High school sports/local sports magazine - can it work

IMO, the web route may be the way to go, because it allows you to engage users in a way that you just can't do in the paper.

Think user-generated content - set up a photo gallery comprised exclusively of photos submitted by users. Or better yet, if you're able to do this, have them upload the photos themselves. Same with video.

Use your love of photography to create your own gallery. Blog on anything and everything.

Do video interviews with the top athletes (or just a simple Q&A). Have users pick 10 games along with your staff. Create forums, where people can discuss among themselves.

Obviously revenue would be a concern, but if you presented it as "creating an online community," rather than a dumping ground for stuff that won't fit in the paper, you might have more success. And as it is, more advertisers are looking to the web, so could be a possibility of a dual sponsorship in print and online.

 

This does sound really cool. Is anyone else doing this, and doing it well? I'd love to see some links...

 

http://www.gamedaymagazine.com/

 

Lets see about this High School Sports Magazine:

Minnesota has
SCORE

New England area
Varsity

Texas
has 3 if I am not mistaken
Texas Football Magazine.
Sports Page Dallas (Does everything)

The High School Sports Magazine
They have 3 editions in the midwest if I am not completely mistaken.

But thats the once that I know at the top of my head.

Oh yeah New York City has The NYC Sporting News
They do everything from high school to pro.

 

Again, all of those publications cover regions, not a city.

About 10 years ago, I decided to do a sports-only rag in a city that had 100,000 residents and four high schools. It came out every other week, and I think we did an OK job with it. I launched it since the paper of record in the town, which was stuck in a big metro area, had hideous sports coverage. The weekly regularly ignored the main public high school, and the regional dailies didn't cover lots of schools stuff.

Problem was, it was only a side job for me, since I also was freelancing for a bunch of other people. I didn't mind writing it, but I didn't have time to put into it like I should've. I couldn't find decent part-time ad reps, distribution was a bitch and paginating was something in which I wasn't well-versed. If you do start up something like that, make sure you have six months worth of money to pay for all that, and the printing. If you go through a college newspaper that has its own printing presses, you might be able to get yourself a good deal on the printing end of it.

 

I agree with this. Your reasons for starting it are because you would like to see better coverage. I wouldn't go with a magazine, too expensive if you are doing it yourself. You could do a once a month tabloid newspaper though, and that would probably work.

But, you gotta figure out printing, costs, distribution and pricing. And then, you got to work as hard at selling advertising as doing stories. I think people can pull this off, but it takes tremendous organization and thorough understanding of the market.

 

Guy wasn't charging enough for advertising. That is the death knell for amateur publishers.

 

knew a guy that started one of these just outside portland many years ago. i heard he's been kicking ass for years ... but he had a helluvalot more schools than five to pick and choose from.

 

I worked at a small paper in Arkansas and high school sports are a big deal (at least after the Hogs). Someone contacted me about stringing once a week for a weekly sports magazine that focused mostly on high school sports. They found the writers, but they just couldn't get the advertising support to stay around for more than a couple issues. It seemed like a real good idea on paper, but it just never got off the ground.

 

A former co-worker runs his own high school sports magazine in the Dayton, Ohio area. He's been doing it for about five years and it's become a tremendous sell over a 13- or 14-county area covering about 100 high schools. I can't tell you how long it took for the thing to become profitable, though. I do know he's parlayed into becoming the managing editor for a high school publication that covers the entire state.
It can be done. Just be patient and be prepared to take it on the chin for a while in terms of finances and establishing cred.

 

here is an example of a digital sports site on the Jersey Shore that does pretty well ...

http://www.digitalsports.com/shoreconference.htm

 

How does one "localize" a high school magazine that covers 100+ schools ... I can't imagine wanting to buy something where my school might just be listed in agate type or something ... I can see where it would be more appealing to advertisers, obviously...