Peer Pitch & Concept Refinement

    I presented my magazine pitch a few days ago and I was really nervous for getting feedback and people asking me questions. However, presenting my pitch went quite well. I got my point across with what I wanted my magazine to be like with the concept and audience, and I only got feedback on things to think about adding. Such as including islands outside of the Caribbean and interviewing people who have first-hand experiences with visiting the islands, to get their thoughts and opinions about the destination. Other than feedback on things to add, everyone liked my concept of focusing on islands for the content of my magazine. Getting feedback gave me more confidence in my magazine idea and I would not change my final project.

    In the article, Magazine Publishing trends 2019, it states that, “…successful magazines have reinvented themselves as brands that serve their audience via a range of channels…” This shows that audiences are important when creating a magazine and having my audience as people looking to honeymoon or people that love traveling helps me narrow my content to exciting tourist attractions and showing the great scenery of each destination. In addition, this article also states, “A bridal magazine, for instance, would use its print version for indulgent double-page spreads with sumptuous photos of wedding dresses and venues.” This statement helps me plan for my magazine setup, my magazine will also include sumptuous photos of scenery and I could use double-page spreads to really amplify the beauty of the destinations I’m going to display. The other article I looked at when creating my pitch was, Magazine Publishing Trends for 2020 – The Alliance of Print and Digital. In the article, Ana Lobb, VP of Media and Publishing at MPP Global, states, “The key, is understanding how customers want to engage with the publication, and then making it as simple as possible to do so.” This shows that I really need to look into what my audience is looking for and easily provide it for them through the content of my magazine. Also, including those things that my audience is looking for as a coverline on the cover to draw them in.

    In the article, The Abundance, Joy, Beauty, Persistence, Power, and Potential of Independent Publishing: A CONVERSATION WITH SIX BLACK EDITORS. The author Camille Dungy writes about the lack of diversity in magazine writers and editors. She includes firsthand account of editors and writers and their opinion on this as well as what they have done or plan to do to increase diversity in their field of work. One of the editors included, Heather Buchanan, states, “I really appreciate this fresh take on the "beauty and potential" of our work. As an editor and publisher, I have been entrenched in a twenty-year war to get the works of people of color out into the world, so I do feel reenergized when the "beauty" appears.”  Creating this magazine for this project includes me in the reference to black editors/publishers even though this isn’t like the real deal. Despite that, it goes to show just how important it is to include your own beauty in your work, featuring black models and have black writers to include in your magazine. Another editor, Mensah Demary, states, “It’s important to be in tune with the interest and conversations of readers who gravitate toward certain books while articulating their desires for greater literary representation, not only in who is published, but in ideas and perspectives.” This statement by Mensah goes to show that based on what you put into your magazine and who you choose to represent, not only other editors and publishers, can draw in more readers who gravitate to those kinds of things that give representation to minorities.

 

 

CATEGORY	DETAILS
Film OR Magazine	Magazine
Genre	Special Interest: Travel magazine
Target Audience (Be specific)	Social media influencers who promote traveling or people looking to honeymoon or take an island vacation.
What is your concept? (Be thorough & specific. Review the links on Blackboard)	My concept of a travel magazine will be on Islands in the Caribbean. I will have a simple design to have the images as the main focus, because travel magazines have a lot to do with pictures. My main article will be on the island of St. Lucia.  I will have popular tourist attractions as the content of the magazine.
How did you conceive the idea for this concept?	I got this idea of a travel magazine concept from being in St. Lucia last month as well as traveling there multiple times before because my parents are originally from the island.
What do you believe is unique about your concept?	I think this is unique because not a lot of people know of the island of St. Lucia because it is a very small island. Most travel magazines are on more well-known places, like Croatia, Australia, or Iceland, you don’t see much of small islands in the Caribbean. St. Lucia is such a small island in the Caribbean that you can’t even see it on a map unless you zoom in (online), but it is sooo beautiful and a great experience. Doing a travel magazine on St. Lucia will inform people on the beautiful island.
Why do you believe this product will be of interest to your audience?	I think this will be of interest to my audience because there are a lot of beautiful tourist attractions on the island and there is great scenery making it a very relaxing place to vacate or honeymoon to.
FEEDBACK RECEIVED FROM PEERS	Good concept of the small island of St. Lucia because it isn’t as well known.   Add islands outside of the Caribbean, from like Europe for example   Add reader feedback/interview someone who has visited the island to get info on their experience visiting the island.   Include a range of prices and accommodations.