Business: Magazine Makeover

You may not realise it, but the magazine you are holding in your hands is very different to the edition you read two months ago.

Chief amongst the changes that have taken place is the brave decision taken by editor Amy Watson to play UN Ambassador for our two rival areas, uniting ‘My Moseley’ and ‘My Kings Heath’ into one magazine.

“People are rightly very proud of their local identities,” explains Amy, “but there is a great deal of crossover. People from Moseley shop in Kings Heath, Kings Heath residents go out in Moseley. I found I was sharing so much content between the two magazines, it no longer made sense to treat them separately.”

And before the good people of Kings Heath ask why their neighbourhood has been relegated to second place in the title, it’s purely to do with the length of the words, so that they fit better on the cover.

“It’s definitely only a typography decision,” insists Amy, “there’s no favouritism! I live equidistant from both high streets and spend the same amount of time in each area, which is why I wanted to produce just one magazine, celebrating both communities equally.”

And the makeover doesn’t stop at the title - all advertising has also been removed from the front cover.

“I wanted it to look more inviting,” Amy says, “To highlight the editorial content and show people that there was more to the magazine than advertising. The adverts make it financially viable, but it’s the stories that make people open it up and see them. It wouldn’t work if there was nothing worth reading inside.”

And with that in mind, Amy has also bolstered the editorial team. Kings Heath resident Alexandra Taylor has recently left her full time job at a local college to venture into the uncertain worlds of private English tuition and freelance writing. 

“I’m really excited about contributing to the magazine,” she says. “Not only will it help me flex my writing muscles, but also get to know my local community better. It gives me an excuse to be nosy, to go up to people and ask ‘Who are you and what do you do?’. I love finding out what’s going on, and then sharing that with people. I get a real rush out of seeing my words in print and having people say they enjoyed reading my articles.”

Another local resident contributing to the magazine’s revamp is photographer Charles Davis from ‘Professional Photography’. His unique images have been making sporadic appearances for the last two years, but you’ll find a lot more of his work gracing the pages from now on.

“I was born in Hall Green and have lived in the Midlands all my life,” explains Charles. “My work involves a lot of travel as most of my clients are in the south. By building a stronger connection with Swan Publishing, I’m hoping to build up more business in Birmingham.”

“Most of my current work is for commercial clients and especially the automotive industry, but I'd like to do more work for local business, publications, events and special occasions. To make a successful living out of photography, it’s important to be diverse in your approach. Basically, if anyone comes to me with a request and I think I can meet or exceed their expectations, then I'll take the assignment.”

So, have the changes to the magazine been worthwhile? Only you, the people who read it, can answer that question. We’re always interested to hear your comments, both positive and negative, so if you’ve got something to say, please feel free to get in touch.

(Published in 'My Moseley and Kings Heath' July 2013)

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