Dream Job TK

Goodbye

2011-12-23T12:08:00.000-05:00

Well, this is it. My last post for Dream Job TK. It's been nearly five years, and it's been a trip.

Before I sign off, I'd like to share two things I've learned so far in my magazine editing career. Now, they're not the only things that matter, and they may not even be the most important, but you can't forget them in the pursuit of your dream job:

1. Trust your gut.
If you find yourself asking yourself whether your next career move is the right one for you, maybe it's not.

Excited and giddy about the possibilities of a new gig or assignment? Can't wait to tell everyone? Can you picture yourself doing the job? Jump right in.

Debating the merits of the offer over and over? Making a pros and cons list? Asking everyone you know if you should take it? You might be looking for permission or validation because something in your gut is telling you that it's not for you.

2. Make friends.
Some people might call this networking, but that word doesn't express the true nature of the relationships you can build in this industry. It's a community filled with wonderful people. Get to know them and they will help you over and over again in your career. You will find confidantes, mentors and many, many very good friends, and even some excellent acquaintances. When you're stuck in your career or have an editing problem to solve, nothing is more valuable than having someone (or a few someones) who know what it's like to be an editor to talk to about it.

Thank you all so much for reading Dream Job TK, and for your comments and questions over the years. It truly has been an honour sharing with you.

Wishing each and every one of you all the best in your careers. I hope you find your Dream Job.
Corinna

PS – The Dream Job TK archives will remain online for you peruse anytime you need a little career advice. And you can find me online on Twitter @vangerwen or at my website, corinnavangerwen.com.

Reading List, Dec. 19

2011-12-19T14:28:00.000-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Why We Teach Journalism to Specialists, Instead of the Other Way Around" by Robert Steiner on MediaShift. A different type of J-school, where you're an expert in your field first, then learn the fundamentals of journalism.

• "How to Quit Your Job" by Alison Green on U.S. News. You probably know that you can't do it via text message, but here are some other tips.

• "5 Ways To Spot A Bad Boss In An Interview" by Stephanie Taylor Christensen on Forbes. Even if it's your dream job, work could become a living hell with a horrible boss. Some warning signs.

• "10 tips for journalists who want to be better presenters" by Tom Huang on Poynter. If you've been asked to speak at a conference or be a speaker at an event, read this first.

A Good Way to Prepare for Job Interviews

2011-12-14T08:07:00.000-05:00

So you got a job interview (congratulations!) — now what? How do you prepare yourself so you make a good impression?

There are lots of ways, but do this one thing and you should be ready for most questions that come up: Read over the job description and think of examples in your career that demonstrate those skills and qualities.

It's one thing to say that you posses a certain qualification; it's another, better thing to prove you have the skills by relaying a story that supports the claim. Even if you're not asked a direct "give me an example of when..." question, having a stockpile of particular stories makes it easier for you to answer questions and volunteer examples from your career.

It also forces you to think about what the interviewer is looking for in a candidate, and will help you focus your answers so you're less likely to ramble on about irrelevant topics.

Reading List, Dec. 12

2011-12-12T11:50:00.001-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Top Tips for Attending your Office Holiday Party" by Miranda Wulf on Unlimited. Yes, you should go to your work party.

• "Productivity Tie-Breaker: How Will You Feel Afterwards?" by Mark McGuinness on The 99%. A little tip to help you make headway on those long-term projects so they don't turn into last-minute emergencies.

• "Key Questions to Ask to Find Key Staff" by Harvey Schachter on Report on Business. The four key qualities to look for in a new hire, plus the interview questions to ask to see if they have them.

Dream Job TK Coming to an End

2011-12-09T08:00:00.000-05:00

It is with mixed feelings that I announce the closing of the Dream Job TK blog.

After long consideration, I have decided that it is time for me to move on to other things. I will continue to blog up until Christmas, but will not post again after the New Year. The entire archives of Dream Job TK, dating back to 2007, will remain available at dreamjobtk.blogspot.com.

If you have any burning questions about working in magazines, email me now [vangerwen at gmail dot com] or leave a comment before Dec. 16, and I'll do my best to answer them before I sign off.

Until then.
Corinna

Reading List, Nov. 28

2011-11-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Women Journalists Confront Harassment, Sexism When Using Social Media" by Jeff Sonderman on Poynter. Ladies, you don't need to grin and bear those nasty, or even slightly uncomfortable comments left on your online work. Take action.

• The "Blog" of "Unnecessary" Quotation Marks by Bethany Keeley. Check out the sidebar for additional amusing blogs.

• "How Do You Deal With Having to Fire Someone?" by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. Getting fired is no fun, but neither is having to fire someone, and there's usually a lot less advice about it. Here's a little.

• "Famous Magazines' First Covers" by Judy Berman on Flavorwire.

Editor Profile: Dick Snyder, Totem & CityBites

2011-11-24T18:12:00.001-05:00

THE BIO

WHO: Dick Snyder, editorial director, Totem; president, CityBites Media Inc.; editor, CityBites; freelancer.

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Jazz Guitar Performance, Concordia University; Journalism, Ryerson University

FIRST MAGAZINE JOBS:

Summer intern (“Paid, thankfully.”), Saint John Evening Times Globe. “I was a general assignment reporter covering the city and region, everything from City Hall to a performance of The Polka Dot Door at the local theater. This was a fantastic job, because the prime mandate was to fill pages. There were three of us Toronto-based recent grads, all churning out anywhere from two to five stories a day. Battling for the front page!”

Editor, The Eyeopener. “Before the final school year was out, I ran for editor of Ryerson’s independent student newspaper. This was to be a cushion in case I wasn’t offered to stay on at the Times Globe. In fact, I was offered a permanent job, which left me the decision: Do I stay in Saint John and work my way up through a small newspaper, or do I go back to Toronto, work at The Eyeopener, and work on obtaining my dream job — a summer internship at The Globe and Mail. I rang Colin McKenzie, who was then deputy editor at the Globe to ask his advice. He said come back to Toronto, work like hell, and apply for the Globe’s summer internship.”

Summer intern, The Globe and Mail. “A coveted position on the Globe’s summer intern squad! I started as a copy editor on the foreign news desk. Then, I was a copy editor on the ‘universal desk,’ where a pool of copy editors dealt with copy from all departments. Then I was taught layout on the arcane proprietary layout system, and did layout for foreign and local news, and occasionally the front page. At the end of the summer, I was offered the only full-time job available for summer interns. Lesson: make yourself indispensable by learning every skill imaginable, with enthusiasm.”

SUBSCRIBES TO: Spin, Guitar Player, Toronto Life, Food & Wine

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, DICK?

“Just an observation on editing and media: When I joined Totem (which was called Redwood at the time, back in 1999), branded or custom content were dirty words. But I’m proud to work with a company that pioneered and defined branded content, which we now see all around us, especially in new media platforms. There used to be a great divide between conventional journalists and the term we coined at Totem, “marketing journalists.” I always considered these two disciplines as two sides of the same coin. Marketing journalism isn’t that different from the kind of service journalism we learned in school, and put in practice in the lifestyle sections of conventional magazines and newspapers. Now, service journalism is everywhere, to wildly divergent standards of quality, mind you. The modern editor and journalist needs to be able to function in so many arenas, from print and digital media, to conventional and branded vehicles, to social and sharing tools. The ‘equipment’ of journalism is changing and will keep changing, but the basic skill sets remain. Tell a great story, make it riveting, package it up nice and never forget about your reader. The reader is the most important person, even more important than the editor.”

SO DICK, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?

There’s no single thing, but a mash-up of skills, emotions, desires, insecurities, instincts and knowledge. A good editor is a contradictory assemblage of divergent abilities and unpredictable mood patterns. A curious beast, like a Gruffalo. Scary and imposing, yet sympathetic. Confident and dictatorial, but open to persuasion. Arrogant and impetuous, though with traces of generosity. I do believe, as with anything, that an editor gets better results with sugar than with vinegar. Though there are times when some acid invective is required to call a writer to heal. But often, this is deployed only at the end of the working relationship, when salvage mode is the last resort. After the third, “I really did send it. I’m having trouble with my Rogers account.”

One of the only universal truths that has been proved to me time and again: The best writers are a dream to edit, because it’s not so much editing (or fixing) as it is collaborative production of an outstanding piece of journalism. The best writers respond to coaching, ideas on making their work better. The worst writers will battle every single note, suggestion or attempt at reason — they are that confident in their superior abilities. And yet, their work is never more than merely acceptable, and barely that. (I’ve edited National Magazine Award winners of this ilk, which is why these awards should recognize the editor rather than the writer, or at least come up with some weighted formula.) The worst writers wonder why you never hire them again.

A good editor is not always a good writer, but it helps. In my case, becoming a good writer — through excellent j-school profs, a lot of hands-on, “real” writing during school, and exposure to great editors — was my initial passion. Idolizing Hunter S. Thompson, Hemingway, Mordecai Richler… the usual. I slogged through j-school convinced that I wanted to be a reporter, but it turns out I liked being an editor better. I truly enjoy doing both, though, and likely maintain about a 70:30 edit-to-writing ratio. And this seems about right. When I feel like my writing and/or reporting skills are atrophying, I’ll pitch a few stories to newspapers or magazines (the conventional kind, print) to force myself to revisit the disciplines of tight focus, reader service and tight word count.

A good editor is a good listener. That’s how he or she gets good ideas, or rips them off by listening in on private conversations. That’s how he can take a drip of a notion and, by matching it up to the best writer, get the writer to do all the work and turn it into a really great idea, and hopefully a really great article. A lot of this trickery, I mean alchemy, happens during the first phone call that takes place after the initial email query: “Hey, I’ve got this idea for an article,” the emails begins, “and it might be up your alley.”

Talking is key. A real conversation results in more clarity of mission, better idea generation, deeper insight. It’s the best way to ensure that the writer is set off on the right track from the get go. Depending on the size and scope of the article, a couple of follow-up conversations are usually in order. Email cannot replace the conversation! Pick up the phone.

A good editor does not impose himself or herself on the writer. That is, she doesn’t judge the work, in style or technique, against her own criteria. She leaves the writer free to express his or her voice. Within the confines of the style of the publication, of course. But without whittling the prose down to a consistent and predictable sludge, or “house style.” A good editor has the reader in mind, over and above her own desires. She never stops asking: What does the reader need to know? What is the reader thinking as he reads this? What’s missing? How can this passage be made shorter? Yes, brevity is king. Shorter is always better.

A good editor trusts his instincts, and doesn’t edit by committee. That is, he doesn’t bother his spouse or kids for input, or circulate the work around the office to get a consensus of opinion (which is never possible). A good editor encourages forthright, declarative prose, and eliminates “fiddly” punctuation as much as possible (brackets, semi-colons, long dashes). Damn, I just used two sets of brackets!

A good editor loves reading. And he reads everything he can, whenever he can. Even the worst writing can teach him something. And the best writing can lift his spirits, and then he can rip off the elements that led to the spirit-lifting. A good editor is obsessed with copy editing, rules of grammar, and parallelism. But she’s not beholden to them. She can toss out all the rules on a whim, and still pull together a wicked piece.

A good editor doesn’t worry about the death of print. He embraces the rise of digital. He knows print will never die. And all media are valid, riveting, challenging and ridiculous. Best to master them all than fret about being bowled over. A good editor embraces Twitter as a word challenge: It’s really just an exercise in headline writing. Do it several times a day just to exercise that particular editorial muscle. (Oh, and Twitter is just about the best fountain of ideas ever invented!)

A good editor doesn’t whine about the state of journalism. He strives to make it better. And he recognizes that we’re living in the most exciting times imaginable. Plug in, turn on, freak out. That’s what it’s all about.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?

Reading a good manuscript — do they still call them that? — for the first time, and getting that warm feeling as it becomes clear that this writer, someone you haven’t worked with before, is really good. She has a voice, skill with words, a sense of humour, the ability to deploy the right word to the right effect. And then, instead of marking up the text during this first pass, you just read on and let the narrative happen. There’s always work to be done, of course, but that feeling of recognizing serious potential, and then hunkering down to pull it all to an even higher level — it’s gold.

The other thing I really love — and owning my own magazine, CityBites, allows me to do this — is to give a new writer his or her first gig. And, if she’s good, I can help promote both her work and personal brand, by publicizing her work on our social media platforms, by giving her a place on our contributor page, by giving her more work. I really enjoy mentoring the most enthusiastic ones, and helping them find their voice. And, hopefully, a real job.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?

This is why I love our digital age. Because the only way to get good as an editor is to edit, not just other people, but yourself. When I started out as a writer and editor, in the nascent Internet years, desktop publishing was the great salvation, as anyone with a Mac could churn out a “magazine” or chap book on whatever subject they loved best. This was, of course, pre-blog. I hooked up with several basement publishers, and offered to do anything that needed doing (unpaid). I wrote, edited, copy edited, trimmed copy, wrote display, chased drunks out of the living room. Whatever it took to see my name in print, to work with the words and the layouts, and then see the printed piece at the end. Because until you see your name in print, it doesn’t matter. Now, with Twitter and Tumblr and Facebook and Wordpress, anyone can see their name in print any time. Which means this: taking responsibility for your work, your voice, your brand. The kids today won’t really see it that way, since they’ve been online since they were in nappies. But they’ve subconsciously absorbed the lessons of permanence: You write it, it’s live, and everyone reads it. So it’d better be good, or you’ll hear about it. Within minutes.

So, the same goes for today’s fledgling editors. Do as much work as you can, for anyone, for no pay, for a little pay. Build your reputation, impress people, surprise people. Never disappoint, never let anyone down. Never think you’ve got it all figured out. There’s always room for great editors, no matter what they say about declining media jobs. I see a continual need for exemplary editors. You just have to be great, not just good.

Also, keep returning to The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Read The Elements of Editing by Arthur Plotnick. It’s old and outdated, but the fundamentals are solid. And it’s fun reading about lead type! And keep reading for pleasure. Be aware as you read. That is, aware of the author’s voice, his techniques, even how and where the editor stepped in to make it better. Absorb, learn, steal and improve.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?

I’d assigned a one-page article to a National Magazine Award winning journalist. One of those guys who’s beloved for his folksy downhomeness, his “real Canadian” voice, his gruff ruralness. This was a guy who cultivated this particular “brand.” I sent him a detailed brief on what I was looking for, and flattered him as to why he was the perfect choice. I wanted a little humour, that particular kind of CBC-Radio-Sunday-morning folksiness. But I was leaving it up to him to find his thread, his POV, his central idea. All I required, and I laid this out in the brief, and in the phone discussion we had, was that it be a pan-Canadian article. That is, I needed quotes from sources on the east coast, the west coast, and somewhere in between. I was paying more than market rate, I think $1.25 a word. This was about 10 years ago. He agreed to everything, and filed on time.

And it was the worst piece of dreck I’d ever read. Lazy writing, devoid of research, incoherent, unstructured, boring and flat, with a terrible lead. It was, however, about the assigned subject matter. And he did get quotes from three people — two of them living in Ontario, and one of them an Ontario native living — coincidentally? — in the same town where the writer lived. I made detailed notes in the document — I’m talking about spending an hour or more to gently emphasize the points from the original brief and how they should come to bear within the article itself. This, for an article of about 700 words. I sent him the notes, and got a reply affirming that he understood what he needed to do, and would refile by the appointed date.

On the appointed date, I got a phone call. He said he didn’t think he could do the article and thought it would be best for me to give him a kill fee. “It sounds like what you want in this article and what I sent you the first time are completely different things.” I was astounded. Yes, indeed they were completely different, I thought, but who’s fault was that? I thanked him for his time, and sent him a kill fee of about 30% of the agreed fee, as our contract stated that the editor could determine the appropriate kill fee, and I thought this more than a generous payment. He badgered me for several weeks, arguing that he should receive 50%. The difference might have been $100.

I reassigned the story. And I showed my new writer this guy’s shoddy work. She knew the writer personally. She said: “Oh, you know those three people he quoted are his best friends.” A real pro, that guy!

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?

Saveur, the gorgeous and inspirational food magazine. It exudes “smart.” You can see the effort that goes into story development. They don’t follow the trends that all the other food media are doing. They’re more like a National Geographic or a Vanity Fair, but for food and everything that food has to do with your life.

WHERE TO FIND DICK ONLINE:

Totem website: Totembrandstories.com

CityBites website: Citybites.ca (currently under construction)

Twitter: @citybites and @snyderdick

LinkedIn

Tumblr: citybitestoronto

Facebook: city bites magazine

Reading List, Nov. 21

2011-11-21T08:25:00.000-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Make a Great Resume First Impression: 6 Best Tips" by Sheryl Coonan on YouTern's The Savvy Intern blog. It takes only seconds for an editor to toss your resumé in the No pile; these tricks will reduce the likelihood that that will happen.

• "5 Keys to Successful Informational Interviews" by Tim Tyrell-Smith on Tim's Strategy. Informational interviews are a valuable job-serch and networking tool. Before asking for one, read this piece.

• "Manners Matter" by Meg Montford on Abilities Enhanced. Think sending thank you notes is old-school? That's why they get you noticed. This piece shares seven points in your job hunt when sending thanks is a good idea.

• My Favourite Magazine series on SPD. Art and photo directors talk about, well, their favourite magazines.

Reading List, Nov. 14

2011-11-14T08:30:00.000-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "What Good Interview Questions are Actually Trying to Discover" by Seth Godin.

• "Leadership: 12 Ways to Fail" by Ron Edmondson of Churchleaders.com in Report on Business.

• "Beware the Perfect Job Candidate" by Carl Beuke in Psychology Today. Being a "perfectionist" is not a valid weakness to cite in a job interview.

Reading List, Nov. 7

2011-11-07T08:30:00.000-05:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "The Alot is Better Than You at Everything" by Allie on Hyperbole and a Half. Funny grammar stuff for all you grammar nerds (who I'm assuming is all of you who read this blog).

• "Ten Career Lessons from the Top of the Masthead" by Victoria Pynchon on Forbes. Advice culled from the life of Jill Abramson, the first woman executive editor of the New York Times.

• "How International Students Can Land U.S. Internships" by Gennifer Delman on Ed2010. Covers the basics of getting a visa.

• "Is Your Resume a Mirror or a Window? Success in 3 Steps" by Mark Babbitt on YouTern's Savvy Intern blog. A decent exercise for improving your resumé.

• "Advertising Companies Fret Over a Digital Talent Gap" by Tanzina Vega in the New York Times. It's not just in advertising; there's a lack of people with digital skills in magazines too. If your talent lies in this area, you could be in high demand.

• "14 Punctuation Marks That You Never Knew Existed" by Jack Shepherd on BuzzFeed. Actually, you probably know a few of them.

Take Care of Your Relationship with Your Mentor

2011-11-02T08:36:00.000-04:00

A friendly reminder: If you are fortunate enough to have a mentor in your life, don't forget to treat their time and advice as the gifts they are.

Always say thank you – then say it again. This person is giving you valuable information free of charge. He is volunteering his time. Even if it's not a big deal to him, it should be a big deal to you. Make sure your mentor knows that you appreciate it.
Don't demand too much from your mentor. We are all busy. Don't take up too much of your mentor's time and don't try to dictate the terms. Work around her schedule and be conscious of how much you are asking of her.

A mentor's generosity can quickly turn sour if he starts to feel as if he's not appreciated or is being taken advantage of. If that happens, you'll lose the benefits that a mentor provides and a valuable champion for your career.

Editor Profile: Beckie Fox, Garden Making

2011-10-27T08:36:00.000-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Beckie Fox, editor-in-chief and co-owner, Garden Making

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Journalism, Michigan State University

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: Freelance copy editor, Canadian Living (in the early ’80s). “Editing craft and food stories is good training for the step-by-step and how-to stories integral to any type of service journalism. Before that, I was an editor at a community newspaper in Etobicoke, Ont.”

SUBSCRIBES TO: Fine Gardening, Gardens Illustrated, Organic Gardening, Garden Design, The English Garden, Horticulture Magazine, Cook’s Illustrated, The New Yorker, Country Living, House Beautiful, Martha Stewart Living, Maclean’s, Better Homes and Gardens, Canadian House & Home, The Walrus, Saltscapes, Vines. “There are probably about a dozen others I occasionally buy on the newsstand. The magazines I still miss are Gourmet and House & Garden.”

SO BECKIE, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?

The ability to deliver content your readers want.
The intuition to deliver content your readers didn’t know they wanted.
Having a solid partnership with an art director who understands the stories you’re conveying to your readers.
Respectful relationships with freelance writers, editors and photographers.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
Planning and assigning the story lineup for each issue. It’s trying to achieve that magical mix of what I want to read with what the writers want to write, all packaged in a way that will make readers say “Wow!”

The second-best part of being an editor is reading a new writer’s first draft and loving it (while feeling a bit of relief).

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
Make sure you have strong, solid editing skills. Understand that organization and picky details are part of the territory, but you need to look at the bigger picture, too. Respect your own deadlines and don’t make the mistake of thinking a diva-like attitude is the only way to achieve excellence.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?
This is tough to answer — a single event doesn’t jump out. I’ve had the good fortune to work as a copy editor, managing editor and editor for many years at several wonderful publications. And I still enjoy what I’m doing!

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
I can’t think of a magazine I’m familiar with that’s doing an outstanding job at the moment. Many are good, a few are excellent, but none fits into the “outstanding” category as I define it. I say this with regret and with the risk of sounding harsh.

Unfortunately, shrinking budgets, a lack of direction, a devaluation of content and a reluctance to take risks (settling for formulaic content and design) compromise too many of today’s magazines. Many publishers/owners aren’t as patient as they once were; they’re unwilling to wait for a magazine to build momentum, and earn and retain reader loyalty. I understand why: it’s an expensive business, the economy is fragile and advertising dollars are going elsewhere — or nowhere.

Now that I’ve gotten that rant out of my system, I’ll add that I do savour House Beautiful. Under Stephen Drucker, the magazine combined cheekiness and elegance to great effect. Good display copy and packaging, too. Drucker is no longer with HB, but the magazine still makes a good impression.

WHERE TO FIND BECKIE ONLINE:
Garden Making website: gardenmaking.com

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email Corinna at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Reading List, Oct. 24

2011-10-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "How to Manage a Perfectionist" by Amy Gallo on Harvard Business Review. If you have a perfectionist on your team, their attention to detail may slow down everyone else. Some good suggestions here. (It's also a good read if you're a perfectionist yourself."

• "Treat Your Employees like Neighbors" by Art Markman on Harvard Business review. If you create a community within your company and everyone pitches in, your employees and your magazine will do better.

• "What Every Magazine Media Company Needs: A Chief Dream Officer" by Samir Husni on Mr. Magazine. Chief Dream Officer = my dream job. Anyone want to hire me?

Reading List, Oct. 17

2011-10-17T10:54:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Why Tina Brown, Chris Anderson, David Remnick and Others Are Upbeat Despite Media Tumult" by Matthew Creamer on AdAge. Finally, people are starting to talk positively and recognize opportunities, instead of whining about the death of print.

• "FOLIO:'s 2011 13 Under 30." For those thinking they'll be 50 before they get to be editor, here are 13 young folks in top positions to inspire you.

• "How to Bounce Back From a Big Mistake" by John Caddell on The 99%. You're going to make mistakes; how you handle them is what matters.

Reading List, Oct. 11

2011-10-11T08:30:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Salary Negotiation Missteps: 6 Mistakes to Avoid" on How. Whether you're accepting a job offer or it's time for your annual review, negotiating a salary is tough. A few tips to help you get it right.

• "Think Carefully Before Accepting a Counter Offer" by Lindsay Olson on U.S. News' On Careers. Have you tried to quit and your boss offered you more money to stay? You may want to decline the offer.

• "What to Do if You Think You’re Getting Fired" by Alison Green on U.S. News' On Careers. Some very pragmatic advice on preparing yourself.

• "10 Reasons Why People Get Fired" by Tim Tyrell-Smith on Tim's Strategy. You can do something about a few of the things on this list. If you do, you might be able to avoid getting fired.

Reading List, Oct. 3

2011-10-03T13:34:00.003-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "It’s a Fun, Fun, Fun Fun Magazine: HGTV Magazine. The Mr. Magazine™ Interview with Sara Peterson, HGTV magazine Editor-in-Chief" by Samir Husni on Mr. Magazine.

• "Editors Share Twitter Best Practices" on Folio:. Four magazine editors dish on how they use Twitter.

• "7 Good Reasons To Turn Down A Reasonable Job Offer" by Mark Swartz on Monster. Just because you're offered a job doesn't mean you have to say yes.

Make the Best of a Bad Job

2011-09-28T08:31:00.000-04:00

At one time, if you hated your job it was easy to say, "I can always leave whenever I want; I'll just get another job." These days, though, you may feel stuck in a job you don't like because finding a new job seems tougher than it used to be.

Instead of wallowing in your misery, it would do you some good to change your attitude. Don't stop looking for your dream job, but in the meantime (until more opportunities are available), also get what you can out of your current position. Identify what you'd like to do next, determine what skills you'll need or could improve on, and then try to develop those skills in your current position.

Reading List, Sept. 26

2011-09-26T17:32:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "7 Tips for Being the Best Editorial Intern Ever" by Ashley Ross on Ed2010.com. Excellent advice for anyone doing an internship at a magazine. Follow these tips and you'll stand out from other interns.

• "Clichés to Ditch on the Job Hunt" by Meghan Casserly on The Globe and Mail. We all know better than to use clichés when writing articles, but do you fall back on them when writing your resumé and cover letter?

• "Rant: Effective Resume Writing" on Rock-it Promotions' blog, On The Fourth Floor. A refresher on basic resumé writing tips. My favourite: don't forget to spell Canadian!

• "Starting Off On the Right Foot With Your New Hire Orientation/Onboarding Program" by Nancy Mobley on Inc. How much thought do you put into making new hires feel welcome? Some points to consider.

Editor Profile: Gwen Smith, Allergic Living

2011-09-22T14:47:00.000-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Gwen Smith, editor and co-owner, Allergic Living

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Journalism, Ryerson University

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: City Desk copy editor, The Globe and Mail. “I interned and grew up at The Globe.”

SUBSCRIBES TO: Maclean's, Esquire, Vanity Fair, Azure, Toronto Life, Whole Living, Marie Claire, More, Donna Hay. “Plus, lots from the newsstand, depending on the articles.”

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, GWEN?
Previous positions include editor-in-chief of Elm Street, assisstant managing editor at Maclean’s, deputy managing editor of The Globe and Mail.

“We launched our U.S. edition of Allergic Living magazine this spring. Exciting times for a small team of Canadian magazine people.”

SO GWEN, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?
It does not start with opening a writer’s first draft. To me, being a good editor begins with a talent for finding great stories. Now throw in a visceral dislike of the predictable, and you’re starting to cook.

A good editor is always on the lookout for articles that surprise, break new ground and make readers want to debate at the dinner table. That editor knows which writer can develop that seed of an idea into a great story. Pair the idea and the talent, and everything is possible.

A good editor also

Respects and collaborates with writers. When considering a first draft, the editor provides a fix note that encourages, suggests, questions or cajoles to get the best second draft possible. He does not simply critique from a high perch, since putting your writer on the defensive isn’t an effective strategy. And it’s rude.
Never settles for “I guess it’s OK.” If you’re a good editor, you just have to fix it or you’ll grow an ulcer.
Works on structure editing and develops a feel for effortless flow and storytelling. It’s a continuing and gratifying process.
Is a packager. The beauty of magazines is the integration of pictures and text and the ability to present stories in creative and appealing ways. A good editor uses the medium, and probably devises the online packaging approach, too.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
There are two: working with a writer on a great story, and packaging.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
Show initiative and don’t be shy about bringing ideas forward. Just make sure they’re developed enough to present in a story meeting.

Whether online or on the subway, develop an eye for trends and issues and keep running notes on possible stories. A big part of story development is just paying attention.

A third point would be that once you get to the level of assigning, look for good pitches but don’t feel beholden. If an article doesn’t suit your magazine or your lineup but you think the writer is talented, try that person on a different assignment. Magazine real estate is too valuable to give over to stories that are “not bad.”

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?
There are quite a few, especially because I worked in newspapers for the first chunk of my career, so some “moments” are tied to major news events.

At Maclean’s, I vividly recall being the senior editor in charge on the weekend that JFK Junior’s plane went missing. Then-EIC Bob Lewis came and said to me: “Well, do we crash the cover?” I said yes, absolutely, and we did. We wouldn’t learn until the late afternoon that Kennedy and his new wife had, as suspected, died in a crash. But even if they’d turned out to be missing, that was still one helluva story. We remade a weekly in a few hours. It was a strong magazine and an outstanding team effort.

With Allergic Living, I got to have the thrill of holding the first copy of the first magazine; there’s nothing like a fresh magazine and when you’re the co-owner, it’s incredibly special. This year, I got to have that feeling all over again, with the launch of Allergic Living’s U.S. edition. Only in some ways this was even better – since we now know what we’re doing.

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
Has any magazine addict just picked one? I’m still hooked on Vanity Fair and Esquire; The New Yorker (for the columnists). I adore food photography and am a fan of the new Bon Appétit, along with Donna Hay and Delicious. In the women’s arena, I think Lisa Tant (Flare) and Linda Lewis (More) are impressively strong editors.

WHERE TO FIND GWEN ONLINE:
Allergic Living website: Allergicliving.com. “Our website is quite active, especially our forum.”
Allergic Living on Twitter: @allergicliving
Gwen on Twitter: @GwenSmithTO “Sure willing to tallk mags when there’s time.”
Facebook: Allergic Living
LInkedIn: Gwen Smith

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email me at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Charles Oberdorf, Mentor Extraordinaire

2011-09-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

There is no greater boost to a newbie editor's confidence than an encouraging word from a more experienced magaziner. On several occasions, Charles Oberdorf – editor, writer and teacher, who sadly died this past Friday – had provided me with just such a boost.

I am one of the many students who have taken Charles' Magazine Editing class at Ryerson Univerity's Chang School of Continuing Education. It was a great class and I learned a lot, but Charles' friendship was by far the best thing I got out of it.

Twice, Charles wrote me reference letters that I have since gone back to read each time I apply to a new job or retool my resumé. At one time he told me he was "a fan" of mine. To know that I had a brilliant editor in my corner rooting for me, made me believe in my abilities as an editor when I was just starting out. I stopped second-guessing myself and learned that I could go to bat with the pros – that I am a pro.

There are others in this industry who knew Charles much better than I, but judging by the comments on D.B. Scott's Canadian Magazines blog, my experience is common – Charles often took the time to mentor new editors. I will always be thankful that I was one of the ones fortunate enough to receive some of that encouragement and support.

Charles, you will be missed.

Reading List, Sept. 19

2011-09-19T08:25:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "10 Good Things To Do While Between Jobs" by Blessy Vaidian on JobMob. If you're looking for work, do more than just send out resumés and mope around the house: network, volunteer or learn something new.

• "5 Tips for Hiring Startup Interns" by Kwame Kuadey on the Young Entrepreneur Council. Although aimed at start-up companies, this piece offers a basic guide suitable for any company that hires interns. Tips 4 and 5 are particularly important: set expectations upfront, and consider interns as potential candidates for future staff positions.

• Shady Characters: The Secret Life of Punctuation, by Keith Houston. I highly recommend this fascinating blog, which tells the surprisingly intriguing stories of punctuation marks, their use and their histories. Trust me, it's not as dry as it sounds.

A Wordle (word cloud) of the most commonly used words on Dream Job TK.

• Wordle. If you need an inexpensive (read free) illustration for an article, try out this cool toy created by Jonathan Feinberg (yes, the rights allow for commercial usage). Enter the article text and this tool will create a word cloud that you can customize by colour, font and layout. Also a handy tool for seeing if any words have been overused in a story.

• The Fantastic Man editorial offices on Where They Create by Paul Barbera. Photographs of the magazine's editorial offices in Amsterdam. Also on the site: the offices of interior design magazine Frame in Amsterdam, Monster Children magazine in Sydney, and Sneaker Freaker magazine in Melbourne. (via magCulture)

How's Megan Lane Patrick on Her New Job Title

2011-09-15T11:43:00.001-04:00

"When I became editor of HOW in May, it was clear that the title of editor-in-chief was no longer appropriate for the position. What do you call a person who's responsible for a magazine, website, blog, book line, and roster of events and competitions?

I decided Content Director was the right title for me now and for what I will be doing long into the future."

– Megan Lane Patrick, Content Director, How, in her editor's letter of the September 2011 issue

Reading List, Sept. 12

2011-09-13T08:29:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "5 Questions to Ask the Hiring Manager" by Lindsay Olson on U.S. News. When you're being interviewed, it's a good idea to ask questions. Here are five decent ones that will help you decide if the job you're applying to is the right one for you.

• "Is Journalism as We Know it Becoming Obsolete?" by Mathew Ingram on GigaOM. Media and publishing institutions may be suffering, but journalism isn't dead.

• "Teaching Magazine Journalism Beyond the Magazine" by Susan Currie Sivek on Media Shift. How a few journalism teachers stay relevant as the magazine industry changes.

• "Anatomy of a Zine: When Magazines Go Indie" by Meredith Melnick on Time.

• "How The New York Times is taking Twitter reporting faster and deeper with @NYTLive" by Jeff Sonderman on Poynter. If your publication has just a single Twitter account, maybe you need to add another. The New York Times is finding that multiple accounts allows it to speak to different segments of its audience.

Editor Profile: Anicka Quin, Western Living

2011-09-08T11:27:00.001-04:00

THE BIO 

WHO: Anicka Quin, editor-in-chief, Western Living 

WENT TO SCHOOL AT: The University of Guelph, where she got her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science; and Simon Fraser University, where she got her Master of Publishing

FIST MAGAZINE JOB: Circulation manager, id Magazine in Guelph, Ont.

SUBSCRIBES TO: Bon Appétit, The New York Times Magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, Toronto Life, Fashion, Chatelaine

INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT: Past president of the BC Association of Magazine Publishers (now Magazine Association of BC); sits on the professional development committees of both MagsBC and Magazines Canada; regional board member for the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors; on the publishing advisory committee for Langara College.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, ANICKA?
I’m actually a closet scientist. I’d always planned to be an outdoor education instructor, so I did my undergrad in environmental science. But I was also a big music buff and started volunteering at the student newspaper so that I could meet the bands I was obsessive about, and got hooked in the process. I finished my degree, but took a left turn into publishing immediately afterward. (I also credit my background with my eagle eye for “greenwashing” – products that claim to be “good for the earth” but nothing more than PR spin.)

SO ANICKA, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?
One of the best pieces of advice I was ever given is to sit on your hands the first time you read a piece – there’s a temptation to edit as you go, to save time and mark up a text. But you don’t always see where a writer is going when you start out, and I like to work with writers in a way that preserves their voice, not to create some uniform language for the magazine. A good editor understands how to bring out the best piece from the writer – it’s a supportive relationship.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
Working with creative people. I’m forever grateful to be inspired by the people around me – and for my job at Western Living, that means both my team of editors and art directors, as well as the designers whose homes we profile. It’s one of those rare fields where everyone actually loves what they do, and that’s a pretty great place to work.

 WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
Every experience is a beneficial one when you’re starting out. I’ve been a circulation manager, a production intern, I even sold classifieds when I first got into the business. It all gave me a big-picture understanding of how the business works, and I learned all kinds of skills I wouldn’t have gathered otherwise: layout and design, budgeting, even working with difficult clients (which, when you’re interviewing someone as a journalist, is only a good thing). And most importantly, it got my foot in the door; I eventually became the editor of the magazine where I held the circulation job.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?
When I worked at id Magazine, a now-defunct weekly out of Guelph, Ont., we frequently pulled all-nighters to get the magazine out every week (we’d spell each other off, napping on the floor while waiting for our ancient printer to spit out proofs). The staff quickly became an extended family – we even took summer weekends away together. There’s something about the “in the trenches” mentality of small staffs, long hours and tiny budgets that really brings people together in a wonderful way. I’m still in touch with most of them, though it’s been a good 14 years since we worked together.

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
I’m a little obsessed with Bon Appétit magazine, particularly since Adam Rapoport has come on board. He’s made it even smarter, with great reads alongside gorgeous photography and recipes I want to make as soon as it’s in my hands. I sit down with a pad of Post-its and mark the magazine up as soon as it comes in the door.

I also really love The New York Times Magazine’s redesign (though I miss Randy Cohen as The Ethicist). They’re so clever at mixing lighter fare with serious journalism – and the art direction has really stepped up in the last year. It's one of those magazines where I literally read every article. 

WHERE TO FIND ANICKA ONLINE:
Western Living website: Westernliving.ca
Blog (personal): Cardamom Pod
Twitter: @AnickaQuin

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email me at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Reading List, Aug. 29

2011-08-29T15:09:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Teaching Journalism in an Age When News Comes to You" by Lynne Russell on MediaShift. More than ever, j-school must teach its students how to evaluate a source.

• "Vogue's Anna Wintour: Intimidating, No. Powerful, Yes." [video] by Jenna Goudreau on Forbes. A brief video interview with Anna Wintour.

• "Merriam-Webster Dictionary Now Includes ‘Tweet’, ‘Social Media’, ‘Crowdsourcing’ And More" by Robin Wauters on Tech Crunch. Finally, the dictionary catches up with the rest of the world.

Editor Profile: Chandra Turner, Parents

2011-08-26T08:21:00.005-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Chandra Turner, executive editor, Parents; founder and president, Ed2010 [a networking community of young magazine editors]

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Journalism, Indiana University. “I always knew that I wanted to go into journalism. By junior year in college I knew I wanted to be in magazines specifically.”

INTERNED AT: The American Legion Magazine, in Indianapolis

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, CHANDRA?

“What I'm most excited about right now is Ed2010's new program for interns with the American Society of Magazine Editors: the ASME Next-Ed2010 Magazine Career Training Course. It's a 10 week workshop [in New York] this fall for editorial interns to learn about everything from writing and editing for the tablet to marketing and sales.”

SO CHANDRA, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?

It used to be just being able to line-edit copy. But now it's so much more than that. It's having a way with words and knowing how to use those words to reach your readers in more ways than just print. On the tablet. On Facebook and Twitter. Through video. Blogs.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?

I love that no day is ever the same. There's so much variety in what I do. Some days I'm choosing audio that goes along with a recipe how-to video. Other days I'm looking at film from a photo shoot of an adorable baby. Or I'm selecting toys for the Best Toys of the Year guide. Or, I'm hunched over my desk untangling a complicated story. Or killing myself to come up with snappy cover lines. All the days are different, which makes it never boring. Nice to know I won't burn out for a while!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?

Meet as many people as possible in as many different editing positions as possible. Find out what they do and what they love about their jobs. Even if it's not something you'll want to do yourself, it's good to know what everyone else does. It helps you figure out how you fit into the whole equation.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?

There are tons. The obvious is that it's fun getting to meet and work with celebrities or other notable people. At Parents, a senior editor and I emailed one of our food idols, food author Mark Bittman, on a whim. He invited us out to lunch, and we ended up hiring him as a contributing editor at Parents. Once he took us to [the restaurant] Jean-Georges, where we got to meet Jean-Georges [Vongerichten] himself! I'm a foodie so it was exciting.

I've also been invited to the White House, the UN, and all kinds of other interesting places I'd never otherwise get to go.

One of my favorite professional moments was when I was an EA at Good Housekeeping. Back in those days assistants didn't do much with text other than copy it and schlep it around the office. One week my boss was away on vacation and her top editor, Diane Salvatore (now the EIC of Prevention), asked me to edit one of my editor's stories in her absence. I worked so hard on that story – it was a small piece, actually, like 500 words. But Diane said I did a "superb" job on it. Her feedback gave me confidence that I could make it as an editor. Incidentally, she went on to hire me a couple years later at YM and then again at Ladies' Home Journal.

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?

I love, love, love the new Bon Appétit. I never really got into the old Bon Appétit. Too many recipes that I wouldn't ever have time or ingredients to make. But the new BA is like New York Magazine (another fave) meets food. It's gritty and real and sophisticated all at once. I haven't ripped pages out of a magazine in ages, but am with Bon Appétit. It's nice to fall in love with a new magazine. I was afraid I wouldn't again!

WHERE TO FIND CHANDRA ONLINE:

Parents website: Parents.com

Ed2010 website: Ed2010.com

Ed2010 on Twitter: @Ed2010News

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. (Yeah, yeah, I know it’s Friday today.) Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email me at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Reading List, Aug. 22

2011-08-22T17:02:00.000-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "5 Ways to Save Your Writing Clips From Oblivion" by Susan Johnston on The Urban Muse. Practical tips on how to keep your digital clippings.

• "One Mentor’s 10-Step Job Interview Process: Where do You Fall Out?" by Todd Herschberg on YouTern's The Savvy Intern blog. The inside scoop on how one employer weeds out job candidates.

• "Boston Globe Creates a Twitter Board for the Newsroom" by Justin Ellis on the Nieman Journalism Lab. If you want staff from all departments to get more involved in social media, increasing awareness about what your brand is doing may be the ticket.

• "How Journalists See Each Other" on DigiDave.

• "Making the Leap from Editor to Content Strategist" by Sara Zailskas on the American Society of Business Publication Editors blog (via WordCount). Lost your job as an editor or just tired of magazine publishing? "Content Strategist" could be your next career move.

Reading List, Aug. 15

2011-08-15T08:36:00.002-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Today’s Publishing Career: We Are All Vulnerable" by Robert Sacks on Publishing Executive. It's highly unlikely you will hold your current position for the rest of your career. Even if you're happy with your job, it's important to have your next step in mind.

• "A Rogue Tweeter Titillates, Then Vanishes" by Jeremy W. Peters on The New York Times' Media Decoder. Ok, so you may be sick of hearing about the faux Twitter account that received a lot of media attention last week, but if you haven't read the @CondeElevator feed yet, do. It's terribly amusing.

• "Interns Should Get What They Want or Else Walk Out" on Interns Anonymous. If you're not learning anything at your internship and are just doing busywork, you don't have to stick around. I wouldn't recommend following the author's lead in how s/he left, though; be polite and professional in your departure.

• "Modifying Resume Job Titles Risky… Unless You’re Honest" by Dawn Rasmussen on YouTern's The Savvy Intern blog. Even if you want to change a job title on your resumé to more accurately represent the actual work you did, there are good reasons not to.

• "Are Your Co-Workers Killing You?" by Jonah Lehrer on Wired.com. Yet another reason to leave that toxic workplace sooner rather than later: the stress of being surrounded by nasty co-workers could shorten your life.

Editor Profile: Peter Carter, Today's Trucking

2011-08-11T08:24:00.007-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Peter Carter, editor, Today's Trucking

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Journalism, Carleton University

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: Editorial assistant, Chimo Media, “which published Sound&Vision, for stereo fanatics; Influence (a cross between GQ and National Review, edited by Peter Worthington – one of the best editors ever); and ProSound, for music engineers. The late army brat and headline wiz Jim Cormier was the guy who hired me; I owe him big time.”

SUBSCRIBES TO: MAD. “The rest I get at work. We also get Best Health at home.”

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, PETER?

I love my job so much, my wife, Helena, doesn't let me call it work. Magazines are the only medium whose job it is to make the world a better place. Almost every successful magazine wants things to improve for its readers. Whether it's your golf swing, your fly-fishing cast, your pie crust, your crochet patterns, your health, your politics... It's not enough to tell readers facts like newspapers or CP24 does; magazines help readers make choices that make them happier, and advocate for their readers' well being. And also, magazines listen to their readers. Magazines have to care for their readers as individuals in order to succeed, and they want those readers' lives to improve. From Allergic Living to Zoomer, every magazine worth the name wants its readers' world to get better.

SO PETER, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?

Being simultaneously open-minded and closed-minded.

While an editor has to see story possibilities under every dust mite and therefore be open to wholly new approaches to story telling, a good magazine should never go out of focus, nevermind how clever an idea is or whose byline is on it.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?

The world is your McDonald's ball pit. It's so much fun, it's hard to believe your mom lets you in.

There's a daily learning curve; the day you don't learn something new is the day you owe your employer his or her money back. A good editor has to be iconoclastic and indulge their own ADD to the max. You get to write as much as you please; playing with words is something you take very seriously, but you do so knowing that words are more powerful than firearms.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?

Read Mastheadonline.com.

And remember on those days when you're feeling like dirt for having to compose yet another "Sponsor Profile," we've all been there. Nobody ever holds it against you. Also, at those depressing moments, remind yourself that the amount of intellectual liberty that magazine editors enjoy – even when they're working for salted cashews and/or absolute dweebs – is astounding, compared to almost any other profession.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?

I was editor of Metro Toronto Business Journal. My co-editor, Okey Chigbo, was nominated for a Kenneth R. Wilson Award for a story about Peter Goudas, an entrepreneur who produced packaged spicy food with international recipes from around the world. When the emcee announced the prize, my headline for his story got a laugh, and it was from one of the toughest audiences ever: headline writers. The headline? "A Man for All Seasonings."

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU HTINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?

Are there any, besides Today's Trucking?

Actually there are more great magazines than ever. The writing's better; the research is more rigorous and the audiences are more demanding. That said, Men's Health and Best Health immediately spring to mind as publications that are spot on their games; neither a wasted word nor self-indulgent page between them.

Also Esquire. Did you see its [August 2011] cover? (Another outstanding editor, Jason Rhyno of Job Postings Magazine, showed me that.)

National Geographic, too, never fails to astound. Pick it up sometime.

WHERE TO FIND PETER ONLINE:

Today’s Trucking website: Todaystrucking.com

Twitter: @Todaystrucking and @editorpeter

Facebook: Facebook.com/Editorpeter

Email: peter @ newcom .ca

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email Corinna at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Reading List

2011-08-08T11:15:00.002-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "The Over-45 Job Search Guide" by Katherine O'Brien on Possibilities. How to play up your strengths and combat ageist stereotypes in your job hunt.

• "The Best Boss I Ever Had" by Shelley White in The Globe and Mail. Want to be a great boss? (You should!) Take a page from the bosses in this collection of true stories.

• "Incivility a Growing Problem at Work, Psychologists Say" by Sharon Jayson in USA Today. It's not your imagination: your coworkers are becoming more rude. We're all busy, but let's remember our manners and be kind to one another.

Reading List

2011-08-02T07:56:00.001-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "How to Write a Great Accomplishment Statement" by Tim Tyrell-Smith on Tim's Strategy. Next time you update your resumé, really sell yourself by explaining what you accomplished in each position; don't just list your job duties.

• "The 5 Most Common Interview Questions – and How to Answer Them" by Katie Amey on Ed2010.com. Customized for magaziners.

• "Too Much Information:Why I Don't Trust Employment Interviews" by Maria Gottschalk on YouTern's The Savvy Intern blog. A few tips on how to fairly evaluate all applicants when conducting job interviews.

Editor Profile: Penny Caldwell

2011-07-28T08:16:00.001-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Penny Caldwell, editor, Cottage Life; director of content development, Quarto Communications

ALSO TEACHES: Magazine and Web Editing, Magazine and Web Publishing certificate program, Ryerson University’s G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education

WENT TO SCHOOL AT: The University of Toronto, where she received her Bachelor of Arts

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: Assistant editor, Canadian Yachting

AWARDS: Named Editor of the Year by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors, 2006 and 2010. Has steered Cottage Life magazine to numerous national and international awards.

INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT: Member of the first Magazines Canada task force that developed advertising-editorial guidelines adopted nationally by the magazine industry in 2007. Has sat on the Curriculum Development Committees of both Magazines University and MagNet. Frequent guest speaker at magazine publishing and community events. Member of the board of directors and chair of the judging committee for the International Regional Magazine Association, based in Vermont. Past director and former chair of the judging committee of the National Magazine Awards Foundation in Canada. Past judge for the Western Magazine Awards and the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, PENNY?
When not at Cottage Life, I enjoy off-grid cottage life with my husband and two daughters on an island in Georgian Bay.

SO PENNY, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?
Editors will be faced with content decisions every day, and pressure from a number of different directions, including the advertising community. The bottom line, though, is to create content that will bring readers back to the magazine (and any other media platforms you're developing) over and over again. With every decision, ask yourself "What's in it for the reader?" We call this the "so what?" factor. Good editors create a package that is relevant, timely and indispensable to the audience.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
Working with writers, especially the many talented professional writers who park their egos at the door and work with our editors to create wonderful stories for our audience.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
Be prepared to start at the bottom and do anything. If you start at a small publication, you'll have more chances to do more different things. My first job in publishing was as a sports reporter at a community newspaper. Though I was very green, I got to write a weekly column, shot and developed black and white photos, designed layouts, wrote general features in addition to sports news, and covered a murder! Never say, "This isn't my job." Be prepared to learn new skills: blogging, social networking, editing for different platforms, even shooting video.

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
Outdoor Canada, and not just because our magazines are stablemates at the Quarto ranch. Despite relatively small editorial page counts and a very small editorial staff, this little publication delivers a remarkable variety of well-written and engrossing stories and useful service pieces in every issue.

WHERE TO FIND PENNY ONLINE:
Cottage Life website: Cottagelife.com
Blog: Penny's Blog
Twitter: @PennyCaldwell

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email Corinna at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Reading List

2011-07-25T07:38:00.003-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Unpaid Interns: Working for Free" by Dakshana Bascaramurty in The Globe and Mail (hat tip to the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers listserve). Companies that don't pay their interns may be breaking the law. Is it too much to hope that the climate might be ripe for a crackdown on unpaid internships?

• Canadian Living's Colleen Tully on being a Web Food Editor (video) on Good Food Revolution, via Magazines Online. Want to know what it's like to be an online food editor? Watch this.

• "Are You Trapped in a Bad Relationship…With Your Job?" by Sherrie Bourg Carter in Psychology Today. If your relationship with your boss or your job has gone sour, maybe it's time to leave.

• "The Unemployed Worker's New Friend: Outsourcers" by Joe Light in The Wall Street Journal (hat tip to @susan_peters). Paying someone to job hunt for you – I would recommend not doing this.

Why the Tyee's David Beers Thinks Aspiring Journalists Should Get Away From Their Computers

2011-07-19T07:34:00.002-04:00

The Internet can be deceiving. You can have a relationship with the computer screen and feel that you can do this on your own. Or you can network with people on Twitter and Facebook and feel that you’re plugged into a community. If you’re starting out, I’d advise a real-life network of people who you see face to face, compare notes, get together to work constructively, take your work seriously, and work together to help each other get better. That was really instrumental to me when I got started.

– David Beers, founding editor of The Tyee and adjunct professor of the University of British Columbia's School of Journalism, giving advice to aspiring journalists in an interview with ArtsWire.

Reading List

2011-07-18T07:48:00.010-04:00

A weekly roundup of job-hunting tips, career advice and interesting articles relevant to the magazine industry and being an editor.

• "Bored People Quit" on Rands in Repose. Required reading for editors in charge of a team. If you don't want to lose your best editors, that is.

• "99 Tips That Will Help You Land a Job" by James Clear on Passive Panda (via Alltop). From having the right mindset to interview tips to how to negotiate a salary, some great gems.

• "Help! I Can't Land a Job Interview" by Rosa E. Vargas on YouTern's The Savvy Intern blog (via @ginidietrich). I strongly urge everyone to heed Vargas' advice about resumés: Yours must "outdistance" others – it is a marketing tool, not a list of everything you've ever done.

• "Orgasm Guaranteed: What I learned While Freelancing at Cosmopolitan by Katherine Goldstein on Slate. An amusing account of life in the fact-checking trenches.

Editor Profile: Chantel Simmons

2011-07-14T07:58:00.002-04:00

THE BIO

WHO: Chantel Simmons, hair editor, The Kit.

OTHER JOBS INCLUDE: Instructor (magazine writing, editing, online magazines), post-grad Book and Magazine Publishing Program, Centennial College; beauty expert, The Marilyn Denis Show; freelance writer ("I mostly focus on beauty, relationships, travel and home decor") for Elle Canada, HGTV, Food Network and a few other mags; author of two bestselling novels.

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Journalism, Ryerson

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: Editorial Assistant, Elle Canada

SUBSCRIBES TO: "I'm a newsstand shopper because I'm too impatient to wait for [magazines] to come in the mail. Here's what I bought this month: Elle Canada, Fashion, Toronto Life, Style at Home, Canadian House & Home, Elle Decor, Vanity Fair, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, Seventeen and US Weekly. Online, I read Lonny, Apartment Therapy, Sweetspot.ca, The New Yorker.

BEST PART OF NOT WORKING IN AN OFFICE: "Sitting in the sun with my laptop."

WORST PART OF NOT WORKING IN AN OFFICE: "Having no one at my water cooler to discuss last night's episode of trashy TV/new restaurant/Justin Bieber with."

ADDICTION: "Manicures. There are weeks when I have to decline an event invite and say to myself, maybe I don't need a third manicure this week."

SO CHANTEL, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?
A good editor is someone who knows how to both manage and mentor her writers. It's not just about fixing the mistakes in an article, it's about helping a writer understand why and how the article could be improved, so that the next time she writes an article, she can take those tips and apply them. A good editor grooms her writers so that they barely need editing. (But a good editor should also know how to spell.)

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
Reading a story about a topic I know little about and learning so much.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
1. Leave your ego at home. A good editor knows that it's not all about her. For the most part, you give up the byline and recognition being an editor and hand it over to the writer. And you should want to. Your writer's work should shine because of your help behind the scenes.

2. Say yes. You might think you're spreading yourself too thin to take on a freelance copyediting job or work a booth at some event, but I think the more things you can say yes to, the more experiences you'll get, the more contacts you'll make, and the more opportunities you'll be offered because you're so well rounded. Plus, if you get laid off at your main source of income (if you have a steady gig), you'll have backup sources of income – and people to call on to let them know you're looking for more work. And no stress.

3. Change with the times. I have a Kindle and a Kobo and people are always scolding me, because I'm an author, telling me that I should boycott technology and support paper books exclusively. But here's a question: How many new bands have you discovered because you were able to try one song on iTunes rather than committing to a full album you weren't sure you'd like? I'm already spending more money on books than I ever did buying them in paper because it's so convenient. And because of digital, I'm now a subscriber to the New Yorker without even realizing it. [See below.] You can change with the times, or they can change without you. Your choice.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?
When I left Elevate after being the editor in chief for five years, I couldn't believe the number of thoughtful cards and gifts I received from my freelance writers, saying how nice it was to work with me. I was so touched. I hope it was true!

WHAT MAGAZINE OR WEBSITE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
I'm addicted to XO Jane (Jane Pratt launched it in May 2011). I've loved Jane Pratt since her Sassy days, so to see her back in action is a great way to waste time during the day. And that's always the sign of a good magazine.

I also think the New Yorker is brilliant in their e-blasts. For the most part, I'm pretty exhausted by e-newsletters. But every time I get one from the New Yorker, there's always a story I want to read. Click the link, enter your email address, and you get charged for the article, but you get to read the rest of the issue for free. I think I end up buying every issue this way – which makes me wonder why I don't just get a subscription, but then I think it's a lot of money/I don't have time to read another mag. But I bet they're doing really well because I can't be the only one who actually, unknowingly, does have a subscription to the New Yorker because of their great articles, and great marketing of them.

WHERE TO FIND CHANTEL ONLINE:
The Kit website: Thekit.ca
Website: Chantelsimmons.com
Twitter: @chantelsimmons
LinkedIn

Editor profiles appear every other Thursday on Dream Job TK. Read more profiles of editors here.

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email Corinna at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

Bill Keller on the People Part of Being an Editor

2011-07-11T08:12:00.002-04:00

"There's a lot of stuff they don't teach you in the mythical editors' school. ... [T]here's other stuff that I sometimes think of as an in loco parentis role. You have these people who work for you, but they're also people. They have families and people in their family get cancer and die, and there's a lot of being there for people. That was not something I had anticipated."

– Soon-to-be former executive editor of the New York Times Bill Keller in an interview with Scott Raab for Esquire's August 2011 issue. Read the full interview with Keller in two parts – pre and post the announcement that he was stepping down.

Editor Profile: Patrick Walsh

2011-06-30T07:50:00.042-04:00

There are many things that make magazines an amazing industry, but it's the people who make it a community I am proud to belong to. In celebration of the hardworking editors who put together the pages of our favourite publications, I am launching this Editor Profile series. Every other Thursday on Dream Job TK, a top editor will share a little bit about him/herself along with a few thoughts on editing. It is my hope that this series helps us all get to know each other a little better, and perhaps even present new editors with a few role models. I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know what you think and if there's an editor whom you would like to see featured.

PS – A special thank you to my first subject, Patrick Walsh, who has provided me with a fabulous kick-off to the series.

THE BIO
WHO: Patrick Walsh, editor-in-chief and brand manager, Outdoor Canada

WENT TO SCHOOL FOR: Print Journalism, Centennial College

FIRST MAGAZINE JOB: Assistant Editor, Muskoka Life magazine, in his hometown of Bracebridge, Ont. "It was 1983, and it was a paying job for my final term work placement."

SUBSCRIBES TO: Esquire, Field & Stream, Ontario Out of Doors, Outdoor Life. "I wish I had time for more. I'm now resigned to picking up the odd copy of other titles at the newsstand."

WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, PATRICK?
I'm married to another magazine editor, Jackie Kovacs, who is deputy editor of Today's Parent. Our three children (ages 9, 13 and 15) accordingly share our penchant for editing poor grammar and punctuation in roadside signs.

My first magazine award was the Greg Clark Outdoor Editorial Writing Award, which I earned in 1984 for a profile I wrote in Muskoka Life about legendary Algonquin Park trapper Ralph Bice. My most recent award was Editor of the Year, presented this past June by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors. [The Outdoor Canada] team also earned Magazine of the Year (in the medium circulation category) and the Jim Cormier Award for Display Writing. Our heads are almost back to normal in size.

SO PATRICK, TELL US...

WHAT MAKES A GOOD EDITOR?
A love of the medium, but also the understanding that your magazine's brand must expand beyond the printed page in order to continue to flourish. Today, a good editor is also a good brand manager; the job now entails so much more than just words and pictures on paper. Think digital, web, merchandise, broadcast, consumer show and so on.

That said, there are some decided editorial skills and traits that will always apply: energy; enthusiasm for the subject matter; the ability to identify a great story; creativity; and, of course, the requisite know-how to tidy up prose.

You also need to play well with others, and constantly think of ways to take things up a notch.

A good editor always carries a notebook to jot down ideas; you never know when they'll come to you.

FAVOURITE PART OF BEING AN EDITOR?
When I was a kid, I always enjoyed doing school projects – researching and writing about a particular topic, creating illustrations, clipping pictures and then packaging it all together in a Duo-Tang. I get the same sense of fulfillment as an editor with each issue of the magazine we put out. You're always learning something new, but in a creative, sharing way. So, my favourite part is simply being able to create something new and fresh with each issue.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO EDITORS JUST STARTING THEIR CAREERS?
Be persistent. Take any job to get started, and build on it. If you're good at it, people will notice, and advancement will come. Guys like me are going to go out to pasture eventually.

MOST MEMORABLE EDITING MOMENT?
This is probably the most memorable moment because it's the most recent: When writer Charlie Wilkins thanked me during his acceptance of the Gold award [in Sports & Recreation for "Another Fine Day Afield"] at the June 10 National Magazine Awards gala. He's a fantastic writer, and we have been working together for about nine years now. He can also be a prickly writer, willing to go to the wall over a comma change. Nonetheless, we've developed a great working relationship based on give-and-take and mutual respect. To have him acknowledge that to a room of 600 people was quite special.

WHAT MAGAZINE DO YOU THINK IS DOING AN OUTSTANDING JOB RIGHT NOW?
Esquire. I've heard other magazine folks suggest Esquire "isn't what it used to be." They say this in a pejorative sense. I disagree. Sure, Esquire isn't what it used to be, but I don't find that lamentable. The writing, editing and level of clever creativity are, to me, greater than ever, as is its sense of voice. And at the same time, the magazine is breaking new ground, making us rethink the way we present information to our readers. From contents page mash-ups to running marginalia to the use of cover flaps and coded markers, Esquire has been leading the way.

WHERE TO FIND PATRICK ONLINE:
Outdoor Canada website: Outdoorcanada.ca
Blog: Field Findings
Twitter: @OutdoorWalsh
LinkedIn

Is there an editor you would like to see profiled on Dream Job TK? Email Corinna at vangerwen [at] gmail .com with "Dream Job TK Profile" in the subject line.

What Wired.com's Evan Hansen Looks for in a Web Editor

2011-06-08T08:08:00.006-04:00

"On the web, you want people who are very flexible, who can wear a lot of hats. It's a very flat organization (at least ours is). Everybody does everything. So you don't want to have prima donnas who won't put a photo into a blog post because it's 'not their job.' You have to have people who are good at moving quickly, who can get the copy out."

– Evan Hansen, Editor-in-Chief, Wired.com, on what qualities he looks for in a web editor, responding to a question from the audience at MagNet 2011's marquee session, "Welcome to the (Digital) Jungle"

Can You Hire Someone Without Doing an Interview?

2011-05-19T10:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not a big fan of job interviews – from either side of the desk. They're a false construct because everyone is on their best behaviour. As an applicant, how do you know if you'll like the work environment and the people? If you're interviewing candidates, how can you tell who will work best with the team and do a good job? You don't and you can't.

Until someone is doing the job, there's no true way to know if they're a fit. Which is why FlightCaster cofounder Jason Freedman doesn't interview potential employees. He hires them instead.

He doesn't hire them full-time, but as contract workers so he can see how well they, well, work. He pays them a contractor's fee to complete a defined project over the course of a few weeks, and if he's happy, they have a job.

I love this idea, and think that magazines are particularly well-suited to the practice. Hire an editor to handle some stories and work through production, and you'll know by the end of it if they're worth bringing on full time. And it gives them a chance to determine if they want to work for you.

What do you think? Would you try it? Would you do away with interviews?

Why I Object to Objective Statements

2011-05-05T20:31:00.000-04:00

Do you have an objective statement on your resumé? I don't. Here's why:

1. They already know what I want.
I want the job I'm applying to. There's no reason to write an objective statement that says, "Looking for a challenging editorial position at a leading consumer magazine" or some other nonsense. It's stating the obvious.

2. Your cover letter should say it all.
If there's anything overarching that you need to say about yourself and your goals, it should go in your cover letter, not on your resumé.

Do you hate objective statements as much as I do? Why or why not?

2 Quick Resumé Tips

2011-04-29T08:25:00.001-04:00

When an editor is hiring for a position, she will have to wade through dozens, if not hundreds of resumés. It's a tiring and tedious job, and the editor is likely to have a low tolerance level for small annoyances. Anything you can do to make it easier for her to find and read your resumé and cover letter will work to your advantage. Follow these two simple rules and you'll already stand out among the applicants, even before the editor reads your application.

Send PDF files. Word documents can have font problems. All that tidy formatting you worked on can get messed up, making your resumé harder to read.
Name the document with your name. For example, "vangerwen-cover.pdf" and "vangerwen-resume.pdf" will be easier to find in a folder filled with documents labelled just "coverletter.doc" and "resume-final.doc."

How to Manage Event Invitations

2011-03-24T13:28:00.000-04:00

Here's an idea for all you editors who get invited to so many press events, you feel as if you never spend time in the office: divvy up your invitations between editors.

I've heard of two places that do this: They gather all the event invites the editors have received in the previous week and at a weekly meeting (it could be during your usual update meeting), they divide them between the staff. This ensures no important event is missed, and reduces chances that the entire staff is unnecessarily out of the office.

This time of year, invitations to press events really start to flood in. What do you do to manage your time away from the office so you can still get your work done?

6 Value-Added Skills For Every Editor

2011-02-28T08:10:00.001-05:00

Being an editor these days is no longer just about editing and writing print copy. Now you have to blog, make presentations and appear in videos, among other "additional duties as required." In order to rocket to the top of the industry and stay ahead of your class, honing your skills in these areas will help make you stand out.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA, CMS, HTML, CSS & ALL THINGS DIGITAL
As an editor, you are responsible for the content for your brand, not just the ink-on-paper version of it. You will be asked to blog, tweet and write for the web. If you don't know how (or if you do it badly), you will get left behind. Bonus: advanced knowledge in the digital arena makes you a candidate for web editing jobs – practically the only area of magazines that is growing right now.

2. PHOTOGRAPHY
That blog you're writing? If you can do the photography for it, you're worth more. More photos make for better blogs, especially when there's variety other than just product shots supplied by PR people and the quality is better than a basic snapshot. (Yes, I acknowledge the fact that I rarely post photos on this blog.)

3. GRAPHIC DESIGN

Know photoshop? Now you can resize and edit those photos for your blog without bugging the art department. Understanding the basics of design will also help you better communicate with the art department (just remember: they still know more than you – respect their expertise). Plus, being able to think visually and explain it will help you develop and execute editorial packaging concepts, which depend on a successful marriage of text and images/layout.

4. COMPUTERS & ELECTRONICS
If you can troubleshoot email problems and get the AV equipment running at a meeting, you portray an overall air of capability. Plus, you don't have to bug IT as often. (But again, respect their expertise.)

5. PUBLIC SPEAKING
Editors are brand ambassadors and one of the more powerful tools in a magazine's marketing arsenal. Excel at making presentations (at a consumer show, for example) or doing demonstrations (for that web video, say) and you may find yourself one of the public faces for your magazine.

6. SPECIALIZATION
You do risk pigeonholing yourself, but being an expert in a particular area, for example beauty or environment, will make you a top candidate for positions requiring knowledge of that subject.

Any other skills you would add to this list?

What Every Intern Needs to Know

2011-01-31T15:12:00.000-05:00

Interns, pay close attention, as this one is for you:

I recently had a lively conversation with several senior-level magaziners about interns.

Yes, interns, you are noticed, and your editor is going to talk about you with his friends (aka other editors).

What you want him to say about you is how amazing you are, that you are a godsend, that you do your job exceptionally well. If you are a good intern, your editor will do everything he can to help you along in your career.

What you don't want, is to have your editor speaking badly about you, because we do name names.

To help all you interns out there start off on the right foot in the biz, here are some Dos and Don'ts:

DON'T quit after the first day, saying, "It wasn't what I was expecting." Newsflash: first days of any job almost always suck. I know people – full-time hired staff – who have had no desk and no computer on their first day. If you are stuck at the receptionist's desk and given a bunch of back issues to read through, take the opportunity to read the magazine and get to know the brand. Preparing for an intern's arrival is usually near the bottom of a very busy editor's to-do list. We do our best to have things ready, but sometimes we just don't have any work for you to do on your first day. Quit your first day and you've already established a reputation as someone with an entitlement complex who doesn't see things through.

DON'T stop showing up. Life happens. Sometimes you find a full-time job or have family issues to deal with. If something unexpected comes up, call your editor, explain the situation and offer profuse apologies. Don't just not show up – it makes us anxious because we think you may have been in an accident. And when we find out that's not the case, we get pissed off.

DO say yes to every job, unless illegal or dangerous. This is not a pick-and-choose situation. Do what you are asked of, and with a smile. A good attitude will get you very far.

DO be professional. You may not be getting paid much, if at all, but you must treat your internship as a job. Have a courteous phone manner, be respectful of all staff and other interns, be helpful, and have a positive attitude. This is your audition for the industry.

DO learn Twitter, Facebook and RSS feeds, and it's better if you have a blog. These are everyday tools of journalism now. We expect you to know them.

Interns, it is not hard to be a good intern. Judging from the many conversations I've had on this topic, bad interns are everywhere. Show up on time and do your job professionally, and you will stand out as a star.

Editors, anything else you would add to this list? Any advice or intern horror stories to share?

Archiving Your Career

2010-12-30T08:41:00.001-05:00

I'm going through the dual process right now of building a portfolio website for myself, as well as rearranging my office – both of which require me to go through my archives. It seems to be an apt time of year to engage in self-reflective activities, you know, as everyone is in the mood to look back at the year that was.

I have rediscovered that I tend to keep multiple copies (as much as seven!) of each issue that I've worked on. And I'm inclined to think that I'm not the only one.

I'm curious: how do you track and archive your past work? Do you keep every issue? Do you tear out or scan just the stories that you've written? Do you keep a list of everything you've ever worked on? Do you keep only the work of which you are most proud? Do you organize it by subject, year or publication? What about those of you with 20+ years in the biz? Have you changed what you choose to keep?

I'm interested in the nitty-gritty details. Please share!

Less is More, Even on Resumés

2010-11-22T17:29:00.000-05:00

You know that old adage Less is More? Well, it stands true even for resumés, as I was reminded by venture capitalist Mark Suster on his blog Both Sides of the Table.

You have only a few seconds to catch the eye of a potential employer as he skims over your resumé; he has a whole pile to get through and isn't likely to spend much longer on your CV unless he sees something interesting. "So the problem is that if you have a few outstanding achievements they get lost in the sea of all the other shite you put in as fillers to make it look like you did a lot more," says Suster. "Many people feel the need to tell the reader everything they worked on rather than the 3 biggest accomplishments. I always advise people to only put the things that had the biggest impact to maximize the chance that they’ll actually be seen."

So the next time you're polishing your resumé, do the job you're good at: edit!

The Atlantic's Rules for Making a Good Publication

2010-11-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

There are some basics to editing and creating a good magazine that are timeless, and still apply even as magazines are expanding beyond paper. Posted on TheAtlantic.com is a copy of 12 Timeless Rules that have been pinned up in the Atlantic's office for a long time. (Go to the link if the image above is too small.)

Included in the list is a pointer that I think all editors should follow: "Don't over-edit." This is particularly a habit of newer editors, I find, as well as ones who wish they were writers. I over-edited when I first started, in part because I felt as if I had to do something to a manuscript to prove I was doing my job. And sometimes when you struggle with a passage, it helps to erase all your editing marks and start over – you may just be overcomplicating things.

I'm curious to know how many magazines out there have their own version of rules that its editors should follow. Do you have a list pinned up by your desk, or perhaps a mission statement? Do you look at it often, revisit it when you need help making a decision about a story? Let me know in the comments, even perhaps share some of your more favourite rules.

Hat tip to Kevin Spurgaitis (Twitter feed)

Behind the Scenes at an Interior Design Photo Shoot

2010-10-26T08:37:00.005-04:00

While those in the art department are usually the ones heading out to photo shoots, spending a day on set is part of the job description for many editors, too. I always enjoy being on a shoot; besides it being a chance to get away from your desk, the amount of work that goes into getting that perfect shot still fascinates me. If you're interested in how photographers get the perfect interior shot and why sometimes they need to curl up in a sink or climb onto the roof, check out HGTV's Design Happens blog.

Via @erinmclaughlin1

Fill-in-the-blank Rejection Letter

2010-10-25T08:36:00.003-04:00

I think every editor would love to use a rejection letter like this at times:

Via @graphicologycom

What It's Like to be a Beauty Editor

2010-10-21T08:18:00.004-04:00

For all those beauty editor hopefuls out there, there's an excellent post on BeautyEditor.ca that dishes on what the job is really like. Here are a few highlights, but I strongly urge you to read the full post, plus comments:

Being a beauty editor is about the writing. "One of the biggest misconceptions about beauty editing as a job is that you need to be a beauty expert to break in. ... Beauty editors are editors first, and beauty experts second."

Writing about beauty products is not as easy as it looks. "If you think it’s easy being able to write about the 23rd mascara launch of the year in a fresh, engaging, compelling way, think again."

If you're an intern, drop the attitude. "It really can make or break you as an intern. I cannot stress enough that you should treat your internship as a JOB: show up on time, be polite and professional, and most importantly, be proactive in asking your editor what you can do to make her life easier."

Hat tip to Kat Tancock.

Hunter S. Thompson Applies for a Job

2010-10-19T08:43:00.002-04:00

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity.

– From a letter of application submitted by Hunter S. Thompson to the Vancouver Sun. Read Thompson's entire application letter in the Ottawa Citizen

Via @FlyontheWall_10.

Ask Them to Stay

2010-09-13T19:24:00.000-04:00

Managers, this one's for you:

If an employee gives you his resignation notice and you don't want him to leave, ask him to stay. Ask him what you could do to get him to stay. He may not be 100 percent set on leaving.

Judging from numerous conversations I've had with colleagues, I think a lot of people leave a job not because they hate it but because they're bored, feel under-utilized or just want a change. If you think they're a valuable member of the team and not worth losing, maybe you can offer them that change or new challenge that they need.

All it might take to get an employee to stay might be to put him in charge of a new section, have him edit different types of stories or let him get more involved in web editorial. Maybe a small raise or title change (if merited), or a few extra vacation days will do it.

It takes money and energy to hire and train new employees, so why not put some energy into fighting to keep the ones you have?

Likewise, employees: Consider having a conversation with your boss about what would make you happier in your job before you decide to jump ship.

Anna Wintour on Fashion Blogs & the Internet

2010-08-23T20:57:00.005-04:00

Like any evolution in the industry, they force you to become better at what you do. Vogue’s in-depth articles and beautiful fashion stories, along with coverage of the arts within a fashion context, is not something that exists in the same way on blogs. They force us to dig deeper for stories, but we’re not competitors; we serve different markets. ...

Every medium serves a great purpose to reach our readers. It’s not about forcing how we choose to present our stories into the same mold. It’s about seeing how our readers interact with each medium, and what we feel each medium has to offer the reader.

— Anna Wintour on how fashion blogs have affected magazine content and whether photography and fashion editorials can exist on the Internet, in an interview with Opening Ceremony.

how not to write a resignation letter

2010-08-03T08:14:00.016-04:00

When quitting a job that one hates, it can be tempting to write a nasty resignation letter. This one, posted on Why We Need HR, listed off a slew of offences committed by the company.

My decision to leave the company was not made in haste. There are many contributing factors that have led to my resignation. ...

Our publications are so inflated with brochures that no reader would realistically read it in its entirety. But that seems to be okay with everyone. In fact, it’s a running joke that no one reads the magazines. As a writer, you can imagine why this is inherently offensive. ...

It often puzzled me why an Editor in Chief wouldn’t get on board with a passion for quality, but it is apparent, Lisa, that your editing skills are quite basic (e.g. missing commas, uncertainty of semicolon and em-dash rules). As for management, you have not demonstrated leadership; you have shown what it is to be a ‘yes’ person. ...

The letter also includes grievances of harassment:

The lack of boundaries within the company is staggering. Policies are wholly ineffective when the president is the guiltiest and the least accountable to following them. I’m referring to you, Brutus, and your continued belief that the office is your personal playground. Unsolicited comments about women’s attire, sexual innuendos, unwelcome touching, and invasion of personal space are a few examples. ...

To be clear, when I said I believed in Magazine C, I wasn’t lying. I still believe that the magazine has potential, especially in light of the digital age. The difference is I no longer believe it will result in anything valuable under the current business model and the current management. ...

My resignation is effective today. I know two weeks is a standard professional courtesy, but I don’t feel the need to extend something that wasn’t offered to me. ...

Read the full letter here.

As much as you may want to write a letter like this, I very strongly urge you to think very long and very hard before you do.

The Canadian publishing industry is incredibly small, and you never know who your boss knows. Burning a bridge like this could result in many other burned bridges. Beware that you may be cutting yourself off from future opportunities.

It also can have some unforseen consequences. As the author of the blog learned, some of her ex-coworkers were starting to feel the heat.

For issues such as harassment, seek legal avenues such a labour board complaints. Write that nasty resignation letter if you must; just think twice before you submit it to your boss.

you have to stand out

2010-07-26T07:49:00.001-04:00

If you make it to the interview stage in your job hunt (congratulations!), one of your biggest challenges is going to be standing out from the other candidates (in a good way, of course). Because the horrible truth is, if the interviewer can't remember much about you, you're going to get a "thanks but no thanks."

So how do you stand out?

That's a hard question to answer, but here are some general principles:

Be personable. (Smile!)
Be confidant. (A firm handshake, eye contact, no mumbling.)
Talk about yourself. (Seriously. I have interviewed people who barely talk.)
Show genuine interest. (Again, eye contact.)
Ask questions. (You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you; this is your chance to determine if this is in fact the job you want. Oh, and it shows that you're interested.)

Any other tips?

do you put twitter on your resumé?

2010-07-19T08:10:00.001-04:00

On a standard resumé, you list your phone number, mailing address and email address, but you might want to consider also including your blog, website and Twitter handle too. Depending on what job you're applying to – say web editor – it's becoming more important to demonstrate your knowledge of social media and other web tools.

Use with caution, though. If you regularly tweet about things you wouldn't want an employer to know about you, don't include it. If your blog is about cute kittens, it might not be relevant. But if it strengthens your case for being an in-the-know editor, it might be a good idea.

What do you think?

$6 bought Alec Brownstein a shot at his dream job

2010-05-16T11:05:00.000-04:00

On the hunt for his dream job, copywriter Alec Brownstein purchased the names of his favourite creative directors on Google AdWords.

Whenever someone ran a search for one of the creative directors' names, the following message appeared at the top of the page: "Hey, [creative director's name]: Goooogling [sic] yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too" with a link to Brownstein's website, alecbrownstein.com.

According to CNN.com, the $6 campaign netted calls from all but one of the creative directors Brownstein targeted, two job offers, and two advertising awards.

Just goes to show you that a little ingenuity may be all you need to put your name in front of the right people.

Via @elliottkaty.

resumé tip: include details about the magazines you've worked at

2010-05-02T20:34:00.000-04:00

When listing your work history on your resumé, make sure you include enough information about the magazines and other companies that you've worked at. This will help give prospective employers a better sense of the type of experience you have, particularly when they may not be familiar with the publication.

For starters, always list the publisher (where applicable) and city beside the magazine's name. Something like this:

Assistant Editor, Chatelaine (Rogers Media, Toronto), May 2007 – January 2010

You may want to include the publication's website:

Editorial assistant, Alberta Views (Calgary, albertaviews.ab.ca), October 2008 – Present

You can even go a step further and include a brief description of each magazine/company before listing your accomplishments:

Broken Pencil, which publishes four times a year, is a magazine dedicated to covering zines, independent publishing and underground culture in Canada.

Or, you could include information about the publication when describing your accomplishments:

• Assigned and edited the front-of-book section of the monthly woodworking publication, ensuring timely, relevant content and a balance of subject matter.

However you decide to do it, you want to make it easy for whoever is looking at your resumé to get a thorough understanding of your experience. Details you might want to include are subject matter, consumer/trade, circulation, region, audience the magazine serves, staff size (especially if you're listing a management position) and/or frequency. Information like this can indicate how similar/dissimilar your experience is to the position you're applying to, and can help explain the type of experience you have and the type of magazine environment you've been exposed to.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that everyone is going to be familiar with the magazines you've worked at, and don't assume everyone is going to Google them to find out. Make it easy for prospective employers to get a sense of where you come from.

take a step back to find the right career path

2010-04-04T22:36:00.001-04:00

A recent article in the New York Times points out that the career ladder doesn't always go straight up. "The idea of a lattice describes modern career growth more aptly," according to one expert. So when might you want to go backwards, or even accept a pay cut?

• To move to a bigger company, you may have to accept a lower position. It's not uncommon for an editor-in-chief of a local alternative magazine to take a senior editor or even associate editor position at a larger consumer title.

• To move quickly to a higher-level position, try a smaller company, but be prepared for a pay cut. Because smaller magazines usually have smaller budgets to match, they they can't always attract the more seasoned professionals. This means they're often great training grounds for eager young things looking to punch above their weight, or experience level.

• To gain new skills for the future, you may need to take a lower position. Are you a senior editor on the print side with the desire to work on the web team but have no on-the-job web editing experience? You'll have a tough go of it if you aim for a senior web editor position, but associate web editor may be within your grasp.

The overall lesson is to take a look at where you want to be down the road and equip yourself with the skills and experience that will get you there.

Related post: When Taking a Step Backwards or Sideways in Your Career is the Right Move

if you don't care about us, why should we care about you?

2010-03-15T08:09:00.000-04:00

When someone I'm interviewing mentions this blog, I know s/he did his/her homework. Not only did s/he research the company, s/he also researched me. It shows genuine interest in the job, and respect for the company. But even if I wasn't part of his/her Google search, at the very least I expect interview candidates to read our company website. There's no excuse not to.

Every magazine now has a website. Prepare for an interview by reading it. If you have more time, also read the magazine's Facebook page, blogs and Twitter stream. Think about it this way: If you can't take 20 minutes to read our website, why should I waste 20 minutes talking to you about a job/internship opportunity?

2 little things that will annoy your boss

2010-01-13T20:56:00.000-05:00

Regardless of how good you are at your job, there are two tiny things that are going to get on your boss' nerves, potentially leading to a smaller raise than you would like or expect. And if there are other issues with your performance, these aren't going to help you any.

1. lateness

Punctuality is such a minor thing, but many people look at it as an indicator of how seriously you take your job. Tardiness is especially bothersome if others rely on you in order to get their own work done (hello, editorial assistants). A few minutes late here or there isn't likely to be an issue, especially in an industry like publishing, where flex time is common. But even with flex time, coming in at 10:30 is pushing it. And you should always be punctual for meetings. Lateness is often perceived as lack of respect for the job and for your coworkers.

2. personal phone and internet use

A personal phone call here or there is fine. Even checking eBay for the status of your bid isn't a problem. But it is an issue if every time your boss walks by your desk you're doing something other than work. And don't think she doesn't notice you talking in a hushed voice or quickly closing that browser window. If all she sees is you doing your own thing, she's going to wonder if you're getting your work done.

Are there any other faux pas you would add to this list?

be clear!

2009-12-15T07:48:00.001-05:00

As Strunk and White have said, "Clarity, clarity, clarity."

Muddiness is not merely a disturber of prose, it is also a destroyer of life, of hope: death on the highway caused by a badly worded road sign, heartbreak among lovers caused by a misplaced phrase in a well-intentioned letter, anguish of a traveller expecting to be met at a railroad station and not being met because of a slipshod telegram.

To this list I would add the missed networking connection or opportunity to prove that you're right for a job because you failed to explain in an email that that's what you're looking for. "Think of the tragedies that are rooted in ambiguity, and be clear!"

Every week I receive an email or two from hopeful applicants looking for a job or an internship at my company. What astounds me is when an applicant fails to simply state that that's what he/she wants. He/she will tell me a little bit about him/herself, and will attach a resumé, but I'll be left wondering whether he/she is interested in an internship, a job or just career advice.

As the author of this blog, I also receive many queries about the magazine industry, with editor wannabes sending bios and resumés my way. But likewise, sometimes I have no idea what they're asking for. Do they want me to make an introduction? Do they think I'm a hiring agency? Do they want me to do a resumé critique? (I don't do this, by the way, so don't ask.)

Unless you clearly tell me why you're contacting me, I can't help you. And usually I won't be bothered to reply and ask you to clarify. Just like any other hiring manager, HR professional or editor to whom you're sending your resumé, I'm just going to hit Delete.

Do yourself a favour so your email doesn't end up in the trash: be clear!

6 interview tips from the pros

2009-12-14T09:00:00.003-05:00

On November 26, Ed2010 Toronto hosted a panel discussion and workshop on how to nail a job interview. Dishing on the good and the bad were guests Bonnie Munday, editor of Best Health; Megan Griffith-Greene, who as head of research at Chatelaine has hired many, many interns; and Jenny Pruegger of Transcontinental Media, who interviews candidates for most of the publisher's english-language magazines. Here's a taste of what they had to say.

1. Know the magazine. The most common – and stupidest – mistake Griffith-Greene sees is people who come into the interview not having familiarized themselves with the publication. The interviewer isn't going to believe that you want to work there if you haven't bothered to read the magazine. Read at least three back issues, though reading more will give you a better understanding of the topics covered and tone of the title.

2. Have examples. I'm not talking clippings here. Pruegger recommends that you arm yourself with stories of times that you've demonstrated the necessary skills. It's not good enough to say that you perform well under pressure; explain how you still got things done without sacrificing quality when the deadline was moved up by two weeks, for example. Pay particular attention to examples that demonstrate the skills that are listed in the job posting. What you did and what the result was is a good indicator of how you would react in a similar situation in the future.

3. Anticipate questions. There are some standard interview questions that you'll likely be asked, such as Why do you want to work here? Tell me a little about yourself. Where do you see yourself in five years? Prepare answers for these questions so you're not stuck with a blank look on your face or saying something not so great.

4. Be a superstar. Griffith-Greene was impressed by a candidate who pulled out a sticky-note–riddled copy of Chatelaine filled with comments when asked what she did/didn't like about the magazine. Munday was impressed by a candidate who created a mock magazine all about herself, with cover lines and articles selling her talents and qualifications.

5. Ask questions. A candidate who doesn't ask questions won't appear to be that interested in the job, but make sure what you ask is appropriate. For example, asking what kind of team it is shows that you're a team player and, if the editor is the one interviewing you, gives you some insight to how he/she values his/her staff. Asking if you'll be able to write for competitors is inappropriate, says Munday, especially if you haven't been offered the job yet.

6. Interact with everyone who is interviewing you. If you're being interviewed by a panel, respect all people in the room. If one person asks you a question, make eye contact and respond to him/her directly; don't ignore him/her by replying only to the person, like the editor, whom you think is the one making the final decision.

ed2010 job interview event update

2009-11-24T08:36:00.000-05:00

For those interested in coming to just the panel discussion part of Thursday's Nail It: Job Interview Workshop presented by Ed2010 Toronto, we've opened up the first part of the night to allow more people to attend.

For $5, you can Join Ed2010 Toronto for the panel discussion part of the evening on how to improve your job interview skills, with special guests Bonnie Munday of Best Health, Megan Griffith-Greene of Chatelaine and Jenny Pruegger of Transcontinental Media.

For $25, meet individually with one of these top magazine professionals for a one-on-one conversation to test out their interview advice.

Thursday, November 26

6-8pm

Northern District Library

COST:

$5 panel discussion only First come, first admitted. Pay at the door.

$25 panel discussion and one-on-one meeting Space is very limited for the one-on-one meetings, so reserve your spot today. To register, email toronto@ed2010.com for payment details. Please specify which editor you would like a one-on-one chat with and we will try to accommodate your request.

ed2010 job interview workshop

2009-11-22T23:46:00.048-05:00

There are still a few spots open for this Thursday's Ed2010 event.

Nail It: Job Interview Workshop

Join Ed2010 Toronto for a panel discussion on how to improve your job interview skills with special guests Bonnie Munday of Best Health, Megan Griffith-Greene of Chatelaine and Jenny Pruegger of Transcontinental Media. Then test out their interview advice in a one-on-one conversation with one of these top magazine professionals.

Space is limited so reserve your spot today. To register, email toronto@ed2010.com for payment details. Please specify which editor you would like a one-on-one chat with and we will try to accommodate your request.

Thursday, November 26
6-8pm
Northern District Library
COST: $25

blog: interns anonymous

2009-11-15T12:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a blog for all you past and current interns (that's pretty much everyone in magazines, right?). U.K.-based Interns Anonymous shares the stories of interns from all sorts of industries, including journalism and publishing. Horror stories, success stories, encouragement, debate — there's a little bit of everything. And although the blog is not magazine specific, you'll find a lot to identify with. Check it out.

office spaces

2009-11-07T12:40:00.001-05:00

Most offices are stuck in cubicleland, with uninspiring spaces that lack character and don't represent the kind of work that happens there. They're not very nice places to work. And although I question the practicality of some of the elements in these spaces featured on the Business Insider, I would much rather go to work in one of these offices than in a dull corporate space.

Gawker's steampunk-style offices

The offices of Blue State Digital

ht @lavrusik via @niemanlab

getting to know yourself

2009-11-03T23:18:00.000-05:00

Every job you have is going to teach you a little bit more about yourself — about how you like to work and what you want out of a job. You discover more about your preferences, like how you can best keep yourself organized, the types of coworkers you dislike and your strategies for dealing with them, and whether you prefer communicating by email, instant message or by phone with the person in the next cubicle (personally, I don't understand the urge to pick up the phone and call someone sitting six feet from you).

Knowing these things about yourself will likely help you navigate the work environment, help you figure out how to either adapt to systems or introduce "your way" of doing things to make improvements for everyone.

Side note: I wonder, how much do your first "real" job experiences affect those preferences? Is one inclined to think the "right" way to do something is the first way s/he learned how?

what kind of networker are you?

2009-10-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

There's an excellent post on Design*Sponge today about networking (it's aimed at designers, but the informations is quite general). In it, guest poster Sara Rosso identifies four types of networkers:

The Trendsetter: is curious and very up-to-date, and spends a great amount of time consuming and filtering information. They will be the first ones to tell you about a new idea or resource or tell you if someone else is already doing it. 

The Guru: is an expert in a particular subject or subjects with in-depth knowledge at their fingertips and can serve as a source or give an expert opinion when needed.

The Node: is well-connected with other people and groups. Maybe this person doesn’t have any direct answers for you, but they probably know the right person who does, and is willing to pass along your need/request to help you get an answer. 

The Giver: is generous with their time, information and opinions and can serve as a person to give you excellent feedback across a variety of subjects. They are interested in helping your cause, teaching you something, or giving feedback on something you’re working on, and they are generous contacts to have.

Some people are going to be all four, or a combination of a few, or just one type of networker. What type are you? Knowing this may help you focus on and develop those skills, and make you more comfortable in networking situations.

And of course, knowing what type the people are in your network will help you figure out who to call when you're looking for specific information.

no mag experience? no problem

2009-10-22T08:29:00.019-04:00

Intern. Editorial assistant. Assistant editor. Associate editor. Etc. It's a clear path, but not one you necessarily have to take. As the examples in this Ed2010 article show, if you have experience in another field and want to get into magazines, you can. The trick is to communicate how your skills are transferable and that you "get" magazines. And perhaps your non-magazine experience is a bonus that will make you stand out among all the other applicants.

using business cards right

2009-10-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

You definitely need a business card. And you should definitely carry some with you wherever you go. But you should most definitely not hand them out indiscriminately.

In an interview with WalletPop, Chris Brogan points out that handing out your business card before you've engaged with someone — i.e. have had a conversation with him/her — is pointless. How is that person going to know whether they want to do business with you? What reason do they have to contact you? "Don't collect them just to collect them," Brogan says. "There's no value in collecting business cards."

From @chrisbrogan

random useful information & bright ideas

2009-10-13T21:03:00.001-04:00

A roundup of some of the things I've been reading in the last few days.

• Top five resources for folks making the transition from print to online, from Phillip Smith (via @kattancock)

• What would your copy wear? Tips on giving your cover letter the proper tone. (Hint: consider who your audience is.) From The Urban Muse.

• Wise words: "The only way to make a magazine better for the advertiser is to make it better for the reader." A sign on the wall at Western Horseman magazine. Through MrMagazine.com.

• How to persuade people (including your boss). From Smashing Magazine.

• Sometimes setting boundaries is the best way to come up with good/fresh ideas. Seth Godin on traction and friction.

• How to blog almost every day, from Chris Brogan.

new paid internship

2009-10-06T09:04:00.000-04:00

The Canadian Living Journalism Prize just got better. The two grand prizes now each include a paid 12-week internship, worth approximately $6,500. That's about $13 an hour. I'm not holding my breath, but let's hope this inspires other magazines to start paying their interns.

Related post: Canadian Living Journalism Prize launched

ed2010 toronto happy hour, oct. 14

2009-10-01T23:49:00.001-04:00

Time for another infamous Ed Happy Hour:

Join us for a night of mixin' and mingling, and get to know others in the magazine biz. From student to intern to senior to EIC, everyone is welcome — we're a friendly group! Bring your business cards, your magazines, your questions and your beefs. And $5 to enter our Chat-with-an-Editor Raffle: you could win dinner with Chatelaine Senior Editor Rebecca Caldwell (visit Ed2010.com for details). And bring all your editor friends!!

The usual time and place:
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
6:00pm - 9:00pm
The Duke of York, 2nd floor conservatory (go upstairs to the back).
39 Prince Arthur Ave. (near the Bedford exit of St. George subway station)

RSVP to the event on the Ed Toronto Facebook page.

Oh, and if you don't know: Ed2010 ("ed twenty-ten") is a purely volunteer networking group and website for aspiring editors who are looking to reach their dream magazine jobs. I am the Canadian Director. And if you would like to join our email list, please send us a note: toronto [at] ed2010 [dot] com.

dealing with the boycott

2009-10-01T00:26:00.003-04:00

If you haven't heard yet, the Canadian Writers Group and the Professional Writers Association of Canada are urging all freelancers to boycott Transcontinental over the company's refusal to make amendments to its master contract.

My heart goes out to all the editors at the Transcon publications who will have to hunt harder for contributors, or have to take on extra work to meet their deadlines. It's a horrible position to be in. Editors are the writers' connection to a magazine, and often the writers' biggest advocates, and unfortunately they are the ones who will hurt most from this action.

Transcon editors, how do you plan to cope? Do you think it will affect you much? Have you had any writers speak to you about the boycott yet? Have there been discussions in the office to develop a strategy? Will you be taking on more work yourself?

Non-Transcon editors, chime in too: how would you cope?

create your own job

2009-09-24T19:30:00.000-04:00

There's a lot of chatter these days about the the death of the current publishing model. Recent grads are looking for jobs in an industry landscape that's very different from when they entered school four or so years ago, and veterans are clamouring to keep on top of the sea change.

Some of the more entrepreneurial types are saying screw pounding the pavement, I'm making up my own job and launching my own site. (Ok, most of them aren't giving up their day jobs, but they're not relying on climbing the career ladder to get to the top, either.)

Mashable talked to five ink-on-paper pros who have gone digital and compiled their tips for creating a startup journalism site. They cover startup costs, advertising and sponsorship, tech and design, and audience development. So, if you're eager for the next entry on your resumé to be publisher/editor/writer/designer/ad manager/tech support, you might find some useful tidbits in How To Launch Your Own Indie Journalism Site.

keep the welcomes coming

2009-09-22T22:38:00.000-04:00

Starting at a new company can feel a little strange, particularly because all the little daily things you never thought twice about have become a minefield of conundrums. Where is the extra photocopy paper kept? Who takes care of replacing burnt out light bulbs? Is it ok to put personal mail in the out box if you put a stamp on it?

And it's surprising how long after your first day questions like these come up. For example, start a job in the fall and you'd be well ensconced in the company by the time summer hours roll around. No one mentions the office closes early on Fridays and you could find yourself with an unexpected free afternoon the first weekend. Nice, but it would have been nice to know too.

So if someone new joins your team, consider that you may need to show him the ropes long after he's become part of the family.

canadian living journalism prize launched

2009-09-20T17:40:00.002-04:00

If you're a full-time Canadian journalism student looking for an internship and a chance to build your portfolio, check out the new Canadian Living Journalism Prize. Apply and you might get your story published in Canadian Living, secure an internship at said magazine and even receive a little hard cash.

There are two grand prizes of $1,500 and a 12-week editorial internship each, two second prizes of $500 and two third prizes of $200. All winners will have their stories published in Canadian Living or on CanadianLiving.com.

Go to CanadianLiving.com/journalismprize for application details. Deadline: Nov. 6, 2009.

improve your work by thinking like a designer

2009-08-11T23:00:00.003-04:00

On his blog Presentation Zen, Garr Reynolds shares some advice from his experience as a designer that he feels is useful to people in all professions. Here's my editor's take on some of his tips:

"Embrace constraints." For editors, this could mean sticking to issue themes, for example. When your options are unlimited, sometimes it can be hard to know where to start. Limitations force you to focus and come up with fresh solutions.

"Practice restraint." You can't fit every idea into one article. Choose the best and perfect it. If the story is an evergreen topic, save your other ideas for next time.

"Adopt the beginner's mind." Take a step back and look at your magazine and your workflow with fresh eyes every once in awhile. Maybe that column isn't working as well as you think it is. Maybe there's a more efficient way to do things. And if you happen to have a new staff member, take advantage of it and get his/her opinion.

"Check your ego at the door. This is not about you, it's about them (your audience, customer, patient, student, etc.)." For us, it's all about our readers. Never forget this. You may love a story idea, but does it make sense for your readers?

"Focus on the experience of the design." Reynolds points out that much of design has an emotional component; how people respond to and interact with design is immensely important. Likewise, readers have an emotional attachment to "their" magazines. Nurture it. Use it to your advantage.

"Become a master storyteller." Well, that's an obvious one. But Reynolds actually concisely outlines a structure that works for many stories: "Start with the general, zoom in to the detail, pull out again to remind us of the theme or key concept, then zoom back in to illuminate more of the detail."

"Obsess about ideas, not tools." Blogs, podcasts, Twitter feeds — use them to get your content and brand out there, but remember that a cool tool is useless if it's carrying useless information.

"Learn all the 'rules' and know when and why to break them." Now is a good time to start breaking the rules. Magazines are changing, and they're changing fast. Instead of fretting about the impending doomsday of the industry, blue sky it. Are magazines still just ink on paper? Presume that they're not and start thinking about all the possibilities. This is exciting. Be excited!

Here is Reynolds' complete slideshow on how to think like a designer (click on "Full" to be able to read the notes under each slide):

Think Like a Designer (with notes)

View more documents from garr.

Found through The Artful Manager.

resumés at information meetings

2009-07-24T10:23:00.002-04:00

Information meetings are not job interviews, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't bring your resumé to them. A good tip from Ask the Recruiter:

Have a resumé and work samples in your bag in case you happen to make a good impression and someone asks for them. If no one asks for them, send them in with the thank-you note you are going to write after your visit.

finding opportunities outside of Toronto

2009-07-24T10:04:00.000-04:00

In my last post, I promised to address the question of whether not being in Toronto limits your career opportunities.

First, don't let your home base discourage you. Yes, there are more English-language magazines published out of Toronto than any other place in Canada, but there are also more people competing for the jobs at those magazines.

Research what opportunities are available in your home town by checking job boards and the member lists of publishing associations like Magazines Canada, the Canadian Business Press, the Atlantic Magazines Association and the British Columbia Association of Magazine Publishers.

Make connections with other editors through local chapters of industry associations like the Professional Writers Association of Canada.

And don't be shy about calling up other editors and offering to take them out to lunch, just to meet them and chat about the industry. I occasionally get together for brunch with magazine peeps in my hood, outside of any organized association, and it's great to just talk about anything magazine related that's on our minds. Making and maintaining friendships in the industry is important because people who aren't in it can't fully understand it, and you need those people who get it to offer advice throughout your career.

reader's question: how do I make a mid-life career transition into magazines?

2009-07-20T19:58:00.006-04:00

Q. What advice would you give to an experienced corporate/industry writer who wants to jump the fence into a magazine career?

My challenges are:
(1) I'm not a student, nor am I a "young whippersnapper," so the internship route may not be possible for me (although I would certainly jump at the opportunity).
(2) I don't live in Toronto, but in Ottawa, so opportunities are further limited.

A. I have no experience in it, but I can't imagine changing your career track is at all easy.

If you're looking to become a freelance magazine writer, the transition shouldn't be too difficult. You might be able to find work writing for trade publications, particularly those that cover the industries you've previously worked for. Like any writer trying to break in, you'll have to slowly build your portfolio with clippings from smaller local and regional magazines and work your way up to larger titles. You'll definitely need to do this to make your way into larger consumer titles. (Some veteran freelancers might advise you to keep your corporate gigs to supplement any income made from magazines.)

If you're looking to land an on-staff gig as an editor, your path will be a little longer and harder. First, don't discount internships. I once worked with an intern who was returning to the workforce after staying home to raise her kids for 12 years. Her career previous to having children wasn't in magazines, and she was willing to start at the bottom, as you are. Call up managing editors at places you'd like to intern and talk to them about whether they'd be willing to take you on. Check out my earlier post on How Old is Too Old to Intern? for more on this.

There's a little bit of a chance that you may be able to land a position without doing an internship. The key will be to prove that you "get it" and that you're capable of doing the job. You'll have to work harder than applicants with magazine experience to convey this in your cover letter and clippings. Figure out what your transferable skills are, why they make you valuable, and how they would benefit the magazine.

To help you from this angle, you may want to consider the information meeting. Talking to an editor in a senior position will help you determine if you do in fact get it and help pinpoint where your magazine skills are strong or lacking.

As for your question about opportunities given your location, I'm going to tackle this in another post. Watch for it.

the secret to success

2009-07-13T22:33:00.003-04:00

Two videos from Richard St. John on success. The takeaway: even if you reach your dream job, you can't stop striving to be the best.

8 Secrets of Success:

Success is a Continuous Journey:

reader's question: what entry-level jobs can I apply to?

2009-07-12T22:33:00.004-04:00

Q. I'm a recent graduate just completing an internship. In September I will begin to search for a job. Are there any other titles besides editorial assistant that I should apply for?

A. Editorial assistant will be the most common job title for your level of experience, but look at other postings to see what they're looking for. Position titles aren't always consistent across the industry, so it's worth skimming postings that you're unsure of. Watch for words like entry level, junior or new graduate in the job descriptions. If your experience matches the requirements, feel free to apply.

For general descriptions of magazine job titles, check out Masthead.

follow up

2009-06-28T21:53:00.003-04:00

I welcome requests for advice from all the readers of this blog, and occasionally people take me up on the offer. I'm surprised though at how few people follow up on their queries. I don't always get back to everyone, and sometimes those emails slip to the bottom of my inbox and off my radar. When someone emails me a second time to ask if I received the first email, 99.9 percent of the time I'll reply.

I suspect most editors and hiring managers are like me, which is why, unless you've been explicitly told not to follow up, it's always a good idea to check in. Use your judgement to gauge how many times and how frequently you can contact someone, but my general rule is a week after the previous email or phone call, up to two or three times. More than that and you have to be very tactful in order not to become a pest.

summer jobs for grads

2009-06-26T07:52:00.001-04:00

No. Not paying ones. Sorry.

If you just completed j-school (congrats!), keep up your education throughout the summer, while you're trying to land your first real job. 10,000 Words offers up a 30-point to-do list to improve your journalism skills, including suggestions like Create an online portfolio; Crop, resize, and colour correct 50 photos; Subscribe to at least 25 non-journalism blogs; and Interview 10 people using a video camera. Many worthwhile goals there, which will expand your technical skills and knowledge base, increase your profile and network, and develop your reporting techniques.

will the future editorial department include web?

2009-06-24T08:24:00.003-04:00

Last night I had dinner with two web folks and we got to talking about the divide between web and editorial departments. One day I'd like my job to include editing stories not just for print, but also for online — I'd like to work in both mediums. I have a lot to learn about web editing, but in my mind, both platforms serve the brand, so why the separation? Have the food editor edit the recipes in the book, as well as pull together cooking demonstrations for the web. Get the editor who handles book reviews to write them across the board. I've spoken to other young editors who feel the same way, and I wonder if we're heading in this direction, if the departments will merge over the next few years — if an editor will be an editor will be an editor.

What do you think? Should it all be part and parcel of the same job? Are you interested in doing both?

you didn't get the job because...

2009-06-23T09:00:00.003-04:00

You smelled bad. ... You wore too much makeup. ... The CEO’s daughter got the job. ... You acted too desperate. Your pants were too baggy. ... They have a diversity initiative and you’re a white male. ... You didn’t make good eye contact.

And there are oh so many other possible reasons. A post on Radiant Veracity lists 75, and also points out that you can't obsess over everything that you might do or may have done wrong in an interview. Be prepared and do the best you can. After that, the ball is in their court.

Through Lindsay Olson.

event recap: what you need to know about being a web editor

2009-06-18T08:20:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone who turned out at the Ed2010 Toronto web editor's panel discussion last night — we had a great turnout. (From right to left) Bryan Borzykowski from CanadianBusiness.com, Jen O'Brien from Chatelaine.com, Jennifer Villamere of CanadianLiving.com, and Sharon Donaldson from CottageLife.com and Explore-mag.com shared how they got into online editing and what's involved in the job. (That's Ed2010 Toronto event manager Ann Brown on the left.)

Here are a few points from our panellists that stood out for me:

• Being a web editor is not the same thing as being a print editor. The type of writing and style of articles are different, and your duties as an editor will be different. Only a fraction of your time will be spent assigning stories and working with writers.

• If you're looking for a job as a web editor, you'd better be into the web. Have Facebook and Twitter accounts, post videos that you've shot and edited to YouTube, write a blog, purchase your own domain and build your own website. If you don't do all that — if you're not spending time online — the person doing the hiring is going to wonder why the hell you want to be a web editor.

• Don't look as web editing as a way into the print side. They are different departments and require different skills.

If you attended, post your comments on what you thought were the most interesting points made by our panellists. And let us know what you thought of the event.

event: tonight! Ed2010 Toronto's web editors panel

2009-06-17T07:58:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that Ed2010 Toronto is hosting its web editors panel tonight.

Get online: discover the wonderful world of web editing
Ever wondered what it takes to be a web editor? Even in a slow economy there are job opportunities in online publishing. Find out how you can break into the wonderful world of web editing. Join Ed2010 Toronto and our all-star line-up of senior web staffers from some of Canada's top magazine websites including Jen O'Brien from Chatelaine.com, Bryan Borzykowski from CanadianBusiness.com, Jennifer Villamere of Canadian Living, and Sharon Donaldson from CottageLife.com and Explore-mag.com. Hear how they got into the biz and get advice on how to succeed in the online world.

When: Wednesday June 17 from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Where: Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd (Yonge and Eglinton)
$5 admission fee (Seating is limited, availability is given on a first come, first serve basis)

If you'd like to become a member of Ed2010, a networking group for young magazine editors, join our facebook group or email us at toronto[at] ed2010[dot] com.

deliver on expectations

2009-06-17T07:46:00.003-04:00

Last weekend I headed down to Harbourfront Centre to catch the free Cirque du Soleil performance as part of Luminato. The crowd was large and expectations high. And then a few acrobats splashed around in the pond.

The performance that Cirque delivered was so low key, the audience didn't know when it was over. We all sat there waiting for the next act for about half an hour before someone thought to make an announcement. "Hope you enjoyed the show. See you tomorrow."

Everyone expected more. Not only does Cirque have a well-deserved reputation for delivering fabulous shows, but the setup for this show in particular led us (well, at least me) to believe there was more to come. The "stage" props included, among other things, a trampoline and a boat that were never used. (Though word has it they made cameos in the Sunday show; I say Friday's performance.)

This failure to deliver is one of my greatest pet peeves as a magazine reader: If you're selling me something on the cover, you'd better make sure I find it inside in sufficient quantity/quality to meet the expectations that you set up.

Likewise, be smart about how you sell yourself. You can stretch the truth about how good you are with deadlines, but miss that first one and your editor/boss will be more disappointed in you than had you said nothing about your ability to meet deadlines at all.

facebook can get you fired

2009-06-11T19:48:00.001-04:00

Well, if it has to be said again...

Some people still haven't gotten the message that you need to be careful of what you say on Facebook, Twitter and any other social networking site. An Associated Press reporter is the latest victim of officious corporations.

But beyond any nasty comments you might make about your company, its clients or your magazine's readers, you also have to be careful of how you present yourself. Many editors now find that part of their job description is to manage their magazine's Facebook page, or to tweet about all things related to their publication's content. So consider this: Is your profile pic a tad too sexy? Have you set up a professional and a personal account? When you're making announcements to the world, remember who might be listening.

panellist added to ed2010 event

2009-06-11T07:31:00.000-04:00

Jennifer Villamere of Canadian Living will join next week's panel discussion of online editors presented by Ed2010. Also on the panel: Jen O'Brien from Chatelaine.com, Bryan Borzykowski from CanadianBusiness.com and Sharon Donaldson from CottageLife.com and Explore-mag.com. Come hear how they got into the biz and get advice on how to succeed in the online world.

When: Wednesday June 17 from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Where: Northern District Library, Toronto
40 Orchard View Blvd (Yonge and Eglinton)
$5 admission fee
(Seating is limited, availability is given on a first come, first serve basis)

what I learned at MagNet: tips on service journalism from Anthony Licata

2009-06-08T08:07:00.001-04:00

A few notes on service journalism from the session "Service Centre: How to Tune Up your Magazine"[update: session info no longer available on MagNet site] with Anthony Licata, editor-in-chief of Field & Stream.

Clear is better than clever. Don't make your readers do too much work; they'll just turn the page.

Make it fresh. Evergreen stories can be deadly; if you've seen it before, so have your readers.

Be ambitious. "Wouldn't it be cool if..." ideas are always worth pursuing. Take them as far as you can go before reigning them in.

Don't cut the life out of short writing. It's hard to write short, but when you're trying to fit, cutting the fun phrases and other bits of personality out can make a piece read like an instruction manual.

Teach with a smile. Service pieces can pack in a lot of information and be exhausting. Lighten the mood and keep it fun so you don't tire out your readers.

Your cover should make a compelling promise. Deliver on it with a service package that's well worth the cover price. Even if they read nothing else in that issue, readers should feel they got their money's worth.

It's not all about service. Pacing is important; you can't use the same approach for all stories. Neither should all stories be service pieces; sometimes you just need to tell a good story. Give breathing room to all those itsy bitsy pieces.

using the web right

2009-06-05T08:46:00.006-04:00

Next week I'll share with you a few things I learned at MagNet, but for now I'd like to draw your attention to an article shown by John Clinton at Thursday's session "The Future of Publishing: The Big Players, the Big Picture."

As a supplement to Fortune's April 13 cover story, the magazine has produced a rich media version of the article. Powered by Flyp, the online version of "How to get a Job" includes video interviews, audio clips and an interactive map. It's a smart way to layer in all the information that we often try to fit into a heavily packaged service piece in print, without some of the space constraints. Love it, love it, love it.

Si Newhouse & Condé Nast

2009-06-02T09:00:00.003-04:00

[Si Newhouse] ran [Condé Nast] as if it were a movie studio of the thirties and forties, the era in which Newhouse, a shy child, fell in love with the glamour of Hollywood. “One editor is like Hal Wallis,” Graydon Carter, editor of Vanity Fair, tells me, “another like Busby Berkeley, and there’s a commissary,” the Frank Gehry–designed cafeteria at the Condé Nast Building at 4 Times Square. For Newhouse, it was a wonderful setup. “He created [in Condé Nast] a reality in which he is no longer the bumbling, asocial kid he grew up as,” says one person close to him. In this analogy, Newhouse is in the role of Louis B. Mayer, the notoriously tyrannical MGM head who loved his stars but made them quake. “Si loves being surrounded by divas and egomaniacs,” says one former editor. When one editor called another a “fucking bitch,” Newhouse didn’t mind. “Yes, but she’s our bitch,” he said. He delights in the Darwinian drama that takes place below him. “He believes the best will rise and will not be shivved in the back,” says the former editor.

– From a lengthy article by Steve Fishman published in New York magazine. The piece, about Si Newhouse and his kingdom at Condé Nast, gives a good glimpse into the company and its culture.

pregnant opportunities

2009-05-29T07:57:00.002-04:00

There must be something in the water. I know upwards of 20 friends and relatives who have either had a baby in the past year or who are currently pregnant. Most of those people have or will be leaving a temporary vacancy in the job market. Those are spots that need to be filled.

As you know, a large portion of editing jobs are never advertised. You hear so-and-so is leaving and you ask around to find out who to send your resumé to. Which is why you should keep your ears open not just for people leaving for another magazine, but for people who are expecting children. There will be a stretch of time when someone else needs to fill that person's shoes, and why shouldn't it be you?

Yes, it may be only temporary, but covering parental leave is a good opportunity. You might be lucky to get a permanent job out of it (the person decides not to come back or you're loved so much, you're asked to stay on) – which is rare – but at the very least, you've made some good connections and gathered some worthwhile experience. You might get some freelance work out of it. And because you know when your time will be up, you can plan your job hunt and openly look for a new position while still working.

trading resumé critiques

2009-05-28T08:13:00.002-04:00

I've found in the past that getting professional advice on your resumé can be a fruitless effort. I've never tried paid services, but if they're anything like university career centres, they likely offer suggestions that are way off base. The advisers seem to stick to some HR version of what a resumé should be, without taking into consideration what field you're working in, and if there are any conventions related to it. I have my doubts that a generic service would know what to do with your mix of freelance and on-staff work, for example.

That's why I believe your best advice is going to come from peers and mentors who work in magazines. Joe Grimm, on Ask the Recruiter, recommends the resumé swap: sit down with another editor over pizza and look at each other's CVs. Talk about them.

I think this is a much better approach than even just emailing your friend your resumé. In person, you can have a conversation about it. You can tease out what will work the best, what your key assets are. And, though it won't be possible for everyone to do, if you can hook up with someone who looks at resumés on a regular basis, even better.

event: Ed2010 Toronto presents "Get online: discover the wonderful world of web editing"

2009-05-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

Some shameless self promotion for Ed2010 Toronto, the group I volunteer for. We're hosting our next speaker series event June 17th, and I hope a lot of you can make it. Here are the details:

Get online: discover the wonderful world of web editing
Ever wondered what it takes to be a web editor? Even in a slow economy there are job opportunities in online publishing. Find out how you can break into the wonderful world of web editing. Join Ed2010 Toronto and our all-star line-up of senior web staffers from some of Canada's top magazine websites including Jen O'Brien from Chatelaine.com, Bryan Borzykowski from CanadianBusiness.com and Sharon Donaldson from CottageLife.com. Hear how they got into the biz and get advice on how to succeed in the online world.

When: Wednesday June 17 from 6:30pm-7:30pm
Where: Northern District Library, 40 Orchard View Blvd (Yonge and Eglinton)
$5 admission fee

If you'd like to become a member of Ed2010, a networking group for young magazine editors, join our facebook group or email us at toronto[at] ed2010[dot] com.