Trading pages: using software to manage editorial workflows at small cultural magazines

This report is a study of editorial workflow practices and the use of editorial workflow software at small Canadian magazines. Seven magazines were surveyed about their current staff and working environments, their editorial workflow practices, and the use of software to manage workflow. The magazines were also asked to evaluate their current workflow and explain their attitudes towards workflow software. This report also reviews several existing workflow software packages with an eye towards their suitability for a small magazine environment, including a discussion of cost, feature set, and ease of use. Based on the reviews and the requirements derived from the workflow models of the magazines surveyed, this report finally explores the possibility of developing new workflow software tailored for small magazines, describing basic requirements and guidelines for future software development.