By Robert Sentinery

Next to the publication itself, a media kit is probably the most important thing a magazine publisher will produce, It is the arm with which the publisher reaches out to prospective clients and, ideally, the hook that will reel them in. So building a media kit is one of the most critical operations in publishing.

Collect media kits

First, start a collection of as many media kits as you can get your hands on. They are quite interesting to look at. And perhaps the best education you can get is to see what others have done to solve problems similar to the ones you will be facing. It is especially enlightening to view what some of the larger publishing companies are putting on the table as representations of who and what they are.

A media kit should serve two basic purposes. The first (and most obvious) is that it carries information pertinent to your publication, including a statement of purpose; an overview of the readership, including demographic data and circulation numbers; advertising rates; a publishing schedule; ad specifications; and anything else that might be of vital interest to prospective advertisers.

Capture the magazine's style

The second and less quantifiable function is that the media kit must capture the style or essence of the publication it serves to promote. The kit is likened to a microcosm of the universe that unfolds within the pages of the magazine itself, a tool of communication for your publication's identity. Ideally, anyone should be able to pick up your media kit and understand what the actual product looks like and feels like, the central ideas it contains, and the readership to which it appeals.

Make the media kit a part of the magazine's overall marketing package. The media kit should look absolutely' consistent with everything else the company produces. A slick, glossy fashion magazine, for example, shouldn't print its media kit on rough, porous recycled paper, but for an environmental publication, this approach might be very appropriate.

Be flexible about the design

This raises an important point about the need for flexibility in a media kit. Print something nice that can be used for a long period of time, while the information inside is updated and replaced as the magazine grows. Allow ample space for future media materials. Factual information can be printed on something that is less of an investment, but try to chose something better than a third- or fourth-generation photocopy - it does make a difference.

The simplest solution to the container question is the traditional two-pocket presentation folder, either custom printed or the standard office supply issue with a custom sticker applied to it. The latter is cost effective and efficient, and with a little creativity can be made into an attractive and interesting holding place for your publication's media information.

For start-up magazines, the media kit is vitally important because it must present an as yet hypothetical publication in a way that leaves potential advertisers with no question about its feasibility and marketability.

A start-up can do several things to create a sense of credibility. Some publishers, for example, assemble a sample issue with editorial layouts and a cover prototype to give both the look and feel of what is to come. But if this is too costly, a mock cover alone, at a significantly reduced cost, can be just as effective.

Tailor the kit to the market

Both the media kit and the publication are ultimately marketing tools; you are selling your publication to agencies and advertisers whose primary concern is to sell their products. Toward that end, a mock cover or sample issue must offer a preview of your target market through articles and issues. This effort helps guarantee the advertiser that your publication will be read by the individuals the advertiser wants to reach.

Not many advertisers put money into a publication because it looks slick. For them, the publishing game is about dollars, plain and simple.

The important thing is to tailor the media kit to your budget and yet create the best presentation possible. Many publications try to do so much with their kits and sample issues that they are left without a financial cushion to secure enough accounts to print their first issue. Your media kit should be the tool that promotes your magazine and makes it a success - not the thing that breaks it.

Robert Sentinery is the founder and publisher of Zone and Java Monthly.