Toastmasters International -Spotlight on WHQ’s Magazine Team

Six employees of Toastmaster magazine department at world headquarters

Now in its 86th year, the Toastmaster magazine continues to be a treasured publication for members around the world. The 32-page monthly print edition, featuring articles on communication, leadership, humor, mentoring and more, has also evolved into an interactive experience through its web-based edition on the Toastmasters International website under the Magazine tab.

Over the last several years, the Toastmaster staff has grown in more ways than one. To keep pace with the digital era, the online edition has become an important focus in addition to the print, as well as cross-promoting the magazine content on other digital platforms. The team, composed of six employees, are writers, editors, content curators and customer service providers with any years of professional editorial experience.

The Magazine department receives more than 100 photo and article submissions per month which are considered for use in the print or online magazine. In addition to forming member submissions into articles, the staff assigns and writes articles and curates content from a variety of sources.

Content strategy for the magazine begins three months in advance and the staff is constantly planning, editing and proofreading several issues at a time.

Team members are not just passionate about prose; they aim to make the Toastmaster a resource for information, tips and encouragement. The staff conducted a magazine survey in early 2019 to gauge readership habits, both in print and online. With this feedback, the team will determine new ways of recognizing clubs and members.

While words may be the focus of this team, you—the member—make the words come alive. If you have a story to tell, advice to give or professional tips to share, the magazine staff wants to hear from you. So next month, whether you’re flipping or clicking through the Toastmaster, know that it was created by a staff who care about its readers, all around the world.

Want to Read More?

Did you know that every issue of the Toastmaster is available for download by PDF? The archive for 2012–present is located on the magazine page under the Archive tab. If you’re looking to take a bigger step into Toastmaster history, visit the public Toastmasters Gallery for issues from 1930–2011. Article indexes are also available for your convenience to help you search for a specific article by topic or author.

Editor’s note: This article is one in a recurring series about the various departments at Toastmasters World Headquarters.