(Welsh text follows English)

As Sound Nation ends,  looks at the issues for someone looking
to start a publication based around music.

Obsessed with music, but wield a pen with far more skill than you wield a
plectrum? Then you've probably already thought about starting a music
magazine. There's many reasons to want to publish. Maybe you're frustrated
by the narrow agenda of the modern UK press. Maybe you'd just like a good
excuse to blag into shows and steal bands' riders. Both perfectly valid, but
right now it's tight belts in the modern UK magazine marketplace, and if you
don't approach this venture with at least a modicum of business sense,
you'll have squandered a king's ransom by the time issue two hits the
shelves.

SHAPING YOUR BRAND
At the top end, you've got the major weekly and monthly titles like NME and
Q, which command large readerships with strong advertising budgets. At the
other end of the scale, there's still a market for specialist DIY fanzines,
sold by hand or through local record shops. Meanwhile, there's a growing
market in alternative models: The Fly was funded by being floated on the
stockmarket, along with the rest of Channelfly, while a presently burgeoning
freesheet market that includes fashionable glossy Vice UK, artsy A3 music
newspaper The Stool Pigeon, and more locally, creative fanzine Kruger is
entirely funded by advertising. So the first, most crucial question: where
do you fit, and how will you stand out?

DISTRIBUTION
Before you've even run off your first copy, you'd better have a think about
how you're going to get your magazine out to your adoring public - and be
warned, the top end of the scale is an expensive place to be. WHSmiths News
is the UK's largest magazine wholesaler, distributing to supermarkets and
independent newsagents across the country. "We're talking some £2500 before
they'll distribute your title - and if you're talking Tesco's, it's a figure
more like £25,000," explains Chris Houghton, publisher of Plan B magazine.
"To get better distribution, you basically have to oil the supply chain with
money. It's the cut-throat nature of retail."
Further down the scale is wholesalers like Worldwide, who distribute to HMV,
Borders, and Virgin Megastores. At an early stage, you can encourage shops
to stock your product by offering free copies, or similar
scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours tactics. "We've got a deal with HMV, they
distribute us and we give them advertising space in the magazine," explains
Will Kinsman, editor of The Fly.  "With the smaller shops, they're often
quite happy to take it. People know they can get it from their local shop so
they'll go down on the morning it's out and pick it up, and that's the
payback for the shop."
Alternatively, you could put your copies in the hands of a music distributor
like Cargo or Pinnacle who'll distribute them round UK record shops - it's
cheap, and most importantly, it gets the product right into the hands of
your target audience. Many, however, still adhere to the good old-fashioned
fanzine distribution techniques. "After each issue is printed, we set off on
a 2,500 mile road trip round the country, personally delivering the paper to
all of our 500-plus stockists," explains Phil Hebblethwaite, editor of Stool
Pigeon "It takes about two weeks and it's a slog but we feel like we're on a
mission so it doesn't bother us."

MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN
A business plan is important, if only because it will teach you to think
about this project in financial terms. "A business plan is really a roadmap
to achieving a business' goals, aims, and missions," explains Ram Mojaria of
Business In Focus. "It's a blueprint. You begin by putting down the reasons
why you're going into this business. Is there a demand for this magazine, or
are you creating a demand? Are you doing it to make a profit, and if so,
what kind? How big is your market, how big is your readership?"
Locally, WDA-funded organisations like Business In Focus, Venture Wales and
Careers Wales will be able to walk you through the creation of a plan in
terms you'll understand (Welsh Music Foundation can supply you with a full
list). If you'd rather, however, Mojaria recommends The New Business Road
Test by John Mullins as a helpful tome to get you started.
Don't pander to your demographic to the extent that you lose sight of your
individual style, however. Most important is inspiration and a clear plan of
action. "We figure that the best you can do with anything is to do something
original and good," explains Phil Hebblewaite, editor of Stool Pigeon.
"Start aiming it at specific groups of people and you immediately undermine
your authenticity. Other people will tell you different, and perhaps we'd
think differently if we were selling the paper."
Still, a business plan is totally crucial if you're hoping to get a grant or
bank loan.
Unless, of course, you're like the boys from Cardiff's Kruger. "I think we
told HSBC we were going to spend the loan on a car," explains
editor-in-chief Mike Williams. Not exactly responsible, but there's a lesson
there: you're going to have to beg, steal, and borrow to get this one off
the ground.

FUNDING
If you're looking for a grant, you'll need to be able to prove you can meet
some pretty stringent criteria - and jump through a fair few hoops. Bethan
Elfyn's Welsh-language magazine Tasci qualified for a grant towards print
costs from Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg, but she points out such a route can be
frustrating: "Although getting money to back your magazine is a great thing,
it can have the same effect as a large corporation sponsoring your business.
"Sometimes they have a different agenda from you, and you find yourself
trying to please your audience and someone else's perception of your
audience. To get a grant takes as much time, money and effort as producing a
magazine. I'd say time is better spent photocopying a cheap fanzine or
making a blog."
Alternatively, maybe you can find an investor. The Fly began as what editor
Will Kinsman is happy to describe as "a glorified flyer" and only grew into
something approaching its present incarnation with the help of a Midlands
publishing company, A4 Publications. There's also the possibility that you
could enlist the help of a 'Business Angel' - an outside investor that likes
your pitch and is willing to stump up the initial cash to get you off the
ground. "To get us off the ground, we approached a blue chip [a
well-established investment company] with our idea," explains Phil
Hebblethwaite of Stool Pigeon. "They liked it and helped us, but they didn't
want and don't have any control over what we produce or cover. That's
understood."
Control is a key theme here. Obviously you value your integrity, so how
closely are you willing to work with advertisers or sponsors? Plan B have
accepted event sponsorship from Levis, a move Chris Houghton explains thus:
"One of the questions that came up was, quite rightly: do you see a
contradiction between working with sponsors, and how you operate as a
business? My answer was no, as long as what you're doing isn't dictated by
them - the same goes for our relationship between advertising and editorial
coverage."
Inevitably, though, you're going to have to rely on the commercial
marketplace to bring in the funds. That means courting advertisers, and in
the hard-nosed world of business, that means talking up the strength of your
magazine's brand for all you're worth. Make up some samples - you'll find it
immeasurably easier to impress advertisers if you have something cool to
show. "Before our first issue, we made a couple of spreads which we took
round to some businesses like Moloko in Cardiff," explains Kruger's Mike
Williams. "We ended up giving most of the adverts away for free - I think we
sold two, and by calling in favours, we managed to get an issue together. A
lot of the initial ads went for free, just because we thought it would look
good. But before we knew it, we were selling every advert."

EDITORIAL
How do you get in touch with the acts to fill your magazine? Well, virtually
ever signed act is represented by a press agent, and so it's crucial you get
building relationships from the get-go.
"There are a fair amount of publications that contact PR companies and not
all of them are real- some are just after free CDs," explains Lewis Jamieson
of Hall Or Nothing, who handle Oasis, Elbow, The Editors and other high
profile acts.
"Have a clear idea of layout and sections of your title and a reasonable
idea of what you want acts to do if you are asking for interview time. If
you have a dummy of your reviews and news sections you can jpeg to PRs,
that's always a good introduction."
In general, national mags get better access than regional mags - but
sometimes local press will get special provision. "With regional titles, if
a band is from the area it helps us secure the band to interview in many
cases. Otherwise, when bands are on tour we always look to talk to regional
titles for pieces to preview the tour so you should find a decent amount of
options if you are in or near a major tour town."
Building a good relationship with press companies is the key to getting the
bigger acts on their roster. Let's not forget, though, that it's a press
agent's job to get you onside - a good amount of the time, it's their job to
chase you. "Produce something that people like," reckons Phil Hebblethwaite.
"And they'll be onto you like your mate's drunk aunt."
And what about that old chestnut of record companies buying their acts onto
front covers? "We tend not to get too involved with advertising as it could
be seen that acts are buying space," points out Jamieson. "In such
circumstances, all we would do is direct you to the product manager at the
label. It's not for us to say whether the record company would feel that
coverage warranted an advert." Take it from us, though: it can't hurt.

DESIGN
Most magazines these days are designed on programmes like InDesign or Sound
Nation's choice, Quark Xpress. Not only are these tricky programs, they're
expensive - and if you're caught using a cracked copy, you could face a
hefty fine. You might prefer to farm out the designing to a specialized
designer - for a year, The Fly was run from London but designed in A4
Publications' offices in Cowbridge. If you've got complex design
requirements, however, you'll have to figure in the cost of a designer and
the software - there's no two ways about it.

PRINTING
It's finally time to get your magazine off the page and onto paper. How? A
good place to start is Yellow Pages, but phone around, because printing is a
notoriously competitive business. Mike from Kruger: "We started off with a
printer in Cardiff, who Joe [Howden, editor-in-chief] knew because he did a
graphic design coursed in Uni. But come issue six, we decided to double our
print run. We phoned up for a quote and it was so high, we thought we'd have
to shop around.
"A company called NWL quoted us what we were paying previously for double
our print run - and they let us get away without paying on time. We love
them." Price aside, it's all about finding the printers who suit your
specific needs. Quality of paper and print is one consideration, but if
you've got strict publication date, often speed is of the essence.
"The time from when we send them the files to when the magazines are sent
out to venues is crucial and it needs to be as short as possible," explains
The Fly's Will Kinsman.  "We try to hold back copy as long as possible,
because news stories come in, or a lot of advertising comes in late in the
day." Find a quick printer, and you'll stay ahead of the curve.

.AND FINALLY
How to ensure you don't end up another failed business venture? Lewis
Jamieson has seen magazines die like flies, and here's his advice: "The main
problem with many of the magazine launches in the last year or so has been
unrealistic expectations. Several national titles have fallen between their
need for readership in excess of 40,000 per month and their desire to cover
acts that are not national big names.
"A good example of how to do it well is Clash, which has built from Scotland
with realistic circulation and readership expectations and improved and
expanded at a reasonable rate within budget parameters. At all points, you
have to match your expectations to the reality of how much money you have in
the bank and what level of debt you can realistically carry without becoming
insolvent." The key, then: start small, think innovative, and build
realistically. And if it all goes tits-up, remember, they'll be wrapping
fish and chips in it tomorrow.

Wrth i Sound Nation ddod i ben, mae Louis Pattison yn ystyried yr hyn sy'n bwysig i rywun sydd am gychwyn cyhoeddiad yn ymwneud â cherddoriaeth

Ydych chi wedi gwirioni ar gerddoriaeth ond yn llawer mwy dawnus gyda phensil na phlectrwm? Yna mae'n debyg eich bod wedi ystyried cychwyn cylchgrawn cerddoriaeth yn barod. Mae llawer o resymau am fod eisiau cyhoeddi. Efallai eich bod yn rhwystredig oherwydd agenda gul gwasg fodern y DU. Efallai eich bod am gael esgus da i gael mynediad am ddim i sioeau a dwyn y rhestrau o'r hyn mae bandiau ei eisiau. Mae'r ddau'n rhesymau hollol ddilys, ond ar hyn o bryd, mae'n weddol llwm ym marchnad cylchgronau modern y DU, ac os na fyddwch chi'n cychwyn y fenter hon gydag o leiaf ychydig o synnwyr busnes, byddwch wedi gwastraffu llond trol o arian erbyn i'r ail rifyn gyrraedd y silffoedd.

LLUNIO EICH BRAND
Ar ben uchaf y farchnad, mae'r cylchgronau mawr wythnosol a misol fel NME a
Q, sydd â llawer o ddarllenwyr a chyllidebau hysbysebu mawr. Ar ben arall y farchnad, mae lle o hyd i ffansins cartref arbenigol, sy'n cael eu gwerthu â llaw neu mewn siopau recordiau lleol. Hefyd, mae marchnad gynyddol i ddulliau amgen: Ariannwyd The Fly trwy ei roi ar y farchnad stoc, ynghyd â gweddill Channelfly, tra bod marchnad cylchgronau am ddim sy'n ffynnu ar hyn o bryd yn cynnwys y cylchgrawn lliwgar a ffasiynol Vice UK, y papur newydd cerddoriaeth uchel ael A3 The Stool Pigeon, ac yn fwy lleol, ariennir y ffansin creadigol Kruger trwy hysbysebu'n unig. Felly'r cwestiwn cyntaf a phwysicaf yw: oes lle i chi, ac a fyddwch chi'n unigryw?

DOSBARTHU
Hyd yn oed cyn i chi gynhyrchu eich copi cyntaf, dylech feddwl am y ffordd rydych chi'n mynd i gael eich cylchgrawn i ddwylo'r cyhoedd - a dyma rybudd i chi, mae pen uchaf y farchnad yn lle drud i fod. WHSmiths News yw cyfanwerthwr cylchgronnau mwyaf y DU, ac mae'n dosbarthu i archfarchnadoedd a siopau papur newydd ledled y wlad. "Bydd angen rhyw £2500 arnoch cyn y byddant yn dosbarthu'ch cylchgrawn - ac os ydych chi am i Tesco werthu'r cylchgrawn bydd angen ffigwr tebycach i £25,000 arnoch," meddai Chris Houghton, cyhoeddwr cylchgrawn Plan B.
"I ddosbarthu mwy, mae'n rhaid i chi daflu arian at y gadwyn gyflenwi. Dyna natur ddidrugaredd y byd manwerthu."
Ymhellach i lawr yr ysgol mae cyfanwerthwyr fel Worldwide, sy'n dosbarthu i HMV, Borders, a Virgin Megastores. Yn ystod y camau cynnar, gallwch annog siopau i gadw'ch cynnyrch mewn stoc trwy gynnig copïau am ddim, neu dactegau ffafr am ffafr eraill. "Mae gennym ni drefniant gyda HMV, maen nhw'n dosbarthu'r cylchgrawn ac rydyn ni'n rhoi gofod hysbysebu iddyn nhw yn y cylchgrawn," meddai
Will Kinsman, golygydd The Fly.  "Mae'r siopau llai yn ddigon bodlon ei dderbyn fel rheol. Mae pobl yn gwybod y gallan nhw ei gael o'u siop leol
felly byddant yn galw heibio yn y bore pan fydd yn cyrraedd y siop i'w nôl, a dyna'r ffordd mae'r siop yn cael ei harian yn ôl."
Fel arall, gallech roi'ch copïau i ddosbarthwr cerddoriaeth fel Cargo neu Pinnacle a fydd yn eu dosbarthu i siopau recordiau ledled y DU - mae'n rhad, ac yn bwysicaf oll, mae'n sicrhau bod y cynnyrch yn cyrraedd eich cynulleidfa darged. Fodd bynnag, mae llawer yn parhau i ddefnyddio technegau dosbarthu hen ffasiwn. "Ar ôl argraffu pob rhifyn, rydyn ni'n cychwyn ar daith 2,500 o filltiroedd o gwmpas y wlad, i ddanfon y papur yn bersonol i bob un o dros 500 o siopau sy'n ei stocio," meddai Phil Hebblethwaite, golygydd Stool Pigeon "Mae'n cymryd tua phythefnos ac mae'n waith caled ond rydyn ni'n teimlo ein bod ar antur felly dydy'r daith ddim yn ein poeni."

LLUNIO CYNLLUN BUSNES
Mae cynllun busnes yn bwysig, yn arbennig er mwyn eich dysgu chi i feddwl am y prosiect hwn o safbwynt ariannol. "Mewn gwirionedd, ffordd o sicrhau eich bod yn cyflawni nodau, amcanion a chenhadaeth eich busnes yw cynllun busnes," meddai Ram Mojaria o Busnes mewn Ffocws. "Glasbrint yw'r cynllun. Rydych chi'n cychwyn trwy nodi'r rhesymau pam eich bod yn cychwyn y busnes. A oes galw am y cylchgrawn, neu ydych chi'n creu galw? Ydych chi'n gwneud hyn i wneud elw, ac os felly , sut fath o elw? Pa mor fawr yw eich marchnad, faint o ddarllenwyr fydd gennych chi?"
Yn lleol, bydd sefydliadau a ariennir gan y WDA fel Busnes mewn Ffocws, Menter Cymru a Gyrfa Cymru yn gallu'ch tywys trwy'r broses o greu cynllun mewn ffordd y byddwch chi'n ei deall (gall y Welsh Music Foundation roi rhestr lawn i chi). Os byddai'n well gennych, fodd bynnag, mae Mojaria'n argymell The New Business Road Test gan John Mullins fel llyfr defnyddiol ar y cychwyn.
Fodd bynnag, peidiwch a cheisio plesio'ch cynulleidfa i'r fath raddau fel eich bod yn colli golwg ar eich arddull unigryw chi. Y peth pwysicaf yw ysbrydoliaeth a chynllun gweithredu eglur. "Ein barn ni yw mai'r gorau y gallwch chi wneud gydag unrhyw beth yw creu rhywbeth gwreiddiol a da," meddai Phil Hebblewaite, golygydd Stool Pigeon.
"Os ydych chi'n dechrau anelu at grwpiau penodol o bobl byddwch chi'n colli eich dilysrwydd yn syth. Byddai pobl eraill yn dweud stori wahanol wrthoch chi, ac efallai y bydden ni'n meddwl yn wahanol os oedden ni'n gwerthu'r papur."
Er hyn, mae cynllun busnes yn gwbl hanfodol os ydych chi'n gobeithio cael grant neu fenthyciad gan y banc.
Oni bai, wrth gwrs, eich bod yn debyg i fechgyn Kruger o Gaerdydd. "Dwi'n meddwl ein bod ni wedi dweud wrth HSBC ein bod ni am wario'r benthyciad ar gar," meddai'r prif olygydd Mike Williams. Dydy hyn ddim yn gyfrifol iawn ond mae gwers yno i chi: bydd rhaid i chi wneud popeth yn eich gallu i gychwyn y cylchgrawn.

CYLLID
Os ydych chi'n chwilio am grant, bydd angen i chi brofi eich bod yn gallu bodloni meini prawf go gaeth - a chydymffurfio â llawer o ofynion eraill. Roedd cylchgrawn Cymraeg Bethan Elfyn, Tasci yn gymwys i dderbyn grant tuag at gostau argraffu gan Fwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg, ond gall hyn fod yn rhwystredig meddai: "Er bod cael arian i gefnogi'ch cylchgrawn yn beth gwych, gall gael yr un effaith â chorfforaeth fawr yn noddi'ch busnes.
"Weithiau, mae ganddyn nhw agenda wahanol i chi, ac rydych chi mewn sefyllfa o orfod bodloni'ch cynulleidfa yn ogystal â syniadau rhywun arall am eich cynulleidfa. Mae cael grant yn cymryd gymaint o amser, arian ac ymdrech â chynhyrchu cylchgrawn. Rydw i o'r farn ei bod hi'n well treulio'ch amser yn llungopïo ffansin rhad neu greu blog."
Fel arall, efallai y gallwch ddod o hyd i fuddsoddwr. Dechreuodd The Fly fel yr hyn mae'r golygydd Will Kinsman yn falch o'i ddisgrifio fel "glorified flyer" a thyfodd yn rhywbeth tebyg i'r cyhoeddiad presennol gyda chymorth cwmni cyhoeddi o ganolbarth Lloegr, A4 Publications. Mae'n bosib hefyd y gallech chi ddod o hyd i 'Angel Busnes' - buddsoddwr allanol sy'n hoff o'ch syniad ac yn fodlon cyfrannu'r arian i gychwyn y cylchgrawn. "I gychwyn y cylchgrawn, fe wnaethon ni gysylltu â chwmni o'r radd flaenaf (cwmni buddsoddi ag iddo enw da) gyda'n syniad," meddai Phil
Hebblethwaite o Stool Pigeon. "Roedden nhw'n hoff o'r syniad a chawson ni gymorth ganddyn nhw, ond doedden nhw ddim am reoli unrhyw beth rydyn ni'n ei gynhyrchu neu drafod. Rydyn ni wedi cytuno ar hynny."
Rheolaeth yw'r brif thema yma. Mae'ch gonestrwydd yn bwysig i chi'n amlwg, felly pa mor agos ydych chi'n fodlon gweithio gyda hysbysebwyr a noddwyr? Mae Plan B wedi derbyn cyllid ar gyfer ei ddigwyddiad gan Levis, penderfyniad a ddisgrifir gan Chris Houghton fel hyn:
"Un o'r cwestiynau a gododd, a ddim heb reswm, oedd: ydych chi'n credu fod gwrthdaro rhwng gweithio gyda noddwyr a'r ffordd rydych chi'n gweithio fel busnes? Nac ydw oedd fy ateb i, cyn belled nad nhw sy'n rheoli'r hyn rydych chi'n ei wneud - mae'r un peth yn wir am y berthynas rhwng hysbysebu a chynnwys golygyddol."
Ond, mae'n anochel y bydd rhaid i chi ddibynnu ar y farchnad fasnachol i gael arian. Mae hynny'n golygu trafod gyda hysbysebwyr, ac yn y byd busnes digyfaddawd, mae hynny'n cynnwys gwthio cryfder eich brand hyd eithaf eich gallu. Dangoswch rywfaint o samplau iddyn nhw - bydd hi'n llawer haws creu argraff ar hysbysebwyr os oes gennych chi rywbeth gwerth chweil i'w ddangos. "Cyn ein rhifyn cyntaf, fe wnaethon ni gwpl o dudalennau a mynd â nhw i fusnesau fel Moloko yng Nghaerdydd," meddai Mike Williams o Kruger. "Yn y diwedd, fe wnaethon ni roi'r rhan fwyaf o'r hysbysebion am ddim - dwi'n meddwl ein bod wedi gwerthu dau, a thrwy ofyn am ffafrau, fe lwyddon ni i roi rhifyn o'r cylchgrawn at ei gilydd. Rhoddwyd llawer o'r hysbysebion gwreiddiol am ddim, am ein bod yn meddwl y byddai'n edrych yn dda. Ond cyn pen dim, roedden ni'n gwerthu pob hysbyseb."

POLISI GOLYGYDDOL
Sut ydych chi'n cysylltu â pherfformwyr i lenwi'ch cylchgrawn? Wel, mae bron pob perfformiwr sydd dan gontract yn cael ei gynrychioli gan asiant y wasg, ac felly mae'n hanfodol i chi ddatblygu cysylltiadau o'r cychwyn cyntaf.
"Mae cryn dipyn o gyhoeddiadau'n cysylltu â chwmnïau cysylltiadau cyhoeddus ac nid yw pob un ohonyn nhw'n gwmnïau go iawn - mae rhai'n ceisio cael gafael ar CDau am ddim," meddai Lewis Jamieson o Hall Or Nothing, sy'n gofalu am Oasis, Elbow, The Editors a pherfformwyr enwog eraill.
"Ceisiwch gael syniad eglur o gynllun ac adrannau'r cylchgrawn a syniad go lew o'r hyn rydych chi am i berfformwyr ei wneud os ydych chi'n gofyn am gyfweliadau. Os oes gennych chi fersiwn ffug o'ch adolygiadau a'ch adrannau newyddion, gallwch eu hanfon ar ffurf jpeg i gwmnïau cysylltiadau cyhoeddus, mae hynny'n gyflwyniad da bob amser."
Yn gyffredinol, mae cylchgronnau cenedlaethol yn cael gwell mynediad na chylchgronau rhanbarthol ond weithiau bydd darpariaeth arbennig ar gyfer y wasg leol. "Mewn cylchgronau rhanbarthol, os yw'r band yn dod o'r ardal mae'n ein helpu i gael y band i wneud cyfweliad yn aml iawn. Fel arall, pan fydd bandiau ar daith byddwn ni bob amser yn ceisio siarad â chylchgronau rhanbarthol i gael erthyglau sy'n rhoi cyhoeddusrwydd i'r daith, felly bydd nifer cymharol fawr o gyfleoedd os ydych chi mewn tref fawr neu'n agos at un."
Mae datblygu perthynas dda gyda chwmnïau'r wasg yn allweddol i gael siarad gyda'r perfformwyr mwyaf ar eu rhestrau. Ond, mae'n rhaid cofio mai gwaith asiant y wasg yw datblygu perthynas dda gyda chi - gan amlaf, eu gwaith nhw yw cael gafael arnoch chi. "Os wnewch chi gynhyrchu rhywbeth mae pobl yn ei hoffi," meddai Phil Hebblethwaite. "byddan nhw wrth eich sodlau fel modryb feddw eich ffrind."
A beth am yr hen stori o gwmnïau recordiau'n prynu lle i'w perfformwyr ar gloriau cylchgronnau? "Rydyn ni'n tueddu i beidio â gwneud llawer gyda hysbysebu gan y gallai edrych fel bod y perfformwyr yn prynu lle," meddai Jamieson. "Dan amgylchiadau o'r fath, y cwbl fydden ni'n ei wneud fyddai'ch anfon at reolwr cynnyrch y label. Nid ein lle ni yw dweud a fyddai'r cynnwys yn cyfiawnhau hysbyseb." Ond cymerwch ein gair: ni wnaiff ddim drwg.

DYLUNIO
Mae'r rhan fwyaf o gylchgronau heddiw'n cael eu dylunio ar raglenni fel InDesign neu ddewis Sound Nation, Quark Xpress. Nid yn unig mae'r rhain yn anodd i'w defnyddio, maen nhw'n ddrud hefyd - ac os cewch chi eich dal yn defnyddio copi wedi'i gopïo, gallech gael dirwy sylweddol. Efallai y byddai'n well gennych gyflogi dylunydd arbenigol i wneud y gwaith - am flwyddyn, roedd The Fly'n cael ei redeg yn Llundain ond yn cael ei ddylunio yn swyddfeydd A4
Publications yn y Bont-faen. Os oes gennych ofynion dylunio cymhleth, fodd bynnag, bydd rhaid i chi gynnwys cost dylunydd a'r feddalwedd - does dim dwywaith amdani.

ARGRAFFU
Mae'r amser wedi cyrraedd i roi'ch cylchgrawn ar bapur. Sut? Mae'r Yellow Pages yn lle da i ddechrau, ond ffoniwch lawer o gwmnïau, mae argraffu'n fusnes hynod gystadleuol. Meddai Mike o Kruger: "Fe wnaethon ni ddechrau gydag argraffwyr yng Nghaerdydd roedd Joe [Howden, prif olygydd] yn eu 'nabod am ei fod wedi gwneud cwrs dylunio graffeg yn y Brifysgol. Ond erbyn y chweched rhifyn, fe wnaethon ni benderfynu dyblu nifer y copïau. Fe wnaethon ni ffonio i ofyn am bris ac roedd e mor uchel, roedden ni'n meddwl y byddai'n rhaid i ni edrych o gwmpas.
"Roedd cwmni o'r enw NWL yn fodlon argraffu dwywaith cymaint o gylchgronau ag roedden ni'n eu hargraffu cynt am yr un pris - a doedden nhw ddim yn poeni os nad oeddem yn talu ar amser. Rydyn ni'n eu caru nhw." Heblaw'r pris, mae'n rhaid dod o hyd i argraffwyr sy'n cyd-fynd â'ch anghenion penodol. Mae ansawdd y papur a'r argraffiad yn un ystyriaeth, ond os oes gennych ddyddiad cyhoeddi tynn, mae cyflymder yn hollbwysig.
"Mae'r amser o'r adeg rydyn ni'n anfon y ffeiliau iddyn nhw i'r adeg yr anfonir y cylchgronnau i leoliadau'n hanfodol ac mae angen iddo fod mor fyr â phosib," meddai Will Kinsman o The Fly.  "Rydyn ni'n ceisio dal y copi'n ôl cyn hired â phosib gan fod straeon newydd yn dod mewn, neu mae llawer o hysbysebion yn cyrraedd yn hwyr yn y dydd." Dewch o hyd i argraffwyr cyflym, a byddwch chi'n siŵr o aros ar y blaen.

.AC I GLOI
Sut allwch chi sicrhau nad ydych yn troi allan i fod yn fenter fusnes arall sydd wedi methu? Mae Lewis Jamieson wedi gweld cylchgronnau'n marw fel pryfaid, a dyma'i gyngor: "Y broblem fwyaf gyda llawer o'r cylchgronau a lansiwyd yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf yw disgwyliadau afrealistig. Mae llawer o gyhoeddiadau cenedlaethol wedi cwympo rhwng dwy stôl oherwydd eu hangen i gael dros 40,000 o ddarllenwyr bob mis a'u dymuniad i ysgrifennu am berfformwyr nad ydynt yn enwau mawr yn genedlaethol.
"Un enghraifft dda o sut i lwyddo yw Clash, sydd wedi datblygu o'r Alban gyda disgwyliadau realistig o ran darllenwyr a dosbarthiad ac wedi gwella ac ehangu ar raddfa resymol o fewn cyfyngiadau'r gyllideb. Bob cam o'r ffordd, mae'n rhaid i'ch disgwyliadau gyd-fynd â realiti cyfanswm yr arian sydd gennych yn y banc a'r ddyled y gallwch chi ymdopi â hi heb fynd heb fynd i'r wal." Y gyfrinach felly: dechrau'n fach, meddwl yn arloesol, a datblygu'n realistig. Ac os aiff yr hwch drwy'r siop, cofiwch y byddan nhw'n lapio sglodion ynddo 'fory.

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