An editor’s main concern is the magazine’s front cover. The front cover is very important because it projects an image for the magazine and should convey to a viewer what the magazine is about.According to editors a magazine with a good front cover will sell 5% more issues than the previous one.
Kerrang! has several features that are on the front cover to ensure the magazine appeals to a larger readership. Although it is a rock music magazine ,which is a large genre that leads to various other sub genres.. The editor has to ensure that everyone who enjoys the 45 different sub genres is addressed. This is why the front cover is so important as it has to appeal to the readership so they buy the magazine.
The main selling points on the kerrang cover are the freebies such as : posters,stickers and other collectibles.The features interviews are also a strong selling point for Kerrang!
This is because the readership is teenagers and the freebies appeal to them as it prompts them to buy the magazine if they believe they are getting a bit extra for their money. The magazine h also publish special edition issues witch feature other front covers, this is used to engage new readers as well as appealing to existing readership. And a few times a year a free CD is also issued with the magazine,this does not have a dramatic effect on sales but this is not ofen, as cover mounted CD’s is a very expensive to produce and would mean that no profit would be made from the magazine, as Kerrang! is weekly magazine it would be extremely difficult to produce a CD every week in every issue ,the magazine would virtually make no money.
The typical features on the front cover of MixMag is a cover mounted CD’s that is used as one of its main selling points. The CD can be issued with every magazine as costs won't be effected as the magazine is distributed monthly . The disadvantage of this that Producing the Cover mounted CDs is very expensive which means the price of the magazine is going to be higher than Kerrang! however,as Mixmag's readership is for teenagers of a mature age ,the price is affordable for them.
The two most important areas on a magazine front cover is the 'sweet spot' and the title/logo. The top of the page is very important ,as this is where the title of the magazine title/logo is placed. This has to be carefully considered to ensure the magazine attracts the attention of their target audience also so that it can be remembered.The sweet t is also another very important area because it is located in the middle-right of the cover, and is used to display the most entice the readers with the information such as advertising exclusive interviews.
Editors of magazines are always try to accomplish two things on the magazine front cover. The first thing is to make it different and to reassure the reader. Reassuring the reader is telling their readership that they are still the same magazine and offer the same content they are used to, this is achieved by maintaining the magazine's conventions or keeping the same house style. Although magazines must reassure the reader they must also attempt to do something different that offers something new to their readership ,this ensures that they do not them lose interest in the magazine ,and it stops the magazine from repeating the same conventions.
BBC magazines- 