As Yogi Berra might have said, launching a magazine on the newsstand is not as easy as it used to be, and it never was. Nevertheless, it is possible, and despite what conventional wisdom might say, it is possible for independent publishers that have a good idea and a lot of entrepreneurial can-do, even if they do not have tons of published titles or experience.

I occasionally find myself in a situation in which I work with such publishers - publishers who know their subject matter and audience - but when it comes to getting a new magazine on the newsstand, they are just learning as they go. There are a few blunders that people make and come to regret almost universally. I have compiled a list of the top 10:

1. Remember, it will take time to set up distributor relationships.

Getting a magazine to market often takes half a year from the very beginning of the marketing work to the date of the launch. Many publishers realize that in order to get their chain authorizations prepared, they must allow time to plan marketing calls, make presentations, and properly assign copies to the retail accounts. Few, however, plan for the time it will actually take to receive proposals from national distributors, settle on a contract with mutually agreeable terms, and get the phrasing approved by both of the companies' lawyers. The usual ninety days it takes can be shortened, of course, but it is not usually shortened as much as an eager and optimistic new publisher expects.

In fact, since the relationship defined in such a contract will be the very basis for your newsstand sales success in future years, there is no point in rushing it. It is more important to obtain a contract whose wording you can accept happily and prevent regrets further down the line.

2. Do not organize your own billing relationship with wholesale agencies

With very few exceptions - for example, a city or regional magazine with a localized distribution - it makes no sense for a magazine that expects to grow to start by billing wholesale agencies or agency groups directly. It is much better to find a national distributor who can do the billing in your place.

Apart from the help a national distributor can offer you with the marketing and distribution work on a wholesale level, it simply makes sense financially to use a national distributor to do the billing to the wholesaler. The discount to the wholesaler will be less, you will get a portion of the money advanced to you and you will get your final payment on time. In order to work directly with a wholesaler, you are required to give a deeper discount to cover the wholesaler administrative costs in organizing an additional billing relationship. As your magazine grows, you will find you want a national distributor to work with - but even when you do, you will probably not get the deeper discount reversed. It is much more beneficial to just start off right - you'll save money in the long run.

3. Do not forget to bill

If you set up small distributors or independent retailers as a part of your launch distribution, do not forget to send them an invoice. If you don't you will not get paid.

4. Do not forget completion notices

It is possible that you won't need to create an invoice for your national distributor, but you certainly will need to send them the completion of shipping notice from the printer.

In the case of many distributors, the receipt of this notice is what starts the process of accounting for each issue in the system. If the distributor fails to receive this notice, the procedure will not begin, and the advance will not get generated. If this happens, you will not be paid until the mistake is corrected

5. Do not forget to collect

Surprisingly, it is not rare for publishers to make this error. When small distributors and individual retailers do not pay bills, it can go unnoticed until so long has passed that collection becomes tricky, if it is even possible anymore. Collect quickly and cut off those who won't pay.

6. Do not be paralyzed by the financial reports that come from the distributors

Yes, they are complicated, but they need to be reconciled with your system for accounting. The longer you wait before you reconcile them, the harder it will be to finish. Ask some questions as you go - they will be answered and it will help you to learn the mysterious talent of reading the reports. As time goes by, you will have fewer questions. Errors can happen - some promotions might get double paid, returns may be entered twice - if you fail to question these discrepancies, they will go right through. Of course, this might be in your favor, but why take such a chance?

7. Do not miss production dates

Information in your distributor's system which is specific to issues is based on the production schedule you supply. If you change your schedule and do not notify the distributor, the distributor may not make a print order for that issue.

An early or late publication may be lost in a warehouse that wasn't expecting to get it and miss its opportunity to be sold. If you send issues out early or late on a regular basis, the discrepancy in on-sale periods will result in inconsistent sales, which will damage your capability to sell copies and weaken your distribution.

8. Always remember to check UPC codes

Bipad, lead digit, manufacturing code, check digit, issue code. Check them all every time. And error on a single number means that each and every one of your copies will need to be stickered with the proper code at 25 cents per copy. That will add up quickly.

9. Give your magazine the right "newsstand" appearance.

The cover is the most important point in the sale of the first issue of a magazine, and the sale of the first issue is the most important thing for the success of the launch. Take your time and money and get it right.

Obviously you to not wish for your title to look like all the other magazines on the newsstand, but remember, successful titles are successful for a reason. They have become what they are by learning how to create the impulse to buy, and they use those gimmicks repeatedly.

The image, lines, colors, and placement on the cover all are important factors. Try taking your cover to the newsstand, place it on the shelf with the other magazines, walk away, and turn around. Does your cover jump out? If it doesn't you should rethink the design.

10. Do not forget to put "Premiere Issue" on the cover of your first issue.

Your magazine will receive a boost from the excitement this line will stir. Make it prominent and flashy. This is your one and only chance to use this hook, so use it well.