An Open Source Model for Online Magazines

Erin Hoffman

Start up a website and tap trusted and competent people for editorial positions. Assume from the beginning that the first year runs at a loss; aim to break even.

Magazine runs as an online subscription ordinarily. One story delivered by email once a week to a paid subscriber list. The beginning of each story is posted to a blog; subscribe to read the rest, or purchase a story by item for $1. Once a month, stories are combined into a nicely formatted PDF with high end cover art, posted to the website for free download, and the link emailed to the subscription list. The PDF constitutes an "issue". Two issues per year will have guest editors from other magazines; subscribers can suggest/request guest editors on the forums. One issue a year will feature hyperlink fiction, which can link outside or within the story ("choose your own adventure" style).

Each story has a tip jar. Readers on the website can tip stories if they like them, in any denomination. House takes 10% of donations; the rest go direct to the author via Paypal or are donated to the charity of their choice.

One story a week plus breaks for planned holiday and maintenance weeks equals 48 stories a year. Of these 48, 12 get bound into an anthology at year's end to be released the following spring. In November, voting opens on the website for subscribers to select 2 of the stories for the anthology.

Payment for initial online publication is $.01/word. However, if the story is selected for the anthology, the author gets two contributor copies plus an additional $.03/word payment.

In addition to the web forum features indicated above, forum users will also be able to give discounted gift subscriptions and gain points for bringing new readers into the community. Nonfiction appears on the website monthly and is linked in the weekly newsletter. Subscribers can purchase membership at different levels, which will be displayed next to their profile on the website; annual large contests will be held for best fan-created items such as crafts, artwork based on stories in the magazine, and numbers of new subscribers brought to the site.