books: Up For Renewal by Cathy Alter

Do you follow the advice of magazines? In her soon-to-be-released book, Up For Renewal, writer Cathy Alter chronicles her year-long social experiment of using magazines as her guiding force in life. I'll spare you the book review – I just wanted to point out the fascinating premise:

"Cathy gave over her life to the glossies for the next twelve months, resolving to follow their advice without question. By the end of her subscriptions, she would get rid of upper-arm jiggle, crawl out of debt, host the perfect dinner party, run a mile without puking, engage in better bathtub booty, ask for a raise, and rehaul her apartment."

The book reminded me that, although I always take magazine advice with a grain of salt or adapt it to my own purposes, some people out there must blindly follow the counsel of service journalism. When packaging content, reducing solutions to 10 easy steps, perhaps it would do us well to consider this. I wonder, is it reckless of us not to?

ed2010 toronto résumé workshop: what those who do the hiring had to say

Tuesday night, the Toronto chapter of Ed2010 hosted its first resume workshop, with guests Joe Chidley, editor-in-chief of Canadian Business, Jenny Pruegger, HR consultant at Transcontinental, and Penny Caldwell, editor in chief at Cottage Life. The evening began with a panel discussion moderated by myself, the coordinator of the Ed2010 Toronto chapter, before attendees had a chance to speak on-on-one with their choice of panelist for a personal résumé critique. Here are some pointers from the discussion:

• Don't forget to proofread your résumé! Penny pointed out that though this may seem obvious, some people still don't do it. And in an industry like publishing, proofreading is especially important since it's a part of any editorial job.

• Send in a hard copy of your application package. A coloured folder or nice paper will stand out amid a pile of emails printed out on white bond paper.

• Send your resume to both the HR department and the editor. (You'll be happy to hear, HR departments tend to keep résumés on hand for about a year.)

• Include work experience outside the publishing industry only if it's relevant to the job you're applying to, it indicates a variety of transferable skills or if it fills gaps in your employment history.

• Use a professional email address. No cutesy names like foofoopants@hotmail.com. And don't send applications from your current work address – that's just tacky.

• And as important as your résumé is, don't send it out all by itself. Include a cover letter, clips, even a copy of the magazine you currently work for.

Did you attend the workshop on Tuesday? Post a comment to share what you learned.

what i learned at MagNet part III: Lewis Lapham on history – his own and the world's

The distinguished and revered Lewis Lapham spoke yesterday at MagNet about his life in journalism, his time at Harper's Magazine and his current project, Lapham's Quarterly. Two nuggets I'd like to share with you:

• The secret to good journalism, according to Lapham's mentor, is "steal."

• The merit of a journalism degree is in the networking opportunities. As far as skill is concerned, the best way to learn is by doing.

Lapham also appeared on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos last night.

what i learned at MagNet part II: taking our brands beyond canadian borders

At the MagNet session "Global Player: What's Next for the Canadian Magazine Brand?" Don Kummerfeld, president of the International Federation of the Periodical Press, presented a case for exporting our magazine brands into other countries. As he stated, while growth opportunities may be limited here, there are chances to expand into places like China and India, which have two of the fastest-growing magazine industries in the world. From syndication to partnerships to licensing agreements (think Transcon's More deal with Meredith), publishers small and big can make a buck overseas.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though no one wanted to listen. Questions and comments from both the audience and the panel revealed a kind of "well, that's not going to work here" attitude. True, Kummerfeld seemed a little out of touch with the realities of the Canadian industry in that our major players Transcontinental and Rogers have nowhere near the resources of publishers like Condé Nast or Hearst, but he did provide the example of a small plumbing magazine that has been able to set up editions in 16 countries with very little human resources. The point that stood out for me, though, and which I feel speaks to the Canadian tendency to undervalue ourselves, is that we mustn't underestimate the universal appeal of our magazines. There is a market for our voice beyond our borders.

what i learned at MagNet part I: texas monthly editor evan smith on how to diversify your offerings

It's a busy week for magazines, what with Mags U, MagNet and the National Magazine Awards. Yesterday I attended a session at MagNet called "Survival of the Fittest: A guide to the Multiplatform Universe" with editor and executive vice president of Texas Monthly Evan Smith. An entirely entertaining presentation, Smith had these nuggets of wisdom to share:

• Publishing a monthly is a bit like chain-smoking: as soon as you're done with one issue, you butt it out and light up another, without a pause in between.

• We are no longer magazine companies, we are content companies. It doesn't matter how that content is delivered, whether we offer it via print, tv, radio, internet, mobile, events...

• The balance of power has shifted. Audiences want content whenever and wherever; they will not sit around waiting for the next issue to come out in a month.

• Print and online audiences are not the same people, the demographics are different. Think about whether you really can sell them to advertisers in the same way.

• Directly engage your readers by being there in person, through conferences and events.

• Offer a point of view. The strongest media have something to say.

• "Readers bite back – hard." If you're going to offer yourself up to reader comments through blogs and the like, be prepared for some nasty comments. And suck it up.

• You must be a multitasker. Magazines are not simply hiring writers anymore – they're looking for bloggers and tv personalities, too. You have to be able to do more than simply sit down and write.

• Everything is your competitor. It's not just about the other magazines in your category anymore. You're competing with television, the internet, billboards and golf tournaments. They are all vying for viewers, they are all vying for advertising dollars.

• "Quality control is (inevitably) a casualty." You have to operate more quickly and it's not reasonable to impose 20th century methodologies – fact-checking, extensive editing, etc. – on 21st century delivery systems like blogging.

• Credibility is what will save us. When we're competing against 14-year-old Joe Blow blogging from his basement in Ottawa, the authority of our brands is what will draw readers and advertisers.

how to negotiate a starting salary

When you're offered a new job and it comes time to talk about money, always negotiate a higher starting salary. Why? Employers are expecting it and you can usually get more than initially offered, which not only means, well, that you get paid more, but that all your raises and bonuses will be more, too, since they're calculated as a percentage of your salary. Here are a few tips:

• Don't demand more; ask permission to negotiate. Explain that given your experience and what you'll be bringing to the table, you expected a higher starting salary. Then ask if it's possible to discuss it.

• When you start talking numbers, be specific. Don't just ask for more, suggest an exact salary or small salary range. And ask for higher than what you're willing to settle on.

• Don't forget that benefits and vacation time can be part of your negotiations as well. They may not be able to give you extra money, but maybe they can cover the cost of courses and conferences, or give you an extra week of vacation.

AOL Jobs has a few more good tips.

blog: copyblogger

A colleague just told me about the CopyBlogger blog. It has lots of great tips on blogging, all intended to help you get traffic, gain subscribers and attract links.

when taking a step backwards or sideways in your career is the right move

At some point in your career, you may be faced with the decision of whether to make a lateral move, or even whether to take a step backwards. How do you decide if it's the right move to make?

Will you be moving out of a toxic work environment? If you're miserable and your workplace is to blame, then a move might be the cure. Keep in mind though that you risk entering an even worse environment.

Does the new position offer opportunities you currently don't have? Maybe there's no room to move up where you are now, you'll have a chance to do things not currently in your job description, or the magazine you're applying to covers subject matters you would love to tackle.

Is your current title a true reflection of your responsibilities? Since there's some discrepancy between publishers of the job descriptions of each title, you may in fact be seeking the next step up.

Do you have any more reasons why a lateral or backwards move might be right for you?

going "backwards" in your career

When you're on the hunt for a new job, you may find yourself in the position of vying for a title that is "beneath" you. Whether you're trying to make the move from senior editor to associate, or section editor to assistant, in the interview you'll likely be asked why. Maybe you don't see it as a step down – explain why. Maybe your last position didn't offer the opportunities you wanted. Whatever the reason, have your answer prepared. Just don't tell them it's because you can't find a job at your level.

Tomorrow: Why a step backwards or sideways may be the right move.

ed2010 toronto announces first resume workshop

The Toronto chapter of editorial networking group Ed2010 is offering its first-ever resume workshop. Here are the details:

Learn how to get your resume noticed, with advice from those who do the hiring.

Join Ed for a panel discussion on the dos and don'ts of writing a resume, with guests Joe Chidley, editor-in-chief of Canadian Business,
Penny Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Cottage Life, and Jenny Pruegger, from human resources at Transcontinental. Then take advantage of our
one-to-one sessions, where one of our panelists will take a look at your resume and give you a personal critique. Space is limited, so reserve a spot soon!

Where: Upstairs, Deer Park Public Library, 40 St. Clair Ave. E., one
block east of Yonge at the corner of Alvin. Find a map here.
When: Tues. June 10, 6:00 pm
Cost: $25
Space is limited. To reserve a spot, email toronto@ed2010.com. You will receive a confirmation email with payment instructions.

write links as display copy

Publishing and website consultants West Gold Editorial (owners Susan West and Michael Gold are guest speakers at this year's Mags U), suggest that web editors treat links as display copy. Select text that is concise, clear, specific and informative, and make sure it's easy to tell that they're links. See some examples on their website.

quality is as important online as in print

In an interview with Folio:, New Yorker editor David Remnick points out that quality reporting is an issue whatever format you publish in.

"What I care about most is not paper versus screen, it's depth of reporting, quality of writing, humour, the integrity of the magazine – all those kind of things."

To achieve those qualities online, publishers need to recognize that they need to pay writers fees on par with print fees, and they need to dedicate enough staff and resources to manage a site. Many sites – even those of large publishers – are edited by one person. When the expectation is that the online version generate more content than the print version, how does this make sense?

bonnie fuller out at AMI: is the tabloid queen too overtly ambitious?

With news of Bonnie Fuller's departure from American Media Inc., speculation is in full swing as to whether she jumped ship or was booted out. Much vilified, Fuller is often depicted as being overly ambitious. She's "known for getting itchy feet," and switches jobs quite often compared to many others at the top of the industry. She's been at AMI for five years though, and in my books, that constitutes a decent run. If a great opportunity comes along or if someone feels as if they've done all they can and learned all they could, that they can't grow any further where they are, why do we begrudge their choice to move on?

award winning websites

Earlier this week, the 12th annual Webby Awards were announced. Check here for the nominees and winner of the magazine category. Web editors take note.

can awards be part of you HR strategy?

With the American National Magazine Awards just behind us and the Canadian NMAs approaching, winning big is on everyone's mind. Since there's some question as to the value of an award – does it help increase ad sales? do readers care? – it may make the most sense to look at industry awards as part of your HR strategy. What better way to show your staff and contributors that you you think they're doing a good job than by entering their work into consideration for an award? Studies have shown employees who feel appreciated are happier in their jobs and more loyal, and recognition by their peers is certain to boost their satisfaction – hey, they get to gloat in front of everyone!

how do your online research skills measure up?

The all-mighty Google is my go-to source when I begin research for an article. I'm not alone. A story in the Guardian (posted on the TFEW listserv), reports on a study that looked at online research behaviour. Of those of us who do use Google, not all use it wisely. The article states:

The report, Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future, found users "power-browsing" or skimming material, using "horizontal" (shallow) research. ...

Many libaries have assumed young students have learned to use the internet for research simply by virtue of their age. But while many are proficient with Facebook and Wikipedia, they may not be information- literate. Many lack lack the skills to differentiate between authoritative information and amateur blogging. ...

Students of all ages need to learn to make independent assessments of the quality of material by looking at the authors' experience, funders, use of sources, and where published. ...

Rowlands suggests in his study that schools are failing to equip students for independent online study. ...

My university never covered how to determine the veracity of online sources, and I know it's not the only one. Many interns I've worked with – as well as, unfortunately, a few editors – are quick to source the first site that pops up in their Google searches, even if it happens to be Joe Schmoe's amateur blog.

blogging for readers

Last night I attended CSME's spring mixer on blogging (see earlier post). Among many other interesting tidbits, the idea was raised that magazine blogs may be at odds with the very nature of what a blog is. (I'm sorry, I can't remember who said what, so consider due attribution paid equally to the three panellists, Douglas Bell, Heather Mallick and D.B. Scott, with some of my own thoughts mixed in.)

On one hand we have the blog: Immediate and visceral. Casual and conversational. Sometimes controversial. From the gut and unedited. On the other hand we have the magazine: Carefully choreographed over months. A well-managed brand. And definitely edited. So can a magazine that's so used to managing its brand relinquish control, which is arguably necessary to build a good blog that attracts readers? Are the blog's that magazines are coming up with too much in line with the magazine's mandate and not enough in line with what the readers want? Have magazines come to terms with the fact that a publication's audience and a blog's audience can be, usually are, two very different beasts? Are magazines forgetting the most important thing of all: readers come first?

website: MastheadOnline

It occurred to me today that I neglected to post about Masthead's expanded and improved website. A month or so ago, MastheadOnline dropped its paywall and added discussion boards and an internship category on its job board, among other improvements. Check it out here.

stop whining and do something about it

I'm with Craig Silverman on the constant complaining about freelance writing rates: we know the state of the industry sucks, now adapt. Among others, he offers two pieces of advice I've always believed in: build your brand, and always be learning.

[Came to Craig's post through Canadian Magazines]

event: CSME mixer on blogging

CSME's next mixer, on April 24th, is all about blogging. Douglas Bell of Toronto Life's Spectator, D.B. Scott of the Canadian Magazines blog, and Heather Mallick of HeatherMallick.ca talk about the ins and outs of blogs. Apr. 24, 6 pm, Bar Italia (582 College), $15 members/$30 nonmembers.