Action Tips: Create a Magazine

We've got a tip for anyone who leaves the magazine section of bookstores dissapointed: Do it yourself. While this motto doesn't work for operating heavy machinery, it's a perfect approach to raising awareness about a cause.

Find a Focus

Write down what you want your magazine to be about. Ask yourself:

• What cause(s) do I want to focus on?
• Do I want it to be a one-time only deal or part of a series?
• Who is my audience and how can I relate to them best (word, topic, design choice)?

Form a Staff

This is an awesome-sauce way to get your friends involved.

• Assign each friend certain section of your mag.
• Get your computer savvy friends to work on the layout and design.
• Find friends with cameras to take pictures.

Create Articles

Have a writing team meeting to decide on which sections and types of articles you want. You can write informative and opinion articles, how to’s and more. Make sure to add some kick-ass quizzes and memes.

Choose a Design

Get together with the graphic design and photo team to figure out the style of the magazine. Focus on topics such as:

• Consistent colors, borders and text to distinguish your brand
• Cover and page design/layout
• Types of photos

Put it together

Design programs such as InDesign and QuarkXpress are awesome, but mega-expensive (ugh). For those of us who didn’t save our baby-sitting money, use Office Publisher or Microsoft Word. You can also cut and paste the info onto paper and make photocopies.

Pass it Around

Ask your teachers or principle if and when you can hand out your magazine at school. You can even hand them out in parks and local teen hangouts around your neighborhood.