Reading List, Nov. 21

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.

Editor Profile: Beckie Fox, Garden Making

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.

Reading List, Oct. 17

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.

Editor Profile: Gwen Smith, Allergic Living

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.”

How to Manage Event Invitations

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

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?

The Atlantic's Rules for Making a Good Publication

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)

What It's Like to be a Beauty Editor

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.

2 little things that will annoy your boss

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!

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!

random useful information & bright ideas

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.

keep the welcomes coming

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.

improve your work by thinking like a designer

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.

the secret to success

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:

summer jobs for grads

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.

deliver on expectations

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

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.

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

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.

meeting notes

Maybe all those meetings you have aren't necessary. And if they are, maybe they needn't be as long. There are three things that guarantee zone-outs: rehashing what everyone already knows, talking about things that are relevant to only two or three people in the group, and going off topic.

A selection of tips from Seth Godin on how to make your meetings more effective:

• Understand that all problems are not the same. So why are your meetings? Does every issue deserve an hour? Why is there a default length?

• Remove all the chairs from the conference room. I'm serious. [This might not work for story meetings, but can you imagine how much more quickly a weekly update meeting would go?]

• Bring an egg timer to the meeting. When it goes off, you're done. Not your fault, it's the timer's.

• The organizer of the meeting is required to send a short email summary, with action items, to every attendee within ten minutes of the end of the meeting.

I'd add to the list Start All Meetings On Time.

if it can be done better, good isn't good enough

If you're interested at all in the indie craft community, you're probably well aware of a recent documentary called Handmade Nation. It's not a great film (bad camerawork, among other issues), but it's worth seeing. It features interviews with all sorts of crafters, people who do things like sewing, bookbinding and needlework.

What struck me was that there didn't seem to be much talk about the actual craftsmanship of the crafts. Some of the handmade goods highlighted in the film were downright hideous. Personal tastes aside, if I'm going to spend money on something handmade, I want to know that it's not going to fall apart, that it's well made and that there was some effort put into it, that the maker has pride in his/her work.

Where am I going with this? Whether you're a crafter or an editor, you should pay attention to the craftsmanship of the work you produce. It's not just the ideas you come up with that matter; it's the execution of those ideas that's going to determine how much mileage they get – and ultimately what type of reputation you'll build for yourself. For a crafter, that means making sure your stitches are straight and there isn't glue seeping out everywhere. For editors, it means, among many other things, having the fact-checker make one more call, just to be sure, and not settling for a photo because you're tired of searching the stock files for something better.

And that's what it comes down to: Don't settle. Put conscientious thought into the work you do, be willing to toss something that's not up to par, and take the time to do the job over, if that's what needs to be done. Don't take the easy route just because it's less effort or there's no time.

Work hard, be proud.