Yallah Magazine
Publish This! Segment 7
Publisher:
Jackie Tucker, Nika
Boca Raton, FL
http://www.yallahmagazine.com info@yallahmagazine.com
When did
you begin publishing your magazine/newsletter?
I launched Yallah Magazine in fall 2008. I had the idea for
two years before then but with the work schedule I had, it was next to
impossible for me to begin this project. I didn’t want it to be mediocre, so I
waited for the time to be right. I made the sacrifices necessary in other areas
to get it done and I have no regrets.
Why do
you do it?
I do it because I know that beyond the physical aspect of
the dance - the movements, the technique - there are so many other layers that
many of us as students of the dance do not know about or don’t even think
about. I want to get to those other layers, I want to know the hows, whos and
whys and share what I’ve gathered with everyone.
What do
you want to accomplish with your publication?
I hope that Yallah will educate as well as entertain. I
want it to be one of the best belly dance printed publication based on its
content, a publication loved by belly dancers yet it brings awareness to the
art form to those who have the wrong perception of it.
What do
you feel is the criteria for a publisher in our business and what are your own
credentials?
A publisher, along with knowing how to put a magazine
together, should have a general interest or basic background in the dance but
honestly, it is not required. I think it is important to have this interest
because that’s the first way of knowing your target audience and choosing
relevant content for the publication. You have to be out there also to know the
people, to experience the workshops and the different events. I have had
several years working for a publication company so I have the experience of
dealing with editorial, design and printing. I have been in the belly dance
world for 6 years, so even though it’s not decades of experience, I still have
the general idea of what this community is about.
Why have
you continued, year after year – or in other words, what is it that motivates
you to continue?
Maybe in a few more years I’ll be able to answer this
question because we are still in our infancy.
Now I am motivated by the people who send me emails and
letters to say they love the magazine, they loved the story done on a
particular subject or on a person who was featured. I am also motivated by my
own personal interest to learn all that I can about the art form. This includes
its origin, the people, the culture, and of course the vast influences that
includes other dance styles to create fusions.
Are you a
Local Publication? Regional? National? International?
Yallah started out as a local publication in Florida but
quickly changed/added some of the content because of the feedback we were
receiving from across the nation and internationally. It’s strongly Florida
based because of all the great dancers here but now we are growing nationwide.
I was dancing for four years with Maja before I started
Yallah. I still attend classes and workshops as often as I can.
Did you
have previous publishing experience before your publication?
Yes, as earlier stated, I have been working for a
publishing company for nine years before I started my own publication so I had
the background.
How do
you pick your staff; writers, editor?
We have a managing editor that has over thirty years
combined experience as a former teacher and publication editor; she helps me
choose writers. We are very
selective because we want the best for our readers. Our staff writers usually
have several years of experience in journalism, writing for magazines and
newspapers.
What do
you feel is the “highlight” of your publication? What special features do you
offer in your magazine?
I think the highlight of this magazine is its clean
presentation with the most intense color images. I am a visual person so I
spend a great deal of time selecting images. I love color and the fun thing
about belly dance is that it is so colorful and that’s why I chose to do Yallah
in full color.
We offer a variety of special features each quarter so
readers are always eagerly awaiting their next issue. Our most unique feature? We also do our own cover shoots.
What do
you see as the main difference between a few page newsletter and a magazine? Were
you always been in print? Do you offer the same information online? Have you considered going to online?
I love to see the tangible product, I love feeling the
paper and flipping the pages. I had to do web design in College but I did what
was required of me to make the grade; I never loved it. I intend to start
putting one or two issues online for people to see but as far as going online
with the entire magazine, I would have to say I have no plans to do so right
now.
What was
the cost for your publication’s subscription and how many issues did you print
throughout the year? Did you have specialty issues?
Yallah Magazine is a quarterly publication. Four issues are
for $20.00.
Do you
have anything additional to add?
Visit us online and subscribe. It’s everything a belly
dance magazine should be!
Publisher’s
Bio
Jackie
Tucker (Nika) was born in St Andrew, Jamaica. She loved music, dance and art as a young child. It seemed
quite natural to her mother that as much as she feared that her only child
would grow up to become a starving artist, this way Nika’s gift. Like any good
mother, she bought the brushes, the paints, the sketch pads, the easels and
allowed Nika to explore.
Nika moved to the United States to pursue her studies in
Graphic Design in 1996. She now holds a B.F.A degree in Graphic Design, a B.A.
in Art History and a M.Ed in Foundations in Multicultural Education.
In 2004, Nika began searching for Jamaican dancehall or
reggae dance classes in order to remain connected to her native music and dance
styles. She couldn’t find any of those classes but her search led her to belly
dance. She fell in love instantly with the music and watching her first
teacher, Maja, dancing with the veil. Nika could easily identify with the beats
of drums because it was very much a part of her culture and African roots. She
became addicted ever since.
In 2008 she launched Yallah Magazine that marks the
combination of both her passions, the love of the visual arts and the love of
belly dance.
