What Goes Into Publishing a Digital Magazine

Episode #004

Guest Speaker ~ Lisa Anderson

“It [Covid furlough] definitely was a game changer for me. It forced me to do what I had been scared to do; what I didn’t think I was qualified to do. The truth is, you’re never going to get enough qualifications unless you actually do it.”
– Lisa Anderson

Do you know what the differences are between writing a blog post, a website article, and a digital magazine article? Are technical skills more important than the written voice? What does a magazine publisher expect from their contributors?

Lisa Anderson, Editor in Chief of The Chews Letter, recently joined me in the virtual Pen to Paper Press Podcast studio for a conversation about a topic that is near and dear to my heart – publishing a digital magazine.

Publishing a digital magazine was a dream-come-true neither of us set out to do. Somehow our life circumstances pulled us in that specific direction and provided us the opportunities to go for it. And, we did!

At the time of the interview, Lisa had published four issues of The Chews Letter. It was interesting to hear her perspective on the importance of the writer’s voice, what a magazine editor is looking for from the contributors, and about the puzzle. When she mentioned the puzzle, I knew exactly what she was referring to. It’s hard to explain. Something euphoric happens when the pieces easily fall into place during the final layout process.

Lisa shared this pearl of wisdom, “I have both blogs and the printed/digital page for the magazine. Both styles are different. On blogs, we get more casual. You can use conjunctions, but in the magazine that’s where the technical stuff really comes into play. We use AP [style of writing]. It gets a little wordy as far as not using conjunctions. I think that’s when it becomes important to be able to hear their voice within the story so the reader isn’t focused on the fact you’re not talking like you would in person.”

This episode will help fill in the gaps for individuals interested in writing for smaller publications, and encourage writers to submit their works of art.

Pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa and enjoy an interesting conversation between two digital magazine publishers. Our time together brought forth memories of the hard work, long hours, and dedication required to publish a digital magazine.

Until next time…
CK Kochis, INHC

Biography:
Lisa Anderson is the creator and Editor In Chief of The Chews Letter. It is a digital magazine with a focus on bringing everyone to the table despite different dietary needs. Get recipes and cooking tips at thechewsletter.com.

Publication:
The Chews Letter


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Podcast music by Joseph McDade