In conversation with Nikki Simpson, International Magazine Centre, Edinburgh
At International Magazine Centre, Simpson wishes to build bridges between independent publishers from all over the world via courses and networking
Nikki Simpson, International Magazine Centre
According to founder Nikki Simpson, the idea of an International Magazine Centre was born in 2014. At the time she was working for the Trade Association for Magazine Publishers in the United Kingdom, also called PPA. She took a week off and went to work for a marketing and media magazine called The Drum. The story behind how The Drum was created inspired her. According to her, the founders started working on their magazine in their kitchen in Glasgow. They grew to a big team based in Glasgow, London, and New York.
«I told myself that if two people can create a magazine in their kitchen and become successful, then there must be other publishers internationally who are thinking about expanding in the United Kingdom but who would naturally gravitate around London».
Accommodating Scottish publishers: International Magazine Centre
Following this thought, Simpson decides to create the Centre in order to accommodate small publishers in Scotland. The idea to create a physical space is based on the concept of creating incubator spaces for people who are new to the publishing world. Likewise, these spaces are also dedicated to graduates who wish to find a place to create their own title. The International Magazine Centre would also include events and exhibition spaces not only for publishers but also for readers.
«At the International Magazine Centre and in my previous positions I realized that professionals are good at talking and supporting each other. However, they are less used to talking to the audiences they’re trying to reach. I think that we can help with this key problem. I find that not addressing the reader is a missed opportunity». Simpson adds.
The membership system at International Magazine Centre
In order to raise funds for the physical space of the Centre, Nikki Simpson has implemented a membership system. Currently, the center has approximately 130 members. «We focus on small businesses working for their own magazine publishing. They are the majority of our members, but we also have members who are suppliers, for example printers. Our community also includes freelance writers, designers, and photographers. These are all people who feed the industry».
The International Magazine Centre also runs training courses for the members and every publisher interested. The courses are related to running a small business or to magazine publishing. A mentoring program is also available for everyone, regardless of their career stage. «Whether it’s a CEO or a student, we believe that everyone needs someone to talk to and consult with» Simpson adds.
Human contact above all: International Magazine Centre
Nikki Simpson and her team hold events and conferences for their members, also called patrons. Their concept is based on human sharing and conviviality. An example of such events is called Patrons Away Day. The first half of the day is a conference followed by dinner, drinks and staying over at a hotel in the countryside. According to Nikki Simpson it’s a good way to get to know people.
«My values are based on putting down hierarchy and making sure everyone gets the confidence they need to do whatever they want in their business». Simpson confides that at her conferences, whether they are live or online, every participant has the right to speak and express themselves freely.
«When I have an event online, you’ll never see just me and the speaker on the screen. You will have everybody on the screen. The feeling I’m trying to generate is that everyone is welcomed and can be a part of that community», she adds.
Niki Simpson: Supporting small businesses
As stated by Nikki Simpson, her previous positions allowed her to see how difficult it was for a small publisher to get attention from bigger companies. «The membership fees were structured around large publishers. The small ones couldn’t afford them. I thought it was sad because the small publishers could really use that support».
What drives the founder of the International Magazine Centre to promote small business is their passion and dedication. According to her, small publishers are passionate about their subject matters. They started a magazine usually because they love whatever it is that they’re writing about.
«This isn’t just a job for them, they don’t think about an exit strategy or what job’s next for them. They’re passionate about their subject matter, their business and their magazine’s community».
The typology of their publishers at International Magazine Centre
Everybody who is passionate about magazines and publishing can join. According to Nikki Simpson, there is no requirement to join the International Magazine Centre except for the dedication.
«I have a member who is a bus driver. He is interested in the magazine world and has subscribed to our mailing list. As long as people are interested, I am delighted. The point is, you can be anyone and join our community».
A lot of the community members share common aspects. As reported by Nikki Simpson, many of them have distribution problems, and wish to get cheaper prices on printing or a wider audience online. But apart from these issues, they are people who have almost nothing in common.
«There is a magazine on every single subject. Among the members, you can meet someone who writes a magazine about medicine and another about mountain biking. Their perspective over their businesses is different. Some people use a subscription system for their magazines. Other members make money through events and other members don’t make any money at all and just do it as a passion project. In any case, all these perspectives are valid to me».
Finding a physical space for International Magazine Centre
At the current level, the International Magazine Centre has not yet found a fixed location. According to Nikki Simpson, its biggest priority remains its community and its members.
«When I first started out, I applied for some funding to two different organizations. I wasn’t successful with both of them. It was hard because I really wanted to see it happen. Soon I realized there were other ways of doing it, and that’s when I decided to start the membership and create a community of people. After these two attempts, the feeling was demoralizing, and I only focused on the human contact and the development of our network. Today, I feel more confident to present my project to other companies that could eventually finance the Centre. But the most relevant thing is to see my community flourish and grow. For the time being, I would like to open our services to more potential transoceanic members».
The challenges of the publishing world
As stated by Nikki Simpson, the main challenges in the publishing industry are often related to distribution and building an audience. Printing a magazine has become difficult in the past years because of the increasing paper prices. Despite these problems, the founder of the International Magazine Centre remains optimistic.
«There are so many ways to diversify your business with magazine publishing because you’ve got that community of people. If you’ve got a strong community then you can run events for example, which is not a negligible source of income. There is also the possibility to sell on newsstands or sell merchandise and even offer training courses. » she adds.
Environmental commitment in the publishing industry for International Magazine Centre
Environmental preservation is not a priority topic among small publications. According to Simpson, the majority of publications that are interested in eco-actions use recycled materials to print their titles. Generally, there is no other involvement in environmental preservation on their part. As stated by her, the biggest environmental issue in the publishing industry are children’s magazines. In fact, these publications use a lot of plastic elements for their covers or for the packaging. These magazines also include elements that are meant to be used once and then thrown away.
The founder of the Centre also explains what happens with unsold magazines and the pollution caused by the distribution process. As Nikki Simpson points out, when a publication works with a distributor, the distributor must in turn distribute the print runs to more local distributors in order to supply the store that is supposed to sell the magazine.
«Following this process, if the magazines remain unsold, the reseller returns the titles to the publisher with the front cover torn off to prove that the copy has not been sold», she explains. When it comes to a wider perspective the majority of the publishers wish to find fewer polluting solutions for their prints.
«Everybody wants to do right. The majority of suppliers are not yet aware of all the possibilities to offer more environmentally responsible services. Even if we choose recycled paper for example, we don’t know where it comes from, what was its previous life, how it was treated. Unfortunately, the eco-friendly methods of creating magazines are not that appealing to the readers. A laminated cover is still more attractive to most people than a recycled paper cover printed with plant-based ink. It’s difficult to promote the messaging or know what to focus on».
The future for Niki Simpson and International Magazine Centre
The International Magazine Centre focuses on increasing its community in the future. Nikki Simpson’s vision for the close future of the organization is based on making connections with new people. By bringing together a large community, the Center can more easily grow and help more small businesses.
On the long-term plan, Simpson wants to take the time to think about how to organize the events of the International Magazine Centre and focus on what else she wants to bring to its community members.
«It all started out as a passion and now I want people and myself to feel like this is a business. I want to focus more on the business side of the Centre so I can help more people. I’m gaining more confidence in myself. When I have enough, I will apply for funding again and present a constructed and organized project»
International Magazine Centre
Founded by Nikki Simpson in 2018, the International Magazine Centre works towards opening a physical building and hub of global excellence for magazines and magazine publishing in Edinburgh, Scotland.
