We have a bumper, bonus Substack post for you today - definitely one to settle down with a big mug of coffee or a cup of tea. As always, a huge thank you for being here and for reading our words - we are taking a short break over the next week so our next Substack will publish the last weekend in September. It features a really talented local pastry chef/baker and we can’t wait to share her story with you at the end of the month.
Before I started working in publishing, my knowledge about the industry came mostly from things I’d read about in books or seen in films (Bridget Jones and The Holiday, I’m looking at you) - giving somewhat of an insight but a very glorified one. Publishing can be quite a difficult field to break into and so our Substack today is an attempt to demystify some of the publishing processes, detailing the journey from idea to finished, printed publication. It’s not a guide on how to get published but more of an overview of how a publication is made and a look at what goes on behind-the-scenes.
My story
I’m much more drawn to telling other people’s stories than my own and so I’ve largely avoided speaking about myself on both Substack and on my socials. As the journal grows however, it increasingly feels as though it is becoming an extension of myself which I suppose is natural when you invest of lot of time, thought and care into something.
I’m often asked why I started Dulcify Journal and truthfully, it was an idea that was really born out of failure. I’d been toying with the idea of transitioning from educational publishing to magazine publishing for a while but I simply couldn’t find a route in. I’d applied for some remote positions but nothing had really come to anything. I’d also noticed that a lot of the content in the magazines I was reading was fairly London-centric or celebrated the south of England - there seemed to be a lot less representation of the north and of Scotland as a whole. I really wanted to do something that felt as though it was making a difference - even if it was just in a really small way. Gradually, the first thoughts of Dulcify Journal started to form until they were clear in my mind and I felt ready to run with them. I started to think of how I could use my voice and I loved the idea of creating a publication that was connected to the Scottish food community and really championed and celebrated creatives, makers and independent businesses in Scotland.
Although I’d never worked on a magazine before creating Dulcify Journal, I had worked on the creation of two yearbooks in Oxford, Maine (USA) as part of the Camp America experience. I didn’t realise it at the time but this experience very much set me off on the publishing path. The yearbook was both a marketing tool and a way for campers to look back on their summers - a keepsake of a summer spent on the beautiful shores of Lake Thompson, time spent amongst the pine-trees and trips to the best ice-cream shack I’ve ever been to - a place called Mosquito (aptly named due to the magnitude of them outside the shack). I was responsible for creating the template, sourcing the images from the camp photographer and collating content from the management team.
Later, these skills would come in handy when I found my way into educational book publishing. I really owe most of what I know about publishing to John and Alan at Bright Red Publishing. When you’re part of a small team (and company) you can really see across the whole business and often work across every department - picking up skills you wouldn’t necessarily have exposure to in a bigger corporation. I worked there for five years, before moving onto another educational publisher - this time focussing on the digital side of things, rather than books. Dulcify Journal slots in around this job - lots of early mornings before work, evenings and the occasional lunch-break if I have a pressing deadline!
Publishing roles and processes
Disclaimer: All publishing house models vary slightly - from their teams, to their publishing schedules to the processes involved. There are many, many more departments in publishing than the ones I’ve listed below but these are the ones that apply to us at Dulcify Journal.
Every role I’ve had in publishing has been in marketing, publicity or communications and as a result, my strengths really lie in those areas. With the creation of the journal, I offset most of the editorial and all of the design work to Laura and Flora who have a much greater skillset in those areas than I do and who can really make the content shine. Here’s an overview of our ‘departments’ - there’s just three of us who work on the journal so ‘departments’ feels like a bit of a stretch!
Key: JB = Joanna Biggers LB = Laura Borrelli FM= Flora Manson.
A couple of things to note - we do have some contributors, who either write pieces for us or contribute photos/illustrations. The journal would absolutely not be what it is without them - they are deeply valued and slot under the ‘commissioning’ column. Although I source the printer, Flora liaises closely with them as the designer - they may have questions about page specifics, in which case Flora is the best person to answer those queries. There’s also a lot of admin that’s involved with running a project like this and that also falls to me to make sure everything keeps ticking over. From the table, it looks as though Laura has quite a small role to play but editing an entire journal (the Issue 02 manuscript, as it currently stands, is 53 pages long and consists of 32,333 words) is a mammoth task - she not only proof-reads the content but also makes suggested edits of how a piece can be improved. Her input and attention to detail are essential to the success of the publication.
Our timeline
Our time-line is likely to be considerably longer than other publishing models due to the fact the entire Dulcify Journal team balance the journal around full-time day jobs. For us, the biggest task is the commissioning part that we do right at the beginning - collating, sourcing, interviewing and writing. Once we have all the content, it’s then a case of that going first to editorial, then into design before going back to editorial. Once the publication is signed off, it then goes into production and onto our printers. Marketing and publicity go on in the background so that when we get to the stage where we have the physical product in our hands, it’s ready to be sold via the website and through our incredible stockists.
Publishing process overview
Money, money, money
Knowledge aside, I personally think the biggest barrier to creating a publication is money. Realistically, you need to have some money set aside to cover your print and labour costs (it’s a slightly different ball-game if you’re a digital publisher) or you need to find a way of raising that money. Crowd-funding, through platforms like Kick-starter, are an increasingly popular method amongst small publishers but it’s a risky one in the sense that if you don’t reach your target within the set time, you don’t get the money. On the flip-side, it’s a brilliant way to cover your costs up-front if you do reach your target and this is something we are toying with for Issue 02 as if we were to be successful, we could do a much bigger print-run. The other option is funding or grants but in my experience, it’s very, very difficult to secure this, particularly it seems if you’re a magazine publisher. They are out there so it’s perhaps a case of persisting and waiting for the right opportunity but that can be a long, time-consuming route.
Then of course, if publishing your own magazine is your main source of income, it needs to be financially viable and turn over a decent profit. We are lucky in that Dulcify Journal is a side-business and so for Issue 01 it really just needed to cover its costs (which it thankfully just did!)
There’s so much more I could say about this but I think this post by Laura and Heather from 404 Ink perfectly articulates the challenges and financial realities of being a small publisher.
Answering your questions
Why did you want to make Dulcify Journal? How did you come up with the name?
I touched a little on this above so I will try not to repeat myself but I think there’s definitely layers to this answer. Initially, I think it was a need to do something that felt creatively fulfilling - a means of combining my knowledge about publishing with my deep admiration of the food community. It also was a product of frustration and failure - of not being able to find an opportunity to work in food publishing. But I think it quickly became so much more than this - yes, it’s an example of what I can create but that’s not what it’s about at its heart - it’s a platform for amplifying the voices of others - small, independent makers and creatives of really celebrating and championing the incredible talent that exists in our local neighbourhoods, cities and villages throughout Scotland.
I really love the concept of slow-living and I like the idea that the journal could be a form of escape. When I first starting thinking about creating the journal, I knew that I wanted it to be a keep-sake and aesthetically really beautiful so it was important to me that the name evoked this. I also wanted it to have a nod to food - and dulcify felt like a brilliant fit. It means to both calm and sweeten and my hope with the journal is that the readers can find moments of calmness and sweetness within the pages.
Why make an independent magazine?
I think there is something really special that happens when thoughtful design mixes with considered content, especially when you also introduce beautiful photography. I love the creative freedom of independent magazine publishing and the idea that it can evolve - each issue developing its own identity. I like the idea that a publication can be a means of escape - something that actively encourages the reader to slow-down and carve out time for themselves, even if that’s just for a few minutes. I suppose most of all because I think they make a difference - stories change the way people see the world around them and I think there’s a magic to that.
What skills do you need to make a magazine?
I think knowing your personal strengths and weaknesses is the biggest skill you can bring to making or putting together a magazine. Project management skills and a really clear vision of what you want to create and what you want to say are essential. A keen eye for detail, proofreading and an ability to market your product are all really helpful but in my opinion, knowing your ‘why’ is the most important skill of all.
How many edits does each issue go through?
I do the first big edit once all the content has been collated and then I pass the manuscript over to our editor, Laura, who will do a really thorough edit - looking specifically at the spelling, grammar, syntax and making suggestions of how each piece could be improved. The third edit will happen after the manuscript has gone into design and then I’ll do a final edit to make sure I’m entirely happy that the content is in the best shape it can possibly be. So in total, a minimum of four edits - but usually it’s more than this (we were up to version 8 for Issue 01 before it headed to the printers!)
How do you decide the flow or order of the pieces?
I think with Dulcify Journal, we have different styles of pieces - photographic pieces, slow journalism pieces, Q&A style pieces and recipes. I like to make sure there’s variety so we don’t for instance, have all the photographic pieces bunched together. I also consider the content of the pieces - we have a few market garden pieces in Issue 02 and I’ve made the decision for those to be clustered together but then with the different makers - we have a ceramist, a wood-worker and a sign-writer, I’ve spread those out across the journal amongst the more food or drink centred pieces.
What if there are too many images, how do you choose?
I always think it’s better to have too many photos than not enough. I like to think I have a bit of an eye when it comes to photography and often certain photos speak to me more than others. You also have to consider the content that’s going alongside the photography and make sure there’s harmony between the two. If I’m really struggling to decide, I’ll print off the pictures, cut them out and try different arrangements with them on a cork board - sometimes that helps you see things in a new light and identify what photos pair well with others in that selection.
Who takes your photographs in the journals/on your socials?
On socials, it’s generally me unless I’ve credited a photographer. I’m very much a hobbyist photographer but I love capturing the candid, every-day moments.
For the journal, it’s a real mix - I try and shoot quite a lot of the content where I can (and this also really helps keep the costs down as we have such a tiny budget) but I also love to feature other photographers and their work where I can.
How do you balance a full-time job and Dulcify Journal?
I’m not sure I always get this balance right. I took a personality test the other day and one of my qualities is organising which I think is particularly accurate. I love a to-do list, I love a spreadsheet and I love a plan - I think that all massively helps when you’re juggling different hats. I think it’s a case of identifying pockets of time and being really conscientious with that time. Allowing yourself to rest and take time off to spend with friends and family is essential, otherwise burn-out happens super easily. But I do think this is sometimes easier said than done and now and again the work / life balance goes a little off-kilter!
What publications inspire you?
So many. I don’t even know where to properly begin with this question! I find constant inspiration in magazines, journals and print more generally as a medium. My most well-thumbed magazines include Hidden Scotland and Fare issues, alongside Solo, Kinfolk and Side-tracked. I suppose it would depend on what type of inspiration I’m looking for - a publication like We Are Makers does an incredible job of championing makers from around the world, I love Fare magazine for it’s exceptional photography and the way it just lays words bare on the page - it describes places and experiences exactly as they are and that in itself, is a huge talent. I love the playfulness of magazines like Haarkon and the journalism in Cereal.
What’s the Scottish publishing scene like?
Innovative, supportive and vibrant. It feels incredible to play a tiny part in the Scottish publishing scene. There are certainly challenges in publishing (both in Scotland and beyond) but as a community it is wonderful - there’s a real sense of publishers trying to lift each other up, share knowledge and resources and win together. I’m much newer to the magazine scene but equally, have found that community to be hugely welcoming and that people are so generous with their time. Nikki, who runs the International Magazine Centre, has been part of the Dulcify Journal journey from the beginning - she listened to my first thoughts about it and has been a fantastic cheerleader for the journal. I also just think she is doing incredible things here through the events and workshops she runs and the community she has cultivated.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt so far?
To be less afraid to fail. Failure was something I used to actively try and avoid - and of course, it’s never brilliant when things go wrong but I am of the mindset that things are worth a try and not to be paralysed by thoughts of something not working out. Chances are, if you’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into something, you’re setting it up to be a success and if you don’t try then how will you ever know? It’s taken me so long to get to this stage and to accept failure as a tool for change and growth. And I suppose to trust that I will find my path - or perhaps create it, and that it’s okay to not know everything and to trust in what you’re doing and yourself.
What’s the most rewarding part of making the magazine?
I’ve spoken about this before but it’s always such a privilege when someone I am talking to chooses to be open. To put yourself in a position where you are showing vulnerability, takes a great deal of courage. I think for me, that’s the most rewarding part of making this publication - being able to listen to people’s stories and share them with others, it is the greatest gift. There is also a certain magic to opening the first delivery of a new issue, I think that comes in as a close second!