Managing Editor, Pecan South magazine
Published by the Texas Pecan Growers Association, Pecan South is the national trade magazine for pecan growers, shellers, and other members of the pecan industry. Although based out of Bryan, Texas, our audience stretches across six continents. As Managing Editor, I oversee every aspect of the monthly magazine’s production—including reporting on events, writing features, editing submitted content, scheduling columnists, soliciting new freelancers, designing each issue’s layout, and collaborating with our advertising director. I also manage the website and strategize and post social media content for the magazine. Lastly, I write our monthly e-newsletter and the Pecan Newsletter, our weekly harvest newsletter published September through January.
If you see it in Pecan South or on our social channels, I have had a hand in it.
As harvest approaches, a pecan bursts out of its shuck at Royalty Pecan Farms in Caldwell, Texas. (Photo by Catherine Clark)
Managing the Magazine
I’ll admit I knew very little about pecans before I started at Pecan South magazine. They grow on trees. They’re a nut. And during Thanksgiving, many Americans eat pecan pie. That was about as far as my knowledge went. But starting on day one, I immersed myself in this industry, and over the course of my first year, became an expert.
Unlike many editors early in their careers, I’ve been involved in all sides of magazine production. Willingly throwing myself into the deep end, I took Pecan South and used my knowledge to shape its design, content, digital presence, and advertising. Along the way, I collaborated with teammates and industry experts to better guide my plans for the magazine.
As part of my effort to develop and grow Pecan South, I partnered with TPGA’s office manager to establish an expiration notice schedule. Before I started with the magazine, Pecan South had a backlog of expired subscribers. Some subscribers expired in 2014, and yet, they were still receiving the magazine. Over the course of three months, our entire office worked to chip away at this backlog. I then began developing a system of notices to remind readers of their upcoming expiration dates and to encourage them to renew. As I worked to fine-tune other aspects of Pecan South, this process has shifted and changed but the core goal remained the same—grow and maintain our readership.
Nuts litter the ground and others hang heavy on the trees on a bright, Wednesday morning a week before harvest at the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma’s East Red River farm in Idabel, Oklahoma. (Photo by Catherine Clark)
REdesign and Growth
When I first started with Pecan South in June 2017, the magazine was stagnant. It had been relying on the same design and basic content for the last decade. My first day on the job I was gifted the opportunity to do whatever I wanted with the magazine. I took it and ran with it.
My publisher had begun the process of developing a new website and passed that along to me as well. I worked with our web designer and developer to create a site that works for Pecan South. To this day, I continue to manage the website, optimize each post for SEO, write online-only articles, and partner with our contractor to maintain site health and status. We average 5.0K site sessions per month.
I completely revamped the magazine. Using the knowledge I gained from Skyline and while working as a reporter, I have crafted a style that fits our readership. To this day, I am constantly exploring new options and searching for interesting potential writers.
Paricipants of the Texas Pecan Growers 2018 Conference listen to fellow pecan grower Keith Berdoll at his orchard in Smithville, Texas, as he shares some of his growing challenges.
(Photo by Catherine Clark)
Across the Pecan Industry
In addition to working on the magazine itself, I also work with the Texas Pecan Growers Association in and out of the office. I represent the association at other industry events, help to maintain member relationships, write and create association materials—such as recipe brochures, conference programs, and event posters—and provide editing and design support to TPGA staff. In addition, I assist Association staff in the planning and execution of our annual conference and trade show, which has approximately 600 attendees, through developing promotional materials, writing press releases, and managing onsite conference activities as needed
Catch a peek at the magazine before and after I joined the team…
After: October 2018 issue
Before: February 2017 issue
After: November 2017 issue
Before: June 2017 issue
Creating Two Special Editions
In 2020, I collaborated with my team at Pecan South to conceptualize and create two special edition magazines—Nuez Sureña and Pieces of Pecan. We crafted these free digital magazines entirely in-house and increased our annual revenue by more than $13k in 2021. I produce these magazines each year.
Pieces of Pecan
Much like our Spanish-language edition, Pieces of Pecan was designed to meet another need. Our audience is primarily made up of pecan farmers and business owners who are always working to promote their product and connect with consumers. Using our expertise in magazines and marketing, my team and I developed this free magazine. This special edition showcases pecans to consumers, dietitians, chefs, and foodies, by featuring the latest nutrition research, recipes, and lifestyle articles. Pecan industry members can purchase bulk copies for their stores or promotional activities, and embed it on their websites.
Nuez Sureña
Over the years, our Spanish-speaking readers often requested a translated version of Pecan South. Overcoming budget limitations, my team and I decided to create an annual special edition that would respond to these requests and allow Pecan South to build new connections with pecan growers and researchers throughout Latin America. So, in the midst of a pandemic, I collaborated with my team to create and publish a digital Spanish-language special edition—Nuez Sureña. I established new connections with pecan researchers in Mexico and Argentina, designed another magazine entirely from scratch, solicited a translator, and partnered with our advertising director.