Five tips to run your magazine on time

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” Douglas Adams, English science fiction novelist.

If you're in charge of your association magazine or newsletter, chances are you've heard that ‘whooshing’ sound before.

Maybe you've been scrambling for last-minute articles, or awaiting approval from a fastidious CEO, or perhaps your graphic designer has caught the flu.

Sometimes delays are unavoidable, but you can reduce your blood pressure - and even have fun putting the magazine together - by following these five simple tips.

1. Create a forward features list
If your filing system for story ideas consists of a pile of papers in your in-tray, you might feel a bit frantic when it comes to preparing content for your association magazine. A forward features list will give you a headstart.

To create a forward features list, sit down and brainstorm story ideas. Then create a Word or Excel document and use the upcoming editions as headings, eg Autumn, Winter, Spring, Summer. Under each of these headings, pencil in the story ideas.

They don't have to be set in stone - you can always change them around or not use them at all. However, you'll be surprised at how this simple task will help you to find homes for other story ideas as they crop up. Add these to the list as they come along and, before you know it, you'll have half a magazine's worth of story ideas each time you start to plan the next edition.

2. Create a flatplan
Map out the whole magazine by using a simple tool called a flatplan. This helps you see all the pages of the magazine at a glance and is an easy way to see how many stories you need.

Start by filling in the sections that you would like to include. Include regular pages such as cover, contents page, new members list etc. Then place pages for ads (if you have them). What you have left is the space for stories and pictures. All you need to do is gather enough content to fill in the blanks.

You can always change around the pages along the way, but creating a flatplan at the beginning will give you a good idea of how much work is required. Best of all, it will reduce the chances of chasing too many stories - or discovering right on deadline that you don't have enough.

Download a flatplan. PDF version | Excel version

3. Work out how many words fit on a page
When planning your association magazine, an old adage rings true: “You can't manage what you can't measure.” The simple knowledge of how many words fit to a page can make all the difference when you're chasing or editing stories.

Choose a page from a past edition that is essentially all text, and count the number of words. Then choose a page with less text - including a heading or image - and count the words on this page, so you know how much allowance you need to make for images.

If you know how many words fit on a page, you can plan the magazine more accurately. You can also save time when editing contributions from members or experts. These contributors may be trusted and experienced in their field, but may not necessarily be good writers. Providing a word limit up front can save you hours on re-writing paltry prose or cutting down a thesis-like exposition.

4. Have a few stories up your sleeve
This doesn't mean deliberately writing extra stories that you don't need - who has time for that? However, occasionally you might edit an article that doesn't fit into the magazine, or you might come across some story ideas that are relevant for your members but aren't time-sensitive. Keep these in a special file to use in case of emergency, so you won't have to tear your hair out to find a last-minute story to fill a gap.

5. Have a realistic production schedule
Nowadays we're used to high-speed communication. With email, the internet and mobile phones, we're used to things happening immediately. So it can be frustrating to sign off on a print proof and wait for weeks until the magazine is received in the mail.

A common mistake is to have unrealistic production schedules, hoping that once all the hard work of content and design is done, the magazine is essentially ‘finished’ and will be sent out straight away.

As a general guide, production timeframes are:

• From design approval to receiving printers proofs: 1-3 days
• From printers proofs sign-off to delivery to the mail house: 5-7 days
• Mail preparation: 2-3 days
• Letterbox delivery by Australia Post: 2-3 days

Therefore production usually takes two to three weeks. Build this time into the planning process and you won't be anxious when your boss asks “why is the printing taking so long?”