First Glimpse

And Counting...

More than a year ago, I prompted the ONE Magazine editorial staff to begin making preparations for April-May 2014 and the tenth anniversary issue of the magazine. Through a series of meetings, we brainstormed ways to make it memorable, with an unforgettable cover, highlights from the first decade in print, and editorials underscoring the importance of this milestone. We solicited feedback from readers, announcing that the anniversary issue would be accompanied by a simultaneous redesign, making it a truly remarkable occasion in the life of the magazine.

Manuscripts arrived, the cover took shape, and I began preparing this column. I had a delightful time researching the numbers—magazines delivered (upwards of 3.1 million), articles published, addresses corrected, new subscribers, online readers, countries reached, and so on. The figures were staggering, and with every new total, I celebrated a bit more.

Because math has never been my strong point, I recruited some help from the sharp mind of Anna York, ONE Magazine database manager, who often assists with research. I encouraged her to look over my statistics for accuracy and to add her own. With her help and a plethora of fascinating data, I was confident the editorial would “blow the minds” of readers.

Well, it blew the mind of at least one reader when Anna poked her head into my office several hours later and announced that all my figures were correct except one—the most important one. ONE Magazine has only been in print nine years—nine, not ten. It wasn’t my finest editorial moment.

When I confessed my (obvious) mistake to Editor-in-Chief Keith Burden, I reminded him that he hired me for letters and words. Not numbers. And, for the record, the April-May 2015 issue is well ahead of schedule.

Never fear…while the anniversary celebration has been postponed a year, the magazine redesign is right on time. As you explore these pages, you will encounter a number of changes designed to maximize your enjoyment.

• Readability. Although designers kept the existing (and well-loved) body type, it has been optimized for easy reading. A new headline and subtext font provides maximum word count while maintaining readability. Articles now feature dark text on a white or light background, the number one design request from our readers.
  

• Navigation. A streamlined Table of Contents page will point the way to articles of interest, while simplified headers on columns and news pages make them easy to locate.
  

• Design. Readers will continue to enjoy clean, simple design, with a few subtle changes that add up to big improvements. Space has been added between lines and columns, and a rigid text grid has been relaxed for reader comfort. News pages reflect greater flexibility, and information graphics will often accompany stories and statistics for increased comprehension.
  

One other important change must be noted: the tagline on the cover has changed from, The Magazine for Free Will Baptists to A Free Will Baptist Magazine. Why? After nine (not ten) years, the influence of ONE Magazine has expanded and broadened far beyond the borders of our own movement—a magazine produced by Free Will Baptists for everyone.

Note: As always, the editors of ONE Magazine welcome your input and suggestions. Email editor@nafwb.org to share comments and criticism regarding the changes.

Eric K. Thomsen is managing editor of ONE Magazine. Contact him at editor@nafwb.org.