The cover is very important!

Cover lines are a "preview" of the main articles in a magazine. They aid in attracting the target audience so they need to be something the age group targeted would like to read about. The main article is usually in a larger font than the rest of the cover lines so it stands out but still doesn't take focus away from the cover image. Using descriptive words and wordplay is another way to help appeal to the target audience. Numbers in cover lines infer that the magazine offers an amount of things, whether it's ways to do something, use something, etc. I think that it'll be a great idea to use numbers in my cooking magazine as it would be an eye catcher for my target audience. It also goes along with what will be included in the magazine, such as recipes. Although some recipes have more exact measurements than others, they all have numbers to go along with it. My main article will not have numbers in the title as it'll be for people to read on and learn more without focusing on the numbers which they can do when looking at other stories in my magazine. 

The selling line is a description of the main marketing point. I am going to include one so that there is a catchy saying or slogan that can go along with the brand of my magazine. I looked up short sayings here and got inspiration to create some that I can use in my magazine. I brainstormed to make them but will decide on which one I am going to use in the near future. Here's what I came up with:

The healthy way is the right way!

Good food is equal to a good mood.

In life, the first wealth is health.

Eat what’s good for you.
Your guide to healthy eating.

Just a bite away from heaven.

Keep eating on.

A food lovers heaven.

Make a change to cook and eat healthy starting here.

Things taste better when cooked the right way.

We make a great pear.

Don't be afraid to try cooking something new.

Make every meal count.

The dateline shows the published date and is usually right above or below the masthead. It lets the reader know when the magazine came out as it includes the month, date, and year in every issue. As I like to know when things are published when I look at them and is helpful to the reader is easily determining the issue they are looking at, I am going to include a dateline in my magazine. 

The cover photo is the first thing that the reader sees. Therefore, the subject of the cover photo should draw the eye and appeal to the target audience. My cover photo is going to be a visually appealing image of food. I have not decided what specific food I'm going to put on it yet, but the picture of it is going to be from an aerial/point-of-view view. I think this helps readers connect with the image as that would be what it would look like if they followed the recipe in the magazine and cooked it for themselves. 

The barcode, issue number, and price is used so that the cashier can check the buyer's soon to be magazine out. I'm going to put the bar code on the back because I think it will take up space on the front and is unnecessary for my cover. 

Resources:

Casson, Vicky. “Magazine Conventions and Terminology.” LinkedIn SlideShare, 20 Sept. 2012, www.slideshare.net/shsgmedia/magazine-conventions-andterminology.