrities and other stories that are astounding to their target readership. 

There are usually more pictures in here than written pieces. More often than not, the vocabulary used is elementary; some might even consider the stories they carry provocative and scandalous. Freelance writers or staffers write such articles. A magazine publishing of the sensational kind is generally referred to as tabloid.

Since the first magazine was issued in 1731, the magazine publishing industry has flourished. Backed by a market that is almost endless, it boomed to become a multi-billion dollar industry. With an appeal that is attractive, easy and personal, people are drawn to this kind of media and so as the advertisers. Consumer magazines continue to grow and to be diverse. Here's the list of some of the most successful publications in the United States.

Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest is one of America's highly successful general interest magazines. It was founded in 1922 by Lila Bell Wallace and DeWitt Wallace. Though the magazine is only roughly half the size of a regular subscription magazine, Reader's Digest has reached a wide audience not only in America but also the rest of the world. It is published in 50 editions in 21 languages and was hailed as the best-selling consumer magazine in the United States. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc. ranks sixth in the top 25 magazine publishing companies in terms of annual revenue.   

The National Geographic Magazine

The National Geographic Magazine is the official publication of the National Geographic Society and has become one of its major outputs since then. It features articles about science, history, archeology, and just in the recent years, travel and adventure. From its first issue in 1888, the magazine has reached readers throughout the world with thirty-two language editions. Aside from its articles, the magazine itself has been known for its photography and the trademark yellow border on its cover.  The magazine has been awarded with the General Excellence Award in 2007 by the American Society of Magazine Editors.

PC World

The PC World is the flagship publication of the International Data Group.  It was launched in 1982 and the first issue was released on March 1983. Most of the pioneer staff of the magazine came from the PC Magazine. The magazine mainly features reviews of the different software, hardware and services on the computer market. PC World is published in 51 other countries under different local titles. By 2006, it became the largest-circulating computer magazine in the world.

Popular Mechanics

Popular Mechanics is a magazine devoted in bringing trends and news in science and technology in the mainstream media. It was first published in January 11, 1902. In 1950s, the Hearst Corporate Communications took the magazine under its wing.  Together with other prominent publications like Good Housekeeping, the Hearst Corporate Communication is one of the leading magazine publishing companies in the USA.

Time Magazine

By far, Time magazine is still the largest magazine in terms of the annual revenue despite a drop of 3.4 M in 2007.  A part of time magazine's success was its writing style. It is able to integrate in its weekly issues a range of topics, from the serious and political, to the light and popular. Its signature articles are the Time Person of the Year, and the more recent, Time 100 which features the 100 most influential people of the year. On the later part of 2007, the magazine has done revisions in order to reach a younger generation

Despite advances in communications and technology, magazine publishing is still a thriving industry. It had a revenue growth of 1.5% in 2007. The onset on online advertising and publication has been one of the major competitors for its advertisers. Nonetheless, it still proves to be one of the handy and enjoyable forms of media accessible to a very large market.

Studies have shown that young people are becoming more and more enterprising. The kinds of businesses that they get into are also becoming more and more mainstream but with a touch of innovation. This is very interesting to note and also very positive in the sense that we know the youth of today, despite the hard times, are looking into themselves and are becoming pro-active in terms of carving out something for themselves.

One of the businesses that seem to be a favorite of the young people is magazine publishing. Not only is that, those who actually ventured into the business also getting good results out of their efforts.

It is not surprising that magazine publishing will be noticed and considered by the teens, the college kids and the young adults because they are surrounded by different titles that claim to address their needs. These segments of society actually save up or set aside money for their favorite magazines. It is not enough that they borrow from their friends. They want to have their own copies.

Some even go as far as to collect that means they cannot afford to miss any issue so chances are those who can afford actually subscribe. This is a very strong insight to anchor on because here one can see the ability of the young to find a way to get what they want.

As mentioned earlier, these magazines seek to reach out to these segments. If one person from that segment then decides to open up her now because she feels like she is able to understand her peers more then her assumption can be very valid. Who knows better what teenagers are going through than teenagers themselves right?

You can gather the most competitive editorial stuff but you are not guaranteed a content that will appeal to teenagers but when teenagers pool together their experiences then chances are most likely whatever they get out of it is a universal truth for the rest of them. This is one key reason why the young people are a success in magazine publishing.

It is also an issue these days about how the magazine industry is sending the wrong messages to young people like how they glorify really thin models or generally how they say that one has to look beautiful all the time. Worst they have their own definition of beautiful and cascade it like everyone else has to look the same in order to be considered in the same league. More and more young people are rebelling on these notions. They ask why can't the media be more appreciative of individual differences and be less judgmental. These concerns fuel them to come up with their own opinions and rightly so.

Magazine publishing is no easy industry but with the right insight, you can go a long way. You just have to find the right people and the right goal to guide you along and again this can only be possible if you started off with the right insight in mind. It is wise then to invest a lot on research and to go give time to test this research so that you will be able to start at the right foot.

It would sure be an easier road when you have that accomplished,