Partnering with your publisher

Editors should help plan revenue enhancement projects, IndustryWeek’s Richard Osborne tells Cleveland chapter.

by Jennifer Bowen

When blockbuster issues are associated with conferences, awards programs, and other special events, business press editors can face a series of rewarding challenges, said Richard Osborne, editor-at-large for IndustryWeek magazine and a publication consultant. At a recent luncheon of the Cleveland ASBPE chapter, Osborne spoke about the benefits blockbuster issues can bring.

Changing Your Perspective

To successfully build blockbuster issues, Osborne suggests taking a close look at your staff and trusting their expertise. Readers often view business editors as their colleagues and sources of information. By first recognizing their own value, he says, business editors can strongly impact the content and creation of special publications. After recognizing the importance of special events and awards programs, editors must be willing to jump into the game instead of handing over the reins, Osborne says.

Develop YOUR Ideas

The blockbuster issue that will last is the one whose root is sound journalism. Today’s — and tomorrow’s — successful editor ought to be capable of initiating ideas for special programming, Osborne says, and should position him or herself to influence the production of such issues from the beginning. The editor then is integral to the issue’s development.

Once editors recognize the power of partnering and working with the magazine’s publisher, the publication will become stronger, evidenced by increased advertising or recognition in the marketplace. Publishers then will be more likely to budget money for the outstanding journalism that serves both readers and the bottom line, Osborne says. Pride of authorship should keep editors connected to the work throughout the process, he adds. The editor is pivotal in creating a product that displays journalistic integrity while pleasing audience and publisher.

So, How Do You Pull It Off?

Any idea, discovery, plan or theory requires time, planning and patience. The same is true with the development of special programs and publications. Most projects do not achieve overwhelming success immediately. But, as the confidence that was displayed when the issue was simply an idea continues, the concept can gain support.

If your editorial staff still doesn’t believe in the project, fearing it will impinge upon their editorial integrity, sometimes it’s best to just forge ahead with it, Osborne advises. Over time, even a hesitant editor will soon take part, trusting his own merit as a resource in determining editorial content.

The Bottom Line

Special programs and blockbuster issues always will be major components of any successful business publication. The key to creating a profitable resource is recognizing the role of special journalistic programming in the business world, working to build these issues with your publisher and sales staff, and trusting your own expertise.

Tip: Get involved!

The light bulb flashes above your publisher’s head. Oh, oh. You feel a strange idea coming on!

But wait. Maybe you, the editor, can improve upon it. After all, you have information at your disposal. Unleash it! Showcase your expertise! Here are a few tips.

• Trust your expertise — and your staff's — about your marketplace.
• Research and propose your ideas for revenue enhancement.
• Be a player in the game from the initial development so you can control the outcome, which should be a solid journalistic product that readers and advertisers will acknowledge.

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