iShimmy.com - Featured Articles - Publish This! Segment 1

Zaina on the Cover of Jareeda
September 1994
I remember how thrilled I was to be asked

In this techno-dominated world, how do “print” publications keep up – compete? That was the question I asked myself long before the iPad, Nook, or even iPhone. I had invested my “savings” into producing/printing a trade publication that I had hoped would build to not only a financial success, but a news-worthy publication – one of substance – one that the reader would be excited to hold in hand and read.

And for the last few years “The Belly Dancer Magazine” was in print, we had a website featuring the content from the previous issue rather than the "then" current issue. When I saw the direction technology was going, and with printing costs eating me alive, rather than wait until it hit me square in the face, I jumped in and moved from a print publication to be fully online with the thought I would have to keep up in this world of apps, droids, and electronic gadgets. And so the short story of “iShimmy.com”, The Belly Dancer Magazine.

I did not change my thought as to content, but rather felt the move to online made the most sense, even though admittedly I LOVE to hold a magazine in my hand and read it cover to cover. And every magazine I have ever purchased (Habibi, Arabesque, M.E.D, Middle Eastern Dancer, Jareeda, Zaghareet, MED&CA, The Chronicles, Wiggle Hips, and a few more many of you probably have never even heard of, are all sitting on the shelves of my studio for students and friends to refer to and read. But, my choice has proven to be beneficial on several fronts: I can provide more information to the reader and my frustration with printers is now non-existent.

This last year had me wondering how other publishers of both print and online periodicals, and the readers feel about this new age of news sharing. So, I asked and within this article, produced in segments are some of their, and of course my own thoughts.

I had a pretty good idea of how much information I would be sifting through with this article and “allot” is an understatement. The largest portion of information has come from YOU, the readers and advertisers of our many publications. So, in segments: The Opening Introduction and My Thoughts; Reader Comments via a survey distributed; and individual magazines/online and print that we all know and love (which will be shared separately).

Trade Publications, Magazines, Newsletters and Blogs
What they are and What they aren’t?

So, what is a Trade Publication? What is a magazine vs. a newsletter? Is there really a difference? Well, in my opinion most recently with the rise of “dancer’s personal newsletters” it couldn’t be more clear. Things to consider regarding the differences are, how the materials are distributed, who is doing the writing, who they are writing for – who is the target audience (what are they trying to accomplish with the periodical?).

Magazine: A publication, or alternately referred to as a periodical contains stories and articles, often with pictures included as additional descriptions/examples of information contained in said articles. There are generally multiple authors, some specializing in specific areas and multiple subjects; therefore offering a cross of subjects and information. The audience: usually written for the general public and even if a trade publication, often has the general audience in mind. If a trade publication, you will see more technical jargon and specific trade language. Distribution: available by subscription, newsstands, or online and supported by advertising. Usually in digest or tabloid form or more recently online publications are in full web format. Length: generally dozens of pages, much longer than a newsletter. Online publications are not tied to page length and content can include many more pages. Layout: cover is the main distinction in a magazine. Cover generally includes bullet highlights of information contained inside. Online magazines can have a cover/main page and link to internal pages, or logo and heavy graphics on the main page with columns and articles listed in side or top bars. Printing: The sky is the limit, color or black and white, glossy or matte, small or large.

Newsletter: A publication with articles generally about one main subject, topic or person. Generally considerably smaller in size than the “magazine”. The audience: usually written for a group of people who share a common interest and contains specific trade language that the general public would not easily understand. Distribution: available by subscription to interested parties or members of an organization and supported primarily by subscriptions or organizational fees. Typical format is a letter size including those sent via e-mail. Length: Significantly smaller, from one to a dozen pages. Layout: include the nameplate and one main article up front, with a few trailing. Online newsletters may have snippets of articles with links, and fewer graphics. Printing: generally black and white or some spot color. Online much more freedom for color and graphics.

Trade Publication: Either a magazine or newsletter that is written by authors who are practitioners in a particular field or discipline. The publication is targeted for those who are studying and/or working in those fields.

Blog: A complete or partial website usually maintained and authored by an individual who make regular entries/additions of daily activities, descriptions of events and often share graphics and sometimes video as well as links to other blogs and information. The most recent entries appear first on the list. Some are personal, and others may refer to a specific subject or news event.

The term "weblog" was coined by Jorn Barger on 17 December 1997. The short form, "blog," was coined by Peter Merholz who jokingly broke the word weblog into the phrase we blog in the sidebar of his blog Peterme.com in April or May 1999. Shortly thereafter, Evab Williams at Pyra Labs used "blog" as both a noun and verb ("to blog," meaning "to edit one's weblog or to post to one's weblog") and devised the term "blogger" in connection with Pyra Labs' Blogger product, leading to the popularization of the terms.

An online magazine shares some features with a blog and also with online newspapers, but can usually be distinguished by its approach to editorial control. Magazines typically have editors or editorial boards who review submissions and perform a quality control function to ensure that all material meets the expectations of the publishers (those investing time or money in its production) and the readership.

Online magazines that are part of the World Wide Web, that is, all or part of a website, are sometimes called webzines. An ezine is a more specialized term appropriately applied to small magazines and newsletters distributed by any electronic method, for example, by electronic mail (e-mail). Some social groups may use the terms cyberzine and hyperzine when referring to electronically distributed resources. Similarly, some online magazines may refer to themselves as "electronic magazines" to reflect their readership demographics, and more importantly to capture alternative terms and spellings in online searches.

Many large print-publishers now provide digital reproduction of their print magazine titles through various online services for a fee. These service providers also refer to their collections of these digital format products as online magazines, and sometimes as digital magazines.

Online magazines representing matters of interest to specialists in or societies for academic subjects, science, trade or industry are typically referred to as online journals.

Many general interest online magazines provide free access to all aspects of their online content although some publishers have opted to require a subscription fee to access premium online article and/or multi-media content. Online magazines may generate revenue based on targeted search ads to web-site visitors, banner ads (online display advertising), affiliations to retail web sites, classified advertisements, product-purchase capabilities, advertiser directory links, or alternative informational/commercial purpose.

The original online magazines, ezines and disck magazines, due to their low cost and initial non-mainstream targets, may be seen as a disruptive technology to traditional publishing houses. The high cost of print publication and large web readership has encouraged these publishers to embrace the World Wide Web as a marketing and content delivery system and another medium for delivering their advertiser's messages.

With publishers/editors working on their own publication deadline dates, their submissions here of course had to be worked in around their own hectic schedules. I am so pleased to have their participation and sad that a few could not participate but will make room for them should they have the time to send their information at a later date (the upside to being an online publication). I did personally invite every publication I know about and that I could find wanting as broad a range of information as possible. If you have information about a publication that you would like included, please e-mail me directly and I will contact them asap.

I would like to point out that the above definitions and information do not cover another piece of information sharing in our dance trade and will use Shira.com and Bhuz.com as examples. These websites (and those that are similar), while not considered magazines or ezines by definition, have more content than many magazines. If you have been to these sites you will agree with me when I say, they contain invaluable information about nearly everything in our business including; advertising, blogs, educational content, a chat room, classified ads, and so much more. What we call them I am not sure, but the cream of the crop does come to mind. But I have taken a stab at coining a new word/phrase for them as well as our online publications (and remember, you heard it here first): webbelly

Segment 1: Introduction and Explanations/Definitions – You are HERE
Segment 2: Reader Survey and Answers
Segment 3: Belly Dance New England and Amy Smith
Segment 4: iShimmy.com, The Belly Dancer Magazine and Zaina Hart
Segment 5: Jareeda and Mezdulene (with an add-on from Halima)
Segment 6: Wiggle Hips and the Two Old Bags (Janie and Chris)
Segment 7: Yallah and Jackie Tucker (Nika)
Segment 8: Zaghareet and Sharina

Printed from iShimmy.com

Featured Articles - Publish This! Segment 1