Linda Gardiner's Literary Magazine Marketing Calendar

Two projects per month are proposed; you can scale the level of activity up or down depending on the amount of time you can devote to marketing; but try to implement at least one of these projects at least every other month. Some are seasonal, some can be done any time of year. Some are timed to coincide with the publication of an issue, assuming publication is quarterly.

January

• Develop or upgrade your website: offer subs, samples or single copies, and subscriber service such as address change processing (be sure to advertise that you have a site wherever possible). Check out other sites and borrow or adapt their ideas.
• Collect up all the prospect names you acquired in the second half of last year (via the website, conferences, back issue requests, etc.) and mail your brochure to them with a follow-up letter. Track the mailing.

February

• Research conferences and other good publicity events upcoming in the next six months or so; call or write for info about exhibiting and decide which to attend. Find out if any of your writers or fellow-publishers are going to any of these and line them up to help out.
• Approach your department or institution and propose a gift subscription program for graduating seniors in English, Creative Writing or whatever is appropriate.

March

• Mail solicitations to your subscribers encouraging them to give your mag as a graduation gift.
• In conjunction with publishing your spring issue, mail a gift subscription solicitation to your contributors.

April

• Call bookstores where you sell best and discuss premium plans or other special deals.
• Research small, highly targeted mailing lists that may work well for you, especially if they’re available free or on exchange.

May

• Order the lists you've decided on, mail out sample copies or brochure with a cover letter and BRE as soon as possible after you get the lists (lists age quickly). Track the mailing.
• Develop or update your list rental data sheet and a list of prospects for list rental sales, and mail or telemarket to them.

June

• Update your website if you haven't done it since January - be sure to add new material of some sort or change the look, even if the basic service component doesn't change.
• In conjunction with publishing your summer issue, mail a gift subscription solicitation to your contributors.

July

• Research conferences etc. for second half of year, as in February.
• Mail a survey to your readers for feedback, demographics, etc., ideally with a premium of some sort for responding.

August

go to the beach...

September

• In conjunction with publishing your fall issue, mail a gift sub solicitation to your contributors.
• Collect up all the prospect names you acquired in the first half of the year and mail your brochure to them with a follow-up letter. Track the mailing.

October

• Mail a holiday season gift subscription offer to subscribers, authors and donors or other friends.
• Research potential subscribers among college faculty via the Internet; mail samples or brochures out to them, and telemarket if you think you can develop bulk classroom sales.

November

• Mail to your donors and loyal subscribers soliciting end-of-year donations.
• Evaluate your marketing materials - cover letters, flyers, brochures, website, renewal notices, list rental information, etc. - and decide which need reworking in the coming year.

December

• In conjunction with publishing your winter issue, mail a gift sub solicitation to your contributors.
• Evaluate all the marketing efforts of this year in terms of return on investment of time and money; plan for the coming year.

And of course throughout the year you should be mailing renewals, turning your writers into subscribers and givers, putting out your inter-issue newsletter if you publish infrequently, attending conferences and other events, and spreading the word about your publication in every way you can.

Copyright (c) by Linda Gardiner, 1999

This resource was originally developed for the NYTAP program by Linda Gardiner and was presented by her at a workshop entitled “CLMP 101: Marketing Basics for Literary Magazines” on April 17, 1999, at the Literary Magazine and Small Press Conference at AWP’s annaul meeting.