Niche publications need to have editorial value

Niche publications are an essential revenue source for anyone in the publishing business, be it a small weekly or a large daily. From an in-paper section to an eight-page tab to a glossy, full-color magazine, niche publications give newspapers the opportunity to expand their editorial coverage and to capture additional advertising dollars in their market.

They can also be the source of snarls, rolled eyes, and mumblings of disgust from reporters and editors when the newsroom is involved in such publications.

While a metropolitan paper may have writers on staff to handle just such projects, those of us at smaller publications know that responsibility is placed on the reporters and editors also charged with getting the newspaper out every day.

Being an optimist by nature, I always try to look for the positives in these situations. Here’s my reasoning: The success of niche publications contributions to the success of the newspaper, which in turn, can benefit the newsroom through opportunities for additional training resources, software and hardware upgrades, or new staff members.

We tried a number of publications over the years to target different markets, but one that has been successfully from an advertising and editorial standpoint has been a dining publication we produce – Menu & More.

The Reno-Tahoe area is a great mix of residents and visitors that come for a few days, a few weeks or a few months to enjoy our main seasons – summer and winter. Being in a resort area, we have to target our publications even more finely to take advantage of our unique position. Dining ranks high among activities for visitors, second homeowners and locals in our area, and Menu & More serves that niche.

The publication comes out twice a year – before the December holidays for the winter ski season and in mid-June before the start of the summer recreation season in Tahoe. It’s a glossy, full-color magazine printed as a come and go – that is with dual covers. One side covers all of Lake Tahoe and features a Tahoe cover, while the other covers the Reno-Sparks area and features a Reno cover.
While we’ve had to adjust the publication in the down economy, the name recognition of the magazine, along with the strong editorial content has given us a strong foothold in a competitive publishing market.

If you’re thinking about starting a new publication or revamping an existing one, here are some of the things I consider when judging a publication for its editorial value:

Serve the reader – Focus on the editorial content of niche publications in such a way to server your readers. Look for interesting angles and unique stories. For instance, writing about choosing flowers for an upcoming wedding magazine may not be in the most fascinating topic, but talking to a couple who had a Cowboy-themed wedding complete with hay bales, pickup trucks, and cowboy boots and hats as part of the décor is.

Balance editorial with advertising needs – Yes, you’ll have to cross the threshold into the advertising manager’s office to talk about ideas and approaches for the publication. I know some editors are cringing at this thought, but suck it up and do it. I regularly get good story ideas I might use in the niche publication, or in the newspaper. Ask the ad manager for a list of suggested contacts. This will save the reporters help in trying to find sources on stories, and the paper’s advertisers will appreciate the opportunity to be included in a story.

Play on reporters’ strengths – Try to pair story assignments with the interests and strengths of each reporter; it will make the pill easier to swallow. Assign the health reporter to write several stories for a health publication, but maybe spare them on the sports preview section. This makes use of his or her talents and interests in covering the health beat, while giving them a “break” from the next section, which they might really dislike.

Make good use of stringers – Niche publications are the perfect place to use stringers, taking some of the workload off the reporters. Always be on the lookout for stringers for feature writing. It’s difficult to find stringers to cover a board meeting, but give them five feature stories for a glossy magazine on wedding planning and they’re excited to be a part of the newspaper.

Allow your staff some creative freedom – I like to use creative approaches in niche publications. Get together with the photographer and the person who will be designing the publication and talk about ideas. They’ll appreciate the opportunity to try something more creative. I’m a stickler about adhering to the newspaper’s design on a daily basis, but I enjoy the creative opportunities that niche publications allow us.

Plan, plan, plan – When possible, I like to give reporters at least a month (six weeks is better) to work on feature stories for niche publications. This gives them the opportunity to plan to work on the stories when it best fits into their busy schedules without having to rearrange interviews that may have taken several weeks for them to set up.