Oh Comely: Industry

Iceberg Press

Why did the people behind Iceberg Press set it up?

• Iceberg Press was set up to aid the 'new age' for magazine and media brands.

What is the Iceberg Press mission statement? 

• The Iceberg mission statement is "
• It's all about the audience.
• Chase the work, not the money.
• Compromise isn't our friend.
• We will always make time for ideas.
• We are stronger when we work with others.
• We want good people to work in a good place.
• Every year we will help a cause that matters.
• We believe in a thing called Print."

What are the two magazines that Iceberg Press publishes?

• The two magazines that Iceberg Press publish are Oh Comely and The Simple Things.

What similarities do you notice between The Simple Things magazine and Oh Comely?

• The similarities between The Simple Things and Oh Comely include the minimalist house style, the lack of celebrity and star power and clear non-commercial ethos'. They also both use a natural colour palette, and appeal to a female, educated audience. There's also a clear stress on a pro-feminist narrative in both magazines.

What differences can you find between Hearst UK, publisher of Men's Health, and Iceberg Press?

• Hearst UK has a far more commercial ethos, it is motivated by commercial success and providing a more-for-less perspective on lifestyle magazines rather than Iceberg Press' more creatively motivated success and target towards non-commercial, inspirational audiences. 

Writer's Edit journal article

What is the definition of an independent print magazine?

• The definition of an independent print magazine is that it is published 'without financial support' from a larger corporation and institution.

What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?

• Hamilton referred to the media industry as a 'global niche', independent magazines can use a large online presence to gather an audience and promote their magazines. This allows creators and editors to have more creative license.

What is the aim of Kinfolk magazine and what similarities can you draw with Oh Comely?

• The aim of Kinfolk magazine is helping readers find ways to 'simplify their lives, cultivate community and spend more time with their friends and family', which is similar to Oh Comely's goal of encouraging readers to explore their own creativity and become more socially aware.

Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?

• Independent magazines have been able to utilise the new digital media and have a large online presence and distribution technique to help sustain their business however global traditional publishers are failing to stop their audience from moving online and favouring online content over their print alternatives.

How do independent magazines launch? Look at the example of Alphabet Family Journal.

• Independent magazines, particularly Alphabet, relied on online crowdfunding sources to help with production costs. The creator also enlisted a filmmaker to make a short film explaining the premise and appeals to the online climate. 

What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?

• Independent publishers are able to 'set their own terms and rely on [online] collaboration' to help them succeed with their goals, this includes crowdfunding and online promotion for the magazine, they can also sell magazines online, which could save distribution costs. 

Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?

• It is significant since they can 'hone in' on specific topics and  share similar creative mindsets, which will allow them to take advantage of a gap in the market and have a cheaper [in theory] production process.

What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?

• The article suggests that some of the benefits to the 'do-it-yourself' approach is that the magazine will arguably be original and a reflection of personal politics and appeal to an audience that share the same contemporary idealisation as the creator however a collaborative approach doesn't sacrifice these but rather exploits the 'hive mind' technique to appeal to a broader range of persons. 

The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?

• Audiences may prefer the printed form of a magazine in the digital age due to its aesthetics, it has a retro appeal and appeals to a millennial, hipster audience. It also holds a traditional aspect as the 'art' of reading a magazine has become ritualised within society, people see people in films, TV shows reading physical magazines and perhaps are attracted to the traditional ritualised manner rather than the digital alternative.

What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?

• Independent magazines have to be personally funded and distributed, which can be difficult to achieve as the production process is costly. This means that some independent magazines have to rely on friends or crowdfunding in order to kick start their magazine and then rely on subscriptions and high cover prices to help sustain the business. 

Irish Times feature

Why are independent magazines so popular?

• Independent magazines are becoming so popular due to their niche audience reach and collectable aesthetic, which attracts a millennial audience. They play with form and content to adapt to a changing contemporary society, which improves the commercial success of the magazines. 

Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?

• They have a larger production rate, and make their money through advertising, which is something independent magazines may find difficult.

What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?

• Independent magazines provide niche content and can utilise the growing dominance of new digital media, to crowdfund and find an audience. 

What are the challenges for magazine distributors?

• Some challenges for magazine distributors, is that it's expensive to ship boxes and they also have to pay for shipping back if the magazines don't sell well.

The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?

• You can host events, sell prints, sell graphic tshirts, and set up a patreon account to stream football podcasts.

TCO interview with Ruth Jamieson

Why does Ruth Jamieson suggest there's a renaissance in independent publishing?

• Ruth Jamieson suggests that quick read print is dying due to the internet, however online opportunity has allowed independent publishers to thrive with their 'crafted, collectible' sub genre of magazine.

What are the common themes for successful independent magazines?

• Common themes of independent magazines are 'doing something no one else is doing' and offering something that digital media currently isn't. There also is usually a clear art direction and non-commercial focuses.

How many of these aspects can you find in Oh Comely? Make specific reference to the CSP pages where possible.

• The 'More than Gender' section, as well as the 'Speaking out' feature are a clear example where the magazine has favoured ideology and social benefits rather than the commercial value of the interviews, there is a lack of celebrity within this magazine, which further supports the idea of the magazine having a clear direction that subverts the commercial priority of mainstream magazines. The front cover and artbook style also reinforces these ideas, and depict a clear art direction for the magazine, the photographs taken are mostly candid and many lack the 'staged' aesthetic that many magazines favour.

How does Jamieson see the future for the magazine industry?

• Jamieson suggests that 'mainstream magazines will begin to look more like the indies' and that there will still be a struggle to keep magazines up and running in the future, however the content of the magazines that succeed will be of a better standard.

How might this future impact Oh Comely? Do you think Oh Comely will survive the next five years - and why?

• This future may impact Oh Comely as it has an extremely niche audience that may not be sustainable in the upcoming years as mainstream magazines begin to provide more diverse and liberalised content, and their targeted content becomes far less niche. I do believe that Oh Comely will survive the next 5 years, since they have a clear artistic focus and non-commercial motivation which favours the art side of the art v commerce media argument and as this is an ideology that is becoming more common, this will become perhaps more profitable in the next half decade.