Whats an editorial page in a magazine?

How are internal processes typically managed in magazine publishing?

• Magazine publishing cycle might typically involve flatplans, creating the editorial, ad sales that need to be relatively reactive to last-minute changes, design and page layout, the actual printing and distribution, as well as publishing content on supporting digital platforms such as the magazine website. Assuming a medium-sized operation that involves 25-50 people distributed in separate editorial, sales, design and distribution teams, what might be typical processes or best practices that well-running magazines utilize to make sense of the "chaos" that each publication cycle inevitably brings with it? It would be particularly interesting to hear about internal processes that magazine publishers use to create structure and to keep all stakeholders on the same page throughout the cycle.

• Answer:

  There was no chaos. There was a rolling schedule, so that everyone knew what they are doing for this issue, the next and the one after. Within that, each issue had it's own schedule. Today, of course, you'd have a 'digital first' policy, with continuous publication, phased so there was always something new, always something 'just round the corner'. If you still wanted a 'print' version, you'd simply select from what was there - and hadn't already been used.