I get asked this question every month. The latest was:
I’m in a church that does not have a magazine and they want one. Can I start it? All I have ever produced is a sales newsletter for a firm I work for.
My reply is that I would be surprised if, in a typical organization of a few hundred people, I would be surprised if there are not other people who have had at least as experience as you -- perhaps for a school, business or service group. They may be a starting point and you can share your past experience.
Also look at what is being produced by other organizations -- and it is common for copies of locally produced publications to be sent to local libraries, so the librarian may also be a good contact. And while you may decide that your needs can be served by a home-produced publication, perhaps photocopied, a call at local printing businesses may also produce samples of publications, and an indication of other services, such as someone who can set up templates in a word processor or page layout program and help train in their use.
This kind of enquiry may also help to give some idea of costs, depending on what services have to be paid for and what can be done on a voluntary basis. You also have to make choices on whether a publication can be at least partly financed by advertisements, and how you will obtain editorial: can it be all produced by you and your members, or will you need to seek outside contributions.
Several of the chapters in my book "How to Start and Produce a Magazine or Newsletter" look at various ways of organizing a magazine and at the many levels of production from photocopying or laser printing to digital printing and to the uses of commercial and specialist printers.
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