The Seven Times a Year Scramble (and a Peek Ahead at February)

In the past, we’ve shown you a behind-the-scenes look at shooting the cover image for an issue of the magazine, and at the final read-through of what we refer to as “the binder” (for you no-doubt legion “Devil Wears Prada” fans who read this blog, you’ll recognize that as “the book”). Well, here’s how an issue comes together (and a sneak peek of the cover project for the February 2011 issue).

At some point before all the stories are even written, we decide what’s going to be the featured article for an issue (the one that looks best, and has the most appeal, generally), and our photographer (Al Parrish) and senior art director (Linda Watts), spend the day trying out various settings, backgrounds, props, etc. until they (and the rest of us) are happy with the way the image looks.

The cover project for February (the issue on which we’re now working) was a bit of a challenge, as Michael Fortune’s piece, a modern three-legged occasional table with steam-bent legs (he also tells you in the story how to use bent laminations to achieve the look), was in Canada. Luckily, Michael was teaching at the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, Ind., around the time that we needed to shoot it, so he was able to drive the table to Indiana, and a kind reader who lives in Cincinnati was taking his class. So she brought it to us, we shot it, and sent it back up with her when she returned for another class a few weeks later, and Michael drove it home (then kindly donated it for a charity auction).

In the meantime, the editorial staff is hard at work writing and editing the articles for the issue (and shaking down contributors to meet their deadlines), and our advertising director (Don Schroder), is out knocking on doors (metaphorically anyway). Once we have the stories written and Don tells us how many ads have been sold, we make the final decision as to what goes where in the issue (and what, if any stories, need to be held for future use).

By this point, we’re all scrambling – because inevitably some stories run longer than planned, or an extra ad gets sold (or an ad drops out) and pages have to be adjusted before Linda can put the binder together. And “house” ads (those that promote Popular Woodworking Magazine books, CDs, DVDs, etc. still have to be designed). Binder is usually but days away by the time all this gets settled, and often, the ads aren’t even all in until after the binder is done. And binder for the February 2011 issue is scheduled for next Wednesday – the day before Thanksgiving. I (and everyone else, I suspect) am planning to take that day off to cook, so we have to try to get the binder done ahead of time.

Less than a week later, all files must be sent to production – and the production date is sacrosanct. (I rather think that for this issue, I’ll be making all last-minute editorial changes during the weekend, with a turkey sandwich in hand.) And somewhere in there, we have to make time for a cover meeting to decide on amusing/brilliant/funny/arresting coverlines. (“Secondary cover line here and it may be three lines” simply isn’t going to make the grade.)

We get one last chance to look at the pages when the printer sends us digital proofs (usually a week after we send them out) – but unless we spot a glaring problem, we’re not allowed to make changes at that point.  

Approximately three weeks after that, the issue is printed and starts mailing to subscribers. Two weeks after that, it hits newsstands. By that time, we’re already months ahead, almost at binder stage with the next issue. That’s why, when you call us with questions, there’s always a pause as we try to dredge up in our minds just which story about which you might be talking – after all, we haven’t seen it for at least a month!

You did know you can actually call us with questions, right? Or send an e-mail? We’re always happy (OK – usually happy) to answer any and all woodworking questions – and if we don’t know the answer, we’ll do our best to find it for you. Our e-mail addresses are hot-linked and phone numbers are listed on the “Contact Us” page at PopularWoodworking.com (along with old pictures of each of us – I think it’s about time for new head shots).

— Megan Fitzpatrick

• Subscribe now – or give a holiday gift subscription now – to make sure the February issue is part of your subscription (and it’s 47 percent cheaper than buying at the newsstand). You don’t want to miss the clever tricks Michael Fortune shows you for making bent laminations for his modern table (one of our editors calls it “genius!”).