Magazine Content Checklist

 

Cover: Crafting the First Impression

First Impressions Matter:

We touched on most of this in Magazine Cover 101, but here’s a quick refresher just in case.

• Is your cover an accurate representation of the content inside?

• If your masthead changes every issue, does it flow well with the rest of the cover?

• Is your cover image creating the first impression you’re looking for?

• Have you included hooks to articles inside?

• Have you included the date, edition, or whatever system you use to sort each issue?

Content: The Heart of Your Magazine

The Main Event: What’s what you’re here for, right? Content is king, so make sure yours is worthy of the throne.

• Reread your content; does it actually say what you mean?

• Is your content written in a voice that is appropriate to your subject matter?

• Does everything inside come together cohesively?

• If your magazine has a theme, does everything fit?

• Is it aimed at your target audience?

• Does every article have a hook? A thesis?

• Is your content easy to understand?

• Do articles flow into one another?

• Does it all fit your editorial style guide?

Visuals: Because seeing is believing

Enhancing your narrative: Whether your visuals are supporting your writing or vice versa, they have to be just as perfectly polished as your written content.

• Do your images support the content?

• Or, if your publication is image-centric, is it supported by text?

• If you’re using images that need to be attributed, have you done so? (If you’re looking for images that you can use for free, check out

• Is your color palette appropriate?

• Is your typography appropriate?

• Have you properly attributed your images?

• How well integrated are your illustrations, if you have any?

• Does it all fit your design style guide?

Organization: Structuring Your Content

• Have you included a table of contents?

• If your publication has sections, is all your content appropriately sorted?

• Are your page numbers accurate?

Final Details: The Finishing Touches

Cross Your T’s and Dot Your I’s: These may seem like minor details, but they can be major distractions. Make sure that none of these little hiccups distract from your content.

• Have you spell-checked? Do it again, just in case.

• Is everything fact-checked?

• Do all of your links go to pages that still exist?

• Are all of your features like embedded videos and galleries working appropriately?

FAQ