by Alexis Joffe

When Bailey Newkirk graduated from the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2004, she realized that getting published was harder than she once thought. So she decided to publish herself.

Newkirk, 24, is in the process of launching a new monthly magazine for young professionals in her hometown of Charlotte.

“Right now I just want to write,” Newkirk said, “and if that means I have to start my own magazine, then I’ll do it.”

But the magazine satisfies more than a desire to be published, Newkirk said. It will provide guidance to people aged 23 to 35 who are trying to establish careers in the busy city while maintaining their social lives.

The idea began last September after Newkirk listened to her friend, who would become her business partner, vent about the difficulties of the career world.

Sara Wortham, a 25-year-old professional writing major from UNC-Wilmington, recalls getting turned down for an editing position because her portfolio, filled with clips from her past job as a fashion columnist for Encore Magazine in Wilmington, was “too artsy.”  

“We decided that we should divert our art into something that we enjoy and could actually make something out of,” Wortham said. “Also, we began wondering how many other people our age, fresh out of college, were hitting roadblocks like us.” With Wortham’s experience in arts and entertainment journalism and Newkirk’s experience in marketing, they agreed they could give young professionals advice about finding jobs and having fun in a big city.

“We’re each other’s yin and yang,” Newkirk said.

They started by brainstorming possibilities for a new magazine, starting with the title – The Other Side.

“There are two reasons for the title,” Newkirk explained. “One, it’s like you’re on the other side of being a college student but you’re not your parents yet – you have money, but not a lot of money. Two, it’s for rejuvenating people from Charlotte, telling them there is another side to the city around them.”

They pitched their idea to several friends who live in the city and investigated potential competition.

“There are a few small publications in the city, but they are either more artsy than ours or targeted to stay-at-home moms,” Newkirk said. “Everyone we’ve polled has said there is nothing else out there like our idea.”

The pair next thought about a basic structure for the magazine and settled upon five major categories that would be in every issue: fashion, arts and entertainment, food, careers and a seasonal theme.

They agreed that although those categories appear in many small city publications, the two of them will be able to make the sections unique by tweaking them for their specific audience. So instead of writing about family restaurants with children’s menus and senior citizen discounts, they will feature restaurants and cafés that are frequented by young people.

Newkirk said she has written dozens of how-to articles specifically for young professionals, from how to dress for an interview, to how to apply for a marriage certificate.

“Both Sarah and I were thrown into having careers, and we’ve basically made a scrapbook of the things that would have made life easier if others had told us before,” Newkirk said.

But Newkirk said the content is only a small part of getting it into peoples’ hands. To publish a free magazine, she
needs advertisers. She plans to use write-ups about restaurants and boutiques to persuade businesses to advertise in the magazine.

“Financial backing is going to be important to be successful,” said Christina Link, director of operations for Premiere Bride, a national bridal magazine with a special Charlotte edition. Newkirk contacted Link about publishing The Other Side and for advice.

“To print a magazine,” Link said, “you must know your numbers – what it’s going to cost you to print it and how many ads you have to sell for the amount of copies you want. The success is going to be in making sure you can meet the numbers.”

Newkirk and Wortham are saving money by working full time in Charlotte with General Electric and Bank of America, respectively. They estimate that each issue will cost $900 – $1,200 to publish and that they soon will have enough money to fund the first issue.

They are trying to minimize costs by printing the magazine on non-glossy paper and by using the free help of their friends to staff the publication.

They plan to distribute the first issues of the magazine personally. Their strategy is to bring their publication into venues where people have time to read it such as restaurants, bars and waiting rooms. If the early issues are successful, Newkirk says they will then look into paying to have it distributed.

“The immediate goal is that the magazine will get to the point where it can pay for itself through advertising,” Newkirk explained. “That way, we can just simply enjoy doing it. The ultimate goal would be for us to be able to make a profession out of it and have it pay our salary.”

The duo hopes to get the first issue out this summer. Once they can prove that a market exists, Newkirk believes they can find a publisher and further establish the magazine. ♦

Alexis Joffe is a senior in the school’s new-editorial sequence. She also is majoring in Spanish.