Well, that’s it – done and dusted!
After almost a whole year spent working on it, our 150th Anniversary Special Collector’s Edition has gone to press. I have just pushed the button giving the printers the green light to go ahead and start printing all 148 pages of it. Now I’m feeling a mix of emotions.
Relief – because putting it together has taken up a vast amount of our time and energy over the last 12 months.
Pride – because even though I say so myself, it is utterly fabulous; by far the best thing the “Friend” team has ever produced in all the many years I’ve been part of it.
The weight of responsibility – what if the readers don’t like it, or nobody buys it?
Excitement – I can’t wait to see what it looks like on the beautiful thick matte paper we’ve chosen to show off all the rare archive material to best effect. And also sadness – because it has been genuinely great fun to work on, and we’ve all loved our regular forays into the Archives Department.
Inside look to creating a magazine
But now I’ve handed it over, and my part in the process is done – a bit like sending your child out into the world when it starts school! To celebrate, I thought you might like a little insider look at how a magazine starts its life. We begin with what we call a flat plan, and here is the genuine one, scribbles and all, that has sat on my desk for the past year.
Look closely – can you spot any clues as to what the magazine might contain? I’m giving nothing more away for now – you’ll have to wait till it goes on sale on September 5!
Of course, you can pre-order a copy direct from us, which is the best way to make sure you don’t miss out – you’ll find more details here: https://www.dcthomsonshop.co.uk/the-people-s-friend-150th-anniversary-special
Angela Gilchrist I am the former Editor-in-Chief of “The People’s Friend” magazine. My passions include cats, Highland ponies, good books, vegetarian food and long walks in the Scottish countryside. My favourite place to get away from it all is the magical Isle of Skye.
