Marlow Review help
Organise the issue
Give a magazine issue a structure the desk can read at a glance, and keep it useful from pitch to publication.
Guide 02 / 05 · 6 min read · updated 14 Sep 2026
Structure around the issue, not the file type
“Issue 42” is easier to return to than “Drafts”. Keep related stories together, even when one is a finished feature and another is a two-line pitch. Split a desk when its purpose splits, not when it reaches an arbitrary size.
- 1
Name the desk
Use a short, specific title. Add the issue number only when it helps distinguish the work.
- 2
Choose a small vocabulary
Start with two or three desks. Reuse an existing desk before inventing a near-duplicate.
- 3
Make progress visible
Use a stage for readiness and a desk for subject. One should not stand in for the other.
A little maintenance goes a long way
Archive work when its purpose is complete and the issue has gone to print. Add a closing note first: what the issue argued, the final running order, and where the next phase lives. Archiving is a change in visibility, not a substitute for a retention policy.
Organisation does not change access
Grouping by a desk or stage only changes the view. Check an issue’s contributors separately before adding embargoed stories.