Publication analysis
About the publication
Title: EContent
ISSN: 1525-25311
Website: http://www.econtentmag.com/
Purpose, objective, or mission: From their site, “By covering the latest tools, strategies, and thought-leaders in the digital content ecosystem, EContent magazine and EContentmag.com keep professionals ahead of the curve in order to maximize their investment in digital content strategies while building sustainable, profitable business models.”2
Target audience: Per their site, “decision-makers in the media, publishing, technology, and mobile sectors.”3
Publisher: Information Today, Inc.4
Peer reviewed? No.5
Type: LIS trade magazine.6
Medium: Print and online.7
Content: EContent delivers essential research, reporting, news, and analysis of content related issues. According to the “Writing for EContent” guidelines, “Each issue of EContent offers: news and analysis of what’s happening in the content industry, feature articles covering the latest trends and issues, and regular columns and departments written by industry experts.”8
Frequency of publication: 6 times a year.9
About the publication’s submission guidelines
Location of submission guidelines: http://www.econtentmag.com/About_Us (See Writing for EContent for Author Guidelines download)10
Types of contributions accepted: Articles are accepted in the following categories: current news stories; reviews of new products; and features (narratives, art, or company profiles). See “Content” entry above for general types of articles that appear in each issue. The Editorial calendar, outlining the focus for each issue, is located in the publication’s media kit.11
Submission and review process: Authors must first send a brief query, links to samples of your work, and a brief bio to the editor. “When submitting, be sure to include particular areas of interest and expertise. If you have a specific idea for an article, submit the idea accompanied by a brief outline of the topics you expect to cover. Unacceptable unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned.”12 Check submissions thoroughly for grammatical and spelling errors. Supporting materials are required for all sources mentioned.13
Editorial tone: Editors expect authors to deliver a well written, thoroughly researched, factually correct, and on-time manuscript. Features are nonacademic in tone and must be written in a narrative style, with a beginning, middle, and an end. New product reviews should be written for a lay audience, not strictly for information professionals, as many business leaders use the magazine for exposure to new products in digital content management.14
Style guide used: No style guide is mentioned, but specific style guidelines are provided in Author Guidelines.15
Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors
EContent provides numerous opportunities for authors to publish on a variety of topics related to managing digital content. To the author’s benefit, editorial calendars are posted with specific topics to be featured in upcoming articles, along with deadlines for submission. This allows authors to either find the correct issue for a topic they are writing, or write an original article according to the publication’s editorial needs. Within each topic, the editors are looking for current news stories, new product reviews, and features that give narratives, showcase art, or profile a company.16
Audience analysis
About the publication’s readers
Purpose circulation: Per their media kit, they have more than 27,000 readers. 17
Audience location and language or cultural considerations: United States.18 Readers are primarily located in the United States, therefore American colloquialisms can be used. Culturally, EContent readers are very technologically savvy, so a high level of exposure to this aspect of American culture can be assumed.19
Reader characteristics: The most important thing to remember about EContent readers is that they are not IT professionals. Most readers hold executive-level positions, so a larger amount of responsibility can be assumed as far as decisions regarding content management solutions. According to the Author Guidelines, readers are “executives and professionals involved in content creation, acquisition, organization, and distribution in B2B or B2C environments or within their own organizations.” A survey of EContent readers revealed that they work in over 20 different industries, from the entertainment industry to the military, so avoid information or jargon specific to a certain industry. What is important to remember about EContent readers is their similarities: they are all in a position to make decisions over an organization’s digital content management systems. Readers are all familiar with the technical terms and jargon related to digital content and asset management, so in this area authors can use common terminology, yet remember not to provide overly technical information. EContent does convey a progressive stance in the sense that it tries to review the latest products and provide advice on cutting-edge resources for professionals in the position to making decisions regarding content management.20
Knowledge of LIS subject matter: In a limited sense, EContent readers are familiar with one aspect of library and information science, content management. Their media kit notes, “EContent readers are executives and managers who direct the digital content strategies for their organizations. Subscribers include content executives, content managers, content creators, publishers, content marketers, and anyone who deals with digital content in order to further business objectives. They’re buyers of content and technology solutions and have the power to make purchasing decisions.”21 While this description easily includes information professionals, it also include many other professionals not familiar with LIS jargon or issues.
Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors
Readers of EContent are very diverse. What brings them together is their shared influence over digital content strategies, whether for a business or an information center. It is important to remember that although content management is a technical field, this publication is not geared toward IT professionals, but rather toward executives who make decisions regarding content management systems. The purpose of this publication is to offer resources and advice aimed at successful content management, and to provide information on products in order to help readers make informed decisions. EContent‘s readers do not want to know how digital content management products work, they want to know which ones are best for their needs, and how to best use them.22
Last updated: June 11, 2019
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