PUBLISHING YOUR OWN MAGAZINE

HOW TO GET STARTED

PAGE FOUR

Information is of course essential - there is obviously no point in making a decision to publish a local community magazine or newsletter unless you can obtain a regular source of interesting material for publication.

As the basis of the magazines published by myself and referred to in this report, historical facts about the town you live in and the personal memories and recollections of those people who reside there are vital to its continued and long-term success.

Both of my magazines follow a similar format and comprise examples of the following:

• Local History Studies
• Personal Recollections
• School and Sport Group Photographs
• Reproduction of Past News Events
• Postcard Views
• Community Groups and Charitable Organisations
• Family History
• Local Council News

LOCAL HISTORY

Few people devote themselves to documenting the history and events within the town despite its universal appeal to many of us but within every community there will be a number of such people.  You may already be aware of who they are but if not, it would be a simple matter to find out.

People who take a great interest in their town usually have a great fondness for it and while such interests often make the person seem evasive, once you get to know them you will often discover they are usually extremely friendly and approachable.

They have a genuine affection for their hometown, which they are often all too happy to share and recount to you. If they consider that you also have the town’s interests at heart then you will have a source of information and assistance that will contribute greatly to the success of your magazine.

Often these people will have documented their research in published form previously but usually such studies are resigned to the local history corner of the town library where for the most part they remain undiscovered.  Unless they choose to publish their work in a more widely available format, many local people are never introduced to the information that such research can often reveal.  Your magazine is an opportunity to present these works to the attention of a wider public audience than ever before.

Your local library should be your first port of call where you will be able to discover what sort of information is currently available and whether it might be suitable for inclusion in your magazine.  It is also a place where local historians and enthusiasts frequent often so don’t be afraid to ask the librarians who they are and how you might contact them.

Enquire about local historical societies or historical groups who may be able to help you as well as scouring all the publications you can find concerning your towns past.

It is always a good idea to do an Internet search for your area as there are often Archive Societies or other legal deposit offices that you may not be aware of.  These establishments preserve the heritage of historical documents and help the public to make use of them.

The West Yorkshire Archive Society, for example, collects and preserves historical records of all kinds from the twelfth century right up to the present day. Anyone interested in the history of Yorkshire and who would like to discover what records have survived can visit any of the Societies offices.

West Yorkshire Archive Society

Local history encompasses many forms, from the town’s origins and evolution to the history of more recent events and traditions.

Based upon my previous experiences the following list gives an idea of some of the possibilities open to you although there are many other subjects available for your consideration.

• Local pubs and breweries
• Annual Carnival
• Town Hall
• Other Historic Buildings
• Street and Place Names
• Industries
• Town Brass Band
• Famous People

The list of possibilities is endless as even events that occurred in more recent times can be classed as of historical importance and they would also prove of great interest to your readers. In fact events from not too long ago may well prove to be of greater interest to your readers as it is far easier to relate to events that you can recall yourself rather than those which perhaps occurred long before your time.

The suggestions outlined above are ones that come to mind as possibilities in my own town and for which I already have compiled articles awaiting publication.

Michael Norfolk.