The Business Track in Magazines

Magazines are supported by both advertising and subscription fees. Advertising, however, makes up a much larger share of the pie. The key to a successful magazine is distribution. There are several different sales functions, including selling magazines wholesale to large retailers like WalMart and Target, securing prominent placement on newsstands and of course selling advertising in the magazines themselves. The larger the distribution, the higher the ad rates that can be demanded.

Direct marketing is also a crucial function in the highly competitive world of magazines. Lists of addresses of potential subscribers are purchased from "list brokers," who maintain lists of every different type of consumer profile a magazine publisher could imagine trying to target. Large publishers like Time Warner have enormous subscriber lists of their own to draw from when they seek to launch new titles.

Circulation Manager: Responsible for both circulation and single-copy sales. Manages use of demographic information to create effective use of mailing lists and direct-mail marketing campaigns.

Salary Range: $75,000 to $110,000

Advertising Manager: Sells advertising space in the magazine and works with both the editorial and art departments to create an editorial climate that will generate more advertising.

Salary Range: $75,000 to $110,000

Marketing Manager: Provides descriptions of the magazine's audience, ranging from demographic and geographic to psychographic descriptions to support editorial and advertising sales efforts. Many magazines rely on studies from outside agencies, rather than having their own market research department.

Salary Range: $75,000 to $110,000

Publisher: Manages overall operational, editorial and financial goals of magazine.

Salary: 100,000+

Production Track

The production of the magazine involves bringing together all the visual elements of the publication, copy for each article, as well as the advertisements. Once the magazine has been laid out and the proofs are finalized, it goes off to the print plant to be mass-produced and distributed to its subscribers.

Designers will use Quark Xpress, Pagemaker or InDesign to lay out the pages. Completed pages are proofread by the editorial department, and artistic elements like graphics and photos are reviewed by the art department. These proofs are then sent as digital files to the printer, where a printers' proof is produced for a final check by the art director and editor.

Production Assistant: Entry-level position designed to be a "jack of all trades," providing administrative support to entire art department or production staff.

Salary Range: $25,000 to $30,000

Photo Editor: Oversees the photo department, managing returns, licensing, negotiates photographer's contracts and uses Photoshop to edit photos.

Salary Range: $45,000 - $70,000

Art Director: Creates the general layout and look of the magazine. Selects the photographs, graphics, colors and typefaces to promote the magazine's image, appealing to the target audience. Responsible for hiring freelance photographers, designers and illustrators, but some magazines may have their own staff.

Salary Range: $50,000 $100,000+

Production Manager: Oversees the physical production of the magazine. They work with the art department to choose paper, select typefaces and colors. They schedule the printing operation from typesetting and correction to printing and distribution.

Median Salary: $55,000 - $80,000