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The secrets behind a successful “big swing” anniversary issue
I’m thrilled to share a case study of one of my all-time favorite projects, Kenyon Alumni Magazine’s “200 things to love about Kenyon” special issue for its bicentennial.
Not gonna lie, this one’s a beaut:
It also was no joke to produce! Four of us who helped bring it to life — editor Elizabeth Weinstein, deputy editor Abby Serfass, EmDash designer Erin Mayes, and me — will be speaking about this project at the CASE Editors Forum in March (this will be a can’t-miss session, I promise you).
I could probably do a 10-part series on the creation of a big project like this.
But here, I’ll focus on the early strategies and ideas we implemented to make sure this project would succeed.
This includes an insider’s perspective on developing the concept and approach, staying true to the “north star” of the project, and the ways we all thought about making the most of internal and external expertise.
Here’s the conversation with Elizabeth, Abby, and me:
On collaborative concept development
Erin P: Let’s talk about the genesis of the idea, because it was truly a collaboration.
Elizabeth:
We had several editorial meetings in which we brainstormed ideas for this special issue, and for months we played around with what a “best of the Bulletin” issue might look like, diving into our archives and compiling research spreadsheets as a group.
At the same time, Erin P., I had asked you to think about ideas for a few evergreen stories that might tie in with the greater Bicentennial theme, and the first one you pitched to me was “20 things to love about Kenyon.”
I remember asking you, “What if we made it 200?” And it’s possible you panicked internally, [Reader, I did] because 200 is a lot, but you never showed it.
While our team was trying to map out a “best of” issue, we also had commissioned your “200 things to love about Kenyon” story for a later edition. And at the end of one particularly intense magazine meeting, my colleague, creative director Megan Monaghan, raised her hand and said, “Hey, you know that ‘200 things’ story Erin P. is working on? What if that story is the entire issue?”
There was silence, then an audible sigh of relief in the room. And everyone was like, “Yes! That’s it!”
I called you shortly after and asked how you’d feel about working with us on a … slightly bigger scale … project.
Erin adds: The initial “20 things” pitch was based on this story for Grinnell.
On clarity of purpose
Erin P: How did you wrap your arms around what you wanted to accomplish, what you had to include, and what you couldn’t include?
Elizabeth:
One challenge we navigated was the question of how to make this issue feel distinctive from all our other issues. How could we make it feel special for readers, like a gift or love letter to Kenyon?
We wanted this issue to feel timeless, like the kind of thing that can sit on a coffee table for a year or two and not feel dated.
Specifically, that meant we couldn’t run class notes, obits, or any of our regular, more timely features or departments.
Erin P. adds: A north star (in this case: a gift to readers/love letter to Kenyon) is essential for a big project like this one.
A clear guiding idea (which is both about what you want the project to accomplish and how you want the recipient to feel) is especially useful if you bring in outside folks to help with the project. And by “outside,” I mean people like me and designer Erin Mayes, or someone who works at your institution but who is not in your office.
This common aim makes it infinitely easier to create a cohesive tone when there are many different people and sources involved. It will also help you decide if a specific element or story fits into the project at all.
As we worked on this project, for example, we would occasionally flag an element and ask: “Will including this feel like a gift for readers?” If it didn’t, we could change the approach — or jettison it entirely.
As a side note, the publication even included art postcards that were a literal gift for readers — but a primary objective of this north star was that we didn’t want this publication to feel like “homework” — or a fundraising piece.
On pairing internal expertise with external insight
Erin P: Anniversary projects, almost by necessity, require lots of support from people who have deep institutional knowledge. What can outsiders bring to the table?
Elizabeth:
I knew you had written similar stories for other colleges; you were the obvious choice to help us with this.
Abby:
From my perspective, it seemed like a really good idea to have an outside set of eyes to help us shape the content.
There was also some concern that for a normal issue of the magazine we would usually be contracting with freelancers to write the features and some of the smaller items, but because the whole issue was one big feature it seemed important to share some of the work with an experienced writer and editor like yourself.
As time went on, I was particularly grateful for your awesome headlines (clever, heartfelt, punny – you could do it all!)
Erin P. adds: [Blushing] Thanks, guys!
As a consultant, I always try to bring perspective from other projects I’ve worked on or seen. I can help teams avoid big mistakes, show how other schools have solved specific challenges, or simply be the outside expert who can help people in your institution feel confident that the publication is the best it can be.
Every school looks different, but that doesn’t mean you need to reinvent the wheel for every project, either.
Together, longtime staff and outside experts can craft something that feels fresh, energetic, and true to an institution’s identity.