Make:

Publication analysis


About the publication

Title: Make:

ISSN: Print: 1556-23361

Website: http://makezine.com

Purpose, objective, or mission: A hybrid magazine/book (“mook”) specializing in DIY projects, particularly fun, at-home technology in categories like Home & Garden, Art & Design, Computers & Mobile, Craft, and Desktop Manufacturing. Article examples include “Learning to Build a Bot,” “Software for Makers,” and “Code Kids” programming tips. 2

As the leading voice of the maker movement, Make: publishes tested projects, skill-building tutorials, in-depth reviews and inspirational stories, accessible by all ages and skill ranges”3

Target audience: The target audience is rather diverse and includes anyone who is interested in learning how to build interesting projects, or simply want to see the projects of other people. 4

Publisher: Make Community, LLC. 5

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian publication and website for hobbyists and professionals.

Medium: Print and online.6

Content: Tutorials, projects, reviews, and articles related to education, science, and technology.

Frequency of publication: Print Magazine publishes four times a year, online updated more often.7

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://makezine.com/submissions.html

Types of contributions accepted: Make: accepts project submissions.  “A project is a step-by-step set of instructions and photographs of a specific build that others can reproduce and reiterate upon, based on your documentation. The more you can document your project, the better. If that’s what you’d like to share, you can publish it on Make: Projects. If you’ve made something cool (or have come up with a cool hack or tweak for something) and want to show other people how to make one, we’d like to publish it. Note: We’re interested in hearing about things you’ve already made, not things you are just thinking about making.” 8

Make: also accepts other submissions. Submissions should fit into one of the following categories:

  • Reviews: “Reviews generally run only in print, although certain review categories are collected into Guides (check out our 3D Printer Guide, Board Guide, Drone Guide, and Holiday Gift Guide). If there’s a gadget, tool, website, newsletter, instructional video, book, magazine, instrument, or other device you already own and love, you can email your review to “Toolbox,” Make’s recommendation section, at toolbox@makezine.com, or you can submit it online. Reviews should be 50–250 words, and written in the first person. Think more “recommendation” and “experience” when you write these than “review.” We want to hear about your involvement with it. The old Whole Earth Review guidelines for reviews went like this: “Write your review. Then write us a letter explaining why we should devote space to your item. Throw away your review and send us the letter.” That’s the way to do it.”
  • Skill Builders: “Skill Builders are crash course introductions written by experienced makers for aspiring DIYers who have little to no experience with a given skill. You can browse Skill Builders on the site to get a better feel for what they are. If you’re an expert on something and feel we haven’t properly addressed all the intricacies and pro tips, consider sharing your knowledge in the form of a Skill Builder.”
  • Stories: “Stories are intentionally broad. Anything that falls under Show & Tell is acceptable (unless it’s a step-by-step of a specific build, then it should be a Project). If you’ve built a project that you want to share, but you don’t have sufficient documentation of step shots or materials lists, etc., you can showcase it as a story instead of a step-by-step project. Additionally, we want to see your stories. Your journeys. Your trials and tribulations and failures and hilarities.  What’s the strangest experience you’ve had making something? If it’s surprising or funny, we’ll run it.”9

Submission and review process: To create a Project Submission, follow the steps at https://makeprojects.com/home?r=dvtzh For other submissions, send an email to editor@make.co

Editorial tone: The style used is informal and instructional. Make: emphasizes that the writer “is the reader’s coach,”10 indicating that writing should be conversational, as if you’re telling a friend something they don’t know.

Style guide used: There is no official style guide specified. “DO use clear and consistent language. Write with precision. Use correct terms for materials, components, and processes. What’s the pointy part of that one thingy? Please look it up. Carefully define directions and areas (top, bottom, right end, left edge, etc.), and use these terms consistently.” 11

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

While the subject matter of the magazine does not directly relate to any library or information science subjects, libraries are at the forefront of the maker scene. Librarians who build/run programs utilizing makerspaces, 3-D printers, technology, electronics, and a do-it-yourself spirit might have something to contribute to this magazine, be it a tutorial or a story on a maker program within the library.

Audience analysis


About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: The print magazine has a paid circulation of 80,000

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: The subscription is only offered in U.S. dollars, which would most likely mean that its readers are all located in the United States. 12 Of course, the magazine also has a web element, which could potentially be viewed by anyone with an internet connection. The magazine is written in English, and in a very informal manner.  Although there is a possibility that your article will appear on the website and be viewed by someone outside of the United States, it seems safe to use American colloquialisms and slang. Also, since most of the readers will be very tech savvy, it would likely be appropriate to use technical language.

Reader characteristics: The website’s readers are 66% male and 100% college educated, with an average household income of $119,000. The magazine’s readers are 81% male, with an average age of 44, and mostly college educated. The audience is composed of teachers, parents, inventors, and “techy, savvy creatives.”13 [**Note: As of November 21, 2020, this information is no longer attached to an active link, so the details cannot be confirmed]

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The average reader would most likely have little to no knowledge of LIS topics and issues, and probably no knowledge of library jargon.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

Since these readers would almost certainly be outside of the library world, it would be important to approach LIS subject matter in an approachable way. The use of makerspaces and other DIY, STEM-oriented programs and projects within the library would make great fodder for a contribution to this magazine. It would be important to keep your tone on a more lighthearted tone and avoid jargon as much as possible, or explain the jargon if its use is necessary.

Last updated: November 21, 2020


References

Show 13 footnotes

  1. Make (Sebastopol)”, Ulrich’s Web Global Serials Directory, accessed November 21, 2020, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1605991365386/595341
  2. “Make:,” Makezine.org, accessed October 10, 2016, http://makezine.com/
  3. “Subscribe,” Makezine.com, accessed October 10, 2016, https://readerservices.makezine.com/mk/default.aspx?pc=MK&pk=M6GMKZ
  4. “Make:.”
  5. “Make:.”
  6. “Subscribe.”
  7. “Subscribe.”
  8. “Submissions Guidelines,” Makezine.com, accessed November 21, 2020, https://makezine.com/submissions/
  9. “Submission Guidelines.”
  10. “Submissions Guidelines.”
  11. “Submission Guidelines.”
  12. “Subscribe.”
  13. “2016 Make: Media Kit,” Makezine.com, accessed October 10, 2018, http://makermedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/2016-Make-Media-Kit-Final.pdf
Comments are closed.