The gloss on girls

Andrew Mathieson
NOBODY can accuse one Barwon Heads mother of scant involvement in her children’s lives.
Concerns over her growing nine-year-old daughter idolising images of waif-like models and meaningless celebrities inspired Leanne Koster to boldly launch her own magazine.
For the affable Leanne, it’s all about a personal crusade.
“My understanding is that there are more failed magazines than there are empty, half-drunk cups of coffee in the world,” she admits.
“But it doesn’t at all put me off. I’m clear that what we’re doing is amazing and the feedback, well, I came home to an inbox of 150 emails the other day.
“Most were from parents thanking us so much because they’re excited about having a magazine that they would love their girls to read and feel good about themselves.”
But the publishing business, as Leanne has discovered, continues to prove a fickle caper.
The office of Indigo, a magazine promoting realistic images and a positive message for 10 to 14-year-olds, is a spare room in Leanne’s home wedged between the bedrooms of her two kids.
While the founding director owns the publication with a Melbourne woman, they plan to offer a 20 per cent share to investors to stimulate more capital in the venture.
They also survive on a shoestring income from limited advertising because Indigo “wanted to first get the content right”.
“It was a pretty close call at the start,” Leanne sighs.
“We had three days to our print deadline and we had no money.
“That caused us to raise about $20,000 in about 24 hours, which we did.
“That was pretty full on but there were no major hiccups.”
Three quarterly issues have now passed since the magazine’s launch in July. Indigo has sold more than 8500 copies and hit more than 300 school libraries nationally by discussing afflictions like cyber-bullying and body-imaging.
Ambitious plans include going bi-monthly next year and then monthly in 2010 to compete with established rivals.
“I want us to be number one in our target market within the next five years in terms of sales,” Leanne asserts.
“Certainly, within the next 10 years I want it to be a global, international publication.
Leanne ponders the future, then swiftly adds with tongue in cheek: “Yes, global domination.”
She even plans to launch a boys’ version of Indigo within the next 18 months.
Leanne, who has little say in the content of the articles, has always been a frustrated writer despite her marketing background and owning a software training company, which she sold to prop up the magazine.
“Years ago when I finished uni I wanted to become a journalist but could never get a cadetship, so I gave that up,” she explains.
“But I have always loved literature and writing; it’s always been a personal passion.”
The fresh and relevant ideas come from several focus groups in Indigo’s target market and the magazine employs a young freelance team including a graphic designer and a photographer, both aged only 19.
However, daughter Jordan is never short of giving mum a word of advice, not that Leanne reckons she doesn’t know what Generation Y is thinking.
She grew up with fair skin and freckles and also wore glasses at the same age, so she understands the pressures on teen girls.
“Look, I’m 38 and I have no problem with that,” Leanne observes, “but I feel about 19, though, I have to say.
“Sometimes when I go into the city at night I think, What happened to those 19 years between then and now?”
More information about Leanne’s magazine is available at www.indigo4girls.com.