What can an editorial board
do for you?
Think an editorial
board is more trouble than it's worth? Think again.
Here's how your magazine can benefit —
and some tips on getting started.
by Robin Sherman, Editor,
ASBPE Editor's Notes
When I was editorial director for a large business and trade
magazine publishing company most of our publications had editorial
advisory boards.
Each served a different function for its respective magazine.
One magazine’s board determined the content of each issue,
much like an academic refereed journal. Another had so many
board members, primarily for "show," that it was never
really possible to formally use them or get them all involved
with the publication in any kind of depth.
And yet another magazine was determined not to have an editorial
board. I heard a variety of reasons for this. The editor had
become an expert in his own "write" (pardon the pun).
The publisher didn’t think a board could help with the
marketing and sales efforts. Besides, they said, it takes a
lot of effort to make them work well, and there’s so little
return on the investment of time and money.
Well, I submit to you that good things come to those who work
for them. Has there been a very careful examination of the advantages
of having an editorial advisory board?
When used properly, editorial boards can, in fact, reap major
editorial and marketing benefits for your magazine. For editorial,
they can help guide editors to sources of information, point
out trends in the marketplace, or help ensure the appropriate
direction for an article. For marketing, editorial boards lend
credibility and authority to our magazines — an important
promotional message.
So, here are some guidelines, which might be controversial
relative to the particular political environment at your magazine.
In fact, these were created to fit the climate at my former
company. My role as editorial director for our 30 magazines,
in part, was one of raising the editorial standards for the
entire company.
1. Planning and Selection. All editorial advisory
board planning must be done in consultation with the editorial
director. Editorial boards must serve the functional needs of
the editor and be working boards. It should be construed that
membership on the board is also an honor.
The editor and publisher should agree on the selection of board
members. Normally, board members come from the magazine’s
readership. If the correct people are chosen, your magazine
becomes a more authoritative and respectable product.
2. Composition. The board should be composed
of 8 to 12 highly respectable and authoritative leaders representing
different segments of your magazine’s market niche. Having
more than 12 people on the board makes it unwieldy, especially
when board meetings are held. Having fewer than eight rarely
provides adequate representation of your industry.
3. Terms. Consider having board members serving
two-year staggered terms, with half the members going off the
board every year, to provide both continuity and fresh ideas.
The exception would be when a magazine is first introducing
a board. Half the members of the first board would serve a one-year
term and the other half a two-year term. Thereafter, each half
serves a two-year term, but half the board is rotated off each
year. Board members who are doing a particularly good job can
be asked to serve an additional term.
4. Invitation. The editor should invite the
individuals to become members of the board. Even though initial
contacts regarding a person’s interest in serving on the
board may be done by telephone, a personalized, formal letter
of invitation must be sent out.
The editor must tell the prospective board member that the
position is both honorary and functional. The responsibilities
of the board, as well as the benefits, must be clearly indicated.
Each letter of invitation should also include the reason why
the magazine is asking the particular individual to serve (their
expertise, years of service to the industry, commitment to excellence,
etc.).
Participation on the board should be beneficial and enjoyable
for the members because they have the chance to shape the direction
of a magazine, give something back to the industry they work
in, and increase their own visibility and prestige within the
marketplace.
5. Promotion to Readers. The name and affiliation
of each board member shall appear on the masthead of the magazine
in each issue. New board members should be formally introduced
to the readership via a published article, which at the very
least would include an introduction explaining the purpose of
the board in general terms and a biography and photograph of
each board member.
6. Board Responsibilities. In consultation
with and approval by the editorial director, the following are
some of the areas in which an editorial board should become
involved:
a) Providing ideas for the direction of the magazine;
b) Providing ideas for feature coverage;
c) Providing manuscript consultation, especially on technical
material;
d) Providing monthly critiques on the content of the magazine;
e) Giving interviews or quotes for writers and editors;
f) Nominating or selecting individuals for magazine-sponsored
awards;
g) Answering questions from readers in an "Ask the Experts"
type of department;
h) Contributing articles for publication or helping the editor
find someone who can;
i) Participating in a roundtable discussion about some hot
topic
j) Serving as guest editor
k) Meeting once a year for a formal editorial board meeting
to discuss trends in the industry (to be published as a panel
discussion in the magazine) and to critique the magazine.
About the author. Robin Sherman was editorial
director for Argus, Inc (now Intertec), Atlanta, Ga. He now
freelances as an editorial and design development consultant
for publishers of books, magazines, newspapers, newsletters,
and web sites. Contact him at (404) 262-2823 or at ShermanRo@aol.com.
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