What is the difference between self-publishing and commercial periodical startups? This can be a difficult question to answer; rarely does an entrepreneur pitch, for instance, a new magazine idea successfully to a publishing company in the same way a book author proposes a book. Therefore, most magazines are, at their roots, self-publishing endeavors.

The concept of book self-publishing is clear-cut. A self-published book author has taken it upon himself or herself to make content available to the reading public without the intervention of agents or traditional book publishers.

But what about a self-published periodical? Here, what separates the casual and commercial magazine publisher is intent. Is the magazine designed primarily to generate revenue or profits, or is it a labor of love devoted to a given hobby or group? Or, perhaps the self-publisher will start off on a hobby basis, with the hope of going commercial in the future.

If you are creating a non-commercial magazine, you will have far more freedom than the commercial publisher, who must gear content toward readers who will bring money to advertisers and other sponsors. Commercial magazine publishers must also have access to more sophisticated technology in order to make their websites or print publications both efficient and attractive in a competitive marketplace.

If you are serious about starting a commercial, revenue-oriented magazine, read our special report about starting a magazine. The report guides start-up publishers through the planning process, including the seven key elements of any magazine business plan. We also offer an article on business plans that guides new publishers through the planning phase. If you are looking to survey your potential market, be sure to read our special report regarding readership surveys.

If you want simply to design a magazine or newsletter for non-commercial purposes, read our article about starting a magazine. The article offers some basic tips on how to get started, as well as links to other useful articles. If you are looking for the right magazine design software, check out our article on the topic, which highlights four magazine design suites.

Are you curious about how much time and help your start-up will require? Be sure to read our special report about editorial productivity. To gauge how much staffing will cost, read our special report about editorial salaries, updated with 2008 salary data from the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Our online newsletter, Editors Only, offers tips from some of the most respected magazine editors in the industry. We poll the editors on our list regularly regarding various issues facing today's publication editors, and have condensed some of the best advice into our Trade Secrets File. If you are looking to hire freelancers or consultants to help launch your magazine, check out the services offered on the Editors Only classified page.