MAGAZINE 2.0: USE YOUR SMARTS TO HELP US WRITE THE NEXT EDITION OF ANTHILL
Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
James Tuckerman, Editor-In-Chief, Anthill Magazine
Could we be about to create Australia’s first reader-generated magazine article?
Probably not.
Many magazine articles are already written by readers.
But! We might be the first Australian magazine to produce a magazine article as a group. 
Here’s what I’m proposing…
Over the next few weeks, I had (emphasis on ‘had’) intended to call on experts from a range of fields to help prepare an article on all the many small but necessary steps a startup company must take in order to stage a successful launch.
I had envisaged a title something akin to, “The 168 Steps to Launching a Successful Startup in Australia.” (Or “The 16 Steps…,” if time got the better of me.)
But, of course, while reading through some of the many erudite, informed, intelligent, articulate, whimsical and witty comments that have recently appeared on the Anthill blog, it suddenly occurred to me…
That would be silly!
I already have my experts.
You!
As such, if you’re interested, we’d like you, Anthill readers, to put forward whatever steps, any steps, you can think of that are integral to the formation of a company.
For example…
Purchase a URL
Register for an ABN
Decide which business structure is best for you
Purchase a shelf company (limited by shares)
You get the idea (too easy).
Perhaps contribute a step that really saved your bacon? Or a step you didn’t take but wish you had?
In return, we’ll publish your name and company URL next to your contribution (and you’ll be helping to educate fellow business owners).
If you are a professional adviser, we’re also inviting you too to apply your knowledge here. If your comments are used in the article, we’ll also publish your name right next to these inspired words of wisdom.
No step is too basic. No step is too banal. If you have a step, we want to hear it.
For the sake of clarity and consistency, there will, of course, be some ground rules.
1. Name your step. Explain why that step is important. Try to explain how to take that step. And don’t forget to provide helpful advice.
2. While doing all that, don’t yabber on. Try to explain your step and provide advice in less than 60 words. While we haven’t set a strict word limit for this exercise, the average A4 magazine page holds 600 words. (Think about it.)
3. No gratuitous self-promotion, please. If you’re an expert or entrepreneur keen to get your name in print, just remember this: People will look you up if you say smart stuff. Not because you managed to use your company name five times in 60 words.
4. When posting your comment use the exact name that you wish to see published and the URL of the company that you wish to see published next to that name.
5. If two people run the same or similar step, we’ll choose the one best suited to our purposes or we’ll combine the two and attribute the step to co-authors, with two names and two URLs (See Ground Rule #6 below, regarding sub-editing).
6. We’ll be deeming your participation in this exercise as consent for us to use your comments for publication, permission for us to sub-edit as required and as a demonstration that you have agreed to our T&Cs (click here).
Lastly, if this is a big flop, we make no promises. But, of course, the worst case scenario is that you will have helped educate and inform other readers of this blog. (A worthy cause.)
Tap away, Anthillians! Left-of-field suggestions are welcome, too.
