Initial Planning

I have researched the areas to consider when planning my magazine, the areas i have looked into are: Names; Colours; Cover Lines; Contents Page; Double Page Spread and Images. I have done this in order to identify the factors that need to be focused on when creating the magazine, and possible articles and features.

The three names I liked most were, Fuel, Beat and XS. The name "Fuel" has connotations of making something energetic, which reflects the genre of the music the magazine will focus on, as indie and rock music is often energetic. Another name i liked was "Beat" which directly indicates that this is a music magazine due to music having a beat and the beat of a drum. However the name also has connotations of fighting, e.g. to beat up, which suggests the genre of rock music due to the harsh and edgy nature of the word. The third potential title was "XS" I liked this as the initials were bold and simple, yet also represented the word Excess, which has connotations of extra, over-the-top and loud.

The title I like most is Beat, as i think it is most appropriate for this magazine, and doesn't limit itself to rock and indie music only, therefore i can include other genres of music to open up the target market.

For this magazine, the colour schemes I prefer are; White and Purple, and Grey, White and Turquoise. I liked these colour schemes as they are unique and not used for any other music magazines that are currently on the market. However, for my magazine, i will use the grey, white and turquoise scheme, as i think it is appropriate for both male and female, and a large age range, and is also an eye-catching colour to grab the attention of the readers.

The next factor i investigated were the images that could be used to appeal to the reader. The image and visual content is the first thing the reader will initially notice, therefore the image should reflect the genre and encourage the reader to buy the magazine. On the front cover, i will take a picture of a female artist to show that the magazine is pejoratively for women, however will also appeal to a male audience due to the genre and music of the artist. The image could be in grey scale to match the colour scheme, to look professional and add and edgy appearance to the cover, therefore complimenting the genre, or in colour in order to be eye-catching and bold. I will also use images on the cover to demonstrate the free posters offered with the magazine in order to encourage the reader to buy it. On the contents page i will use images to relate to the features and articles listed to ensure that the reader can easily locate the page they are looking for, i will also have an image of the artist i use for the front cover as this will show the reader where the article that initially attracted them, can be found. I will use images on the double page spread i create, as well, in order to compliment the feature. The feature will be focused on the artist used on the cover, so images of her will be included. I'll also use images to show the artist's personal life, outside of her career, in order to compliment the accompanying story.

Another area i looked into, are the Cover Lines. The cover lines are extremely important in attracting the reader to buy the magazine, as this is what will be inside. Some cover lines i came up with were; "I'm a Music Monster" Green-Eyes on Young Fast!, her twenties and her comeback; Festival Fever and 20 not-to-miss tours of 2011. The first cover line refers to the front cover image and the double page spread i will create, as it sounds like a cover line that would attract the reader to find out more about the artist's life. It also shows a pull-quote from the feature which will make the reader want to read on and also outlines the information within the feature. The second cover line, Festival Fever, shows that there is coverage from the summer's festivals within the issue which, as identified from the questionnaire i carried out, is something that the readers enjoy reading about; therefore influencing the reader to buy the magazine. Another potential cover line is, 20 not-to-miss tours of 2011: from the research i carried out, it was shown that tours were a subject that those surveyed enjoyed reading about and staying up-to-date with.

The contents page, will include an editor's note with images relating to the features of the magazine, making it easier for the reader to identify the feature they wish to read. I will also include a section under This Week, and a section under Features, to distinct between the new features and those that occur in each issue. I will use large page numbers to ensure it is as simple as possible for the reader to locate the article they wish to read.

The double page spread will be in the form of an interview, as this was surveyed to be the feature that the majority of the target audience liked to read most, therefore appealing to the largest amount of people. The double page spread will include images of the artist from her personal life and professional life, to show each aspect and to relate to the interview. The interview will also include information about the artist's music career, new songs and up-coming tours.