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Magazines 2.0: ‘Budget Travel’ Created 100% by Users

Budget Travel magazine is allowing readers to frolic through its pages in a whole new way: nearly all of the text and photography of the June issue was generated by readers.

The magazine pulled in 2,800 pitches, for a final 324 contributors, according to Folio. An article titled “50 Reasons You Love New York” generated 500 submissions, alone.

Contributors were paid the normal fees, as well as travel expenses. An extraordinary amount of editing was required, according to editor Erik Torkells. Ultimately, “making this issue was neither cheap nor easy,” Torkells says.

The issue was a nod to the fact that consumers are turning to each other as much as to experts, says Torkells.

Other magazines have dabbled in user-generated content, while at least one - 8020 Publishing’s Everywhere magazine - is comprised nearly entirely of content from readers.

Torkells plans to do another user-generated issue in 2009.