FPO Master Classes
6 classes in Two Days: JUNE 8-9, 2009
Limited to 20 attendees, this intensive program, presented by [FPO] Editor Robert Sugar, provides a new perspective for maximizing the creative potential of your publication.
Event includes lunches and a welcome reception.
Registration is $899.
[FPO] SUBSCRIBERS: ADD A SECOND ATTENDEE FOR HALF OFF!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. You will be billed later.
Monday, June 8th
Class 1: Design From the Inside Out
It’s sexy to concentrate on covers, TOCs or features, but real editorial design comes from applying a carefully thought through mission, the structure of the content, and carefully chosen visual elements. Here’s a step-by-step approach to examining these elements and how they ultimately are applied to your publication’s visual identity.
Examine these critical issues:
- Three types of design and why each is important
- The “basics” of design, why they are often ignored and why getting them right is crucial
- Mission statements and business plans as the fundamentals for design
- Prioritization and navigation ideas that help your reader “get it”
- Brand your magazine through design and franchise content
Class 2: Mission Possible: Jazz Up Your Issue Map & Calendar
Great magazines are built around a clearly defined mission statement that accounts for the readership audience, the scope of the publication and the real-world competition that makes the publication a viable business. Well conceived mission statements lead to efficient issue maps that structure scope, prioritize content and engage vertical audience groups.
You’ll put these ideas to the test on your own magazine:
- Why a mission statement is NOT a positioning statement
- The four parts of a mission statement and how each contributes to your pub
- Parsing an issue map from a mission statement
Class 3: Cover Me: Better Branding & Impact for Your Most Important Page
Your cover is the first opportunity to engage your readers, make promises of content, define the tone and scope of your magazine. Your magazine has two covers: the template cover design and the issue implementation. We will examine the relationship between the two and do some hands-on work with your own covers to raise the bar on the quality of your cover.
“Cover Me” will delve into:
- What makes a great cover
- The value of taglines
- Coverlines, organization and tone
- Emphasis techniques
- Cover image strategies
Tuesday, June 9th
Class 4: Editors and Art Directors Working in Harmony
Workflow issues, job scope and responsibility for direction are the three greatest challenges faced by most creative staffs. Poor execution and fortress mentality leads to low productivity, a stifling of creativity and bad personnel relationships. This session tries to directly tackle the issues that lead to work fatigue and dysfunction in your staff and create more harmony and creative energy that can be applied to every issue of your magazine.
This class examines these delicate issues:
- Workflows that work better
- Job scopes that empower creativity and responsibility
- Focusing on templates and editorial structure
- Improving the editorial voice in the magazine
Class 5: CPR for Enthusiast, Trade & Association Pubs
Explore a unique technique that makes your magazine a stronger asset for your organization and an information vehicle that becomes a necessity for your readership. Review redesigns of these types of titles and the philosophies behind their editorial structure and design.
Your publication will benefit from these areas:
- Design counts: easy ways to make your publication more interesting
- Examine the calendar: make the year special
- Covers, contents pages and issue flow: the keys to reader interest
- Become the 800-pound gorilla in your industry
- Politics and value: positioning your publication as an essential value-added benefit in your organization beyond the bottom line
Class 6: The Ten-Step Magazine Self-Critique
During the class, we will go through a sample critique demonstrating the evaluation criteria and the focus of each step. Following a break, we will conduct short exercises using your own publications to prepare for a fuller, in-house critique that you can conduct yourself.
The critique can answer these questions:
- Is your mission statement well-formed and reflected in your magazine’s content?
- How effective is your template?
- Is your editorial calendar improving your publication?
- Do the navigational elements in your magazine help readers?
Sign Up Online
The two day/six class event includes lunches and a welcome reception. Registration is $899.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER. You will be billed later.
More About [FPO] Master Classes
Busy magazine pros have a hard time finding the time or money to take professional enrichment sessions.
FPO Master Classes are created to be convenient to attend and be a clearly justifiable investment.
TAUGHT BY A PRO. Robert Sugar has helped thousands of creatives improve their publications. As President of AURAS Design, he has been responsible for more than 80 designs for a vast array of publishers, and his studio has produced tens of thousands of editorial pages during the studio’s twenty-year history. His knowledge of magazine design from conception to issue-by-issue production is presented in these real-world sessions. His experiences and interests inform the content of FPO Magazine, which he currently publishes and serves as editor.
MASTER CLASSES FIT INTO A BUSY WORKING LIFE. All six classes will be held as an intensive two-day workshop.
LIMITED SIZE FOR UNLIMITED ACCESS. Only 20 registrants will be accepted (first come, first serve!) to facilitate interactivity and personal attention. Each class also includes a catered lunch, as well as plenty of time for questions and conversation. Attendees should bring their magazines and their issues with them.
NETWORK WITH PEERS The Master Classes incorporates suggestions from previous attendees for more discussion, Q&A time and specific critique of your titles in class. After the classes, FPO will be there for you too, answering questions and even critiquing your comps.
SIX MONTHS OF “TECH SUPPORT.” Everyone who attends the sessions will be eligible to continue the conversation that starts at the class. The entire staff of FPO will be available to help with your design and production issues.
REGISTER NOW!