a refresher on why plagiarism is bad

Posted in the Ed2010 daily newsletter, this article on Slate reminded me of a girl I once worked with. Fresh out of school, she asked me one time, "Why does it matter?" when I pointed out that her copy was nearly an exact duplicate of an article from another magazine, which she had submitted as fact-checking material for her piece. Jack Shafer gives eight reasons why.

great editors: chris anderson, wired

Wired is one of the best and most innovative magazines on the market. If you don't read it, I suggest you take a look, regardless of whether you're interested in the subject matter. Its long-form journalism is exceptional, its service pieces are extremely reader-friendly and it continually breaks ground in subject matter and production innovation (its covers are particularly ingenious). Obviously the strength of the magazine is in a large part due to the editor, Chris Anderson. Noticed this interview with Anderson by Charlie Rose on the Canadian Magazines blog today. They talk about Anderson's cover story in the recent issue (see previous post), but Anderson also has some interesting things to say about magazines in general.

(approx. 22 min)

are big publishers treating professional writers as hobbyists?

A few days ago, I attended a panel discussion put on by the Rotman School of Management's Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto. Entitled The New Economics of Selling Digital Media Online: How IP [Intellectual Property] Protection Fosters Economic Prosperity, the discussion covered the usual refrains of intellectual property, the right of creators to charge for use of that property, and the lack of enforcement of IP laws in the "Wild West" of the internet. Most of the comments related to the music industry and the difficulties it has had with peer-to-peer networks, including a point made by the Canadian Recording Industry Association's president, Graham Henderson, in his closing remarks. He brought up Chris Anderson's article on the free economy in the March issue of Wired magazine, and took Anderson to task for the following passage from the article:

Some artists give away their music online as a way of marketing concerts, merchandise, licensing, and other paid fare. But others have simply accepted that, for them, music is not a moneymaking business. It's something they do for other reasons, from fun to creative expression. Which, of course, has always been true for most musicians anyway.

Henderson bemoaned the attitude that musicians shouldn't expect to make money at creating music, and that the creative class may increasingly come to be viewed as hobbyists.

It got me thinking. Are publishers treating professional freelance writers as hobbyists? Since writing, both online and in print, is subsidized by advertising, and readers already expect to get content for free or nearly free, it could be argued that the assault on freelance writing income comes not from those who consume it, but from publishers who are asking for more rights for less money. There are even those who expect writers to produce well-conceived copy for free. My question is, are publishers relying on the for-the-love-of-it drive in writers, and in turn revealing their disrespect for the profession – or perhaps "hobby" – of writing? Are publishers turning professional writers into hobbyists?

do you wiki?

Just read this article on the American Journalism Review site about the veracity of Wikipedia. I've always believed that you just can't trust the user-generated online encyclopedia enough for it to be a primary source, but agree with David Cay Johnston, a New York Times reporter, who is quoted in the article as saying, "As a tip sheet, as a road map to reliable sources, Wikipedia seems valuable." What do you think? Do you use Wikipedia for research, and if you do, in what way?

international and independent

For some insight on how the little guys do it, check out the website for Colophon, an international symposium on independent magazines that's held every two years (the next is March 2009). In addition to interviews with the makers of small magazines (it's not clear if the interviews are with the designers or the editors), the site features an extensive directory of magazines from around the world.

blog: magCulture

Two of my favourite books on magazines – magCulture and Issues – are by Jeremy Leslie. I just stumbled across his blog about magazine design, which covers some great cutting-edge publications.

cafe chat

The Calgary Association of Freelance Editors (CAFE) are holding a Marketing Chat/Book Exchange at the Birkenshaw Apartments on Feb. 26.

lunch & learn

Wed., Feb. 13, CSME is offering up a luncheon on how to create great online content. It will be held from 12-1:30 at P.J. O'Brien's Pub on Colborne (Toronto).

early birds

The other day, a friend of mine received a reply to a resume he had just submitted: "Sorry, but the position has been filled." Thing is, he was still within the deadline listed on the job posting. Just goes to show you that it's a good idea to submit your resume as soon as possible. If you wait until the last day, they may have already started interviewing people and found the person for the job.

the basics

The Magazine Publishers of America (MPA) publishes four downloadable PDF brochures on the fundamentals of having a successful career in magazines. They 're full of common-sense tips on breaking in to the industry, navigating the work environment and advancing your career.

rainy days

If Mark Newman is right – that everyone will be fired at least once in their careers – then I can't help but think that if I've made it this far without getting the ax, then when it happens to me, it's going to be pretty big. He's right though, even if you're great at what you do, that's no guarantee that you won't be let go. Publishing has so many ups and downs, there's no way of knowing if your job – or your magazine – will be around tomorrow. A few ways to be prepared:

• Update your résumé regularly, especially when you've completed a major project (good résumé fodder) or your job description has changed, even if your position hasn't.
• Always be networking. Your contacts are good sources of leads when you're suddenly looking for work.
• Have a buffer in your account. Keep enough money in your bank account to keep you going for at least a month, more if you can.

who should I send my resume to?

Resumes should go to both HR and whoever is doing the hiring, usually the managing editor. If you're not sure who's in charge, call the publication and ask (usually it's best to speak with the editorial assistant).

writing workshops

Two workshops that may be of interest (as posted on Canadian Magazines):

The PWAC chapter in Moncton is hosting "The Write Stuff: Writing for Profit Workshop" on Sat. Jan. 26, in which they'll cover carving your niche, finding appropriate markets and protecting your rights.

The Ottawa Art Gallery is presenting a series of workshops on critical art writing, called Articulation. The six workshops run on Saturdays between Jan. and May.

professional development

Coming up this March, Magazines Canada is offering a two-day intensive program in Vancouver about online publishing. Web Weekend will cover sales, marketing and building online communities. Similar events were held in Toronto and Halifax late last year. For more info, check out Magazines Canada.

how much?

A few weeks ago, I was speaking to a friend about a freelance proofreading gig she was applying for. What got me was that the publication she was dealing with requested that she keep in mind that they were a small operation with a limited budget, and should quote her rate accordingly. Essentially, they were pressuring her to reduce her rates. My advice to her: Quote your usual rate (or slightly above), letting them know that you're willing to negotiate (provided that you are, in fact, willing to). This establishes the worth of your work while signalling that you are flexible. It's also a good idea to decide what your minimum is before beginning negotiation; you'll be mentaly prepared to walk away if they're unwilling to pay a fair amount.

professional development

The Toronto Chapter of the Professional Writers Association of Canada has some useful seminars coming up, including one on the art of writing profiles (Jan. 22) and another on how to balance a freelance career and your personal life (Feb. 19). Find the entire listing, with times and location, here.

what do I charge?

Curious as to how much your work is worth? One handy resource is the What To Pay a Writer page on the Professional Writers Association of Canada website.

being a better boss

I've had my fair share of good and bad bosses, both in and out of the industry, as I'm sure you all have. On the Folio: site, editor Mark Newman blogs about taking care of his staff.

edit beautiful

In an interview with Mediabistro, House Beautiful EIC Stephen Drucker talks about the shelter category, rising to the top and the art of editing. Here's what he has to say...

On over-intellectualizing

"Editors feel the need to make it really important, and they make it important by over-intellectualizing it. It's really about pleasure. It doesn't need a big intellectual justification. It doesn't have to be puffed up into something big and important. What often happens is that while everyone is intellectualizing, all the reader just wants to know is, "What's that great color blue on the wall?"

On getting to the top

"When I started, it was really very simple. You started as an editorial assistant. You hoped your boss left, retired, or died, and you stayed, stayed, and stayed, and the last person standing, with luck, got to be editor-in-chief in their 40s or 50s. ... Now, there is much more respect for people at every level of a magazine, because the staff is smaller. It's recognized that a 24-year-old editorial assistant may have a lot to contribute with voice, their knowledge of the Internet, and what they like, because it's an indicator of what's to come."

On writing fashion copy

"It's a great art to write fashion copy. It is a really specialized and under-appreciated skill to write those haikus that go into fashion magazines. To write captions for magazines like ours, they have to sound really musical. It's all in the ear."

On knowing your reader

"When you come to a magazine, it's a mistake to think you can just walk in and succeed. No matter how much experience you have, you have to come in and get to know the reader of your particular magazine, even if you've worked at five other magazines in your category. The reader of your particular magazine has very particular likes and dislikes, and it takes an ear to learn what they are, no matter how astute an editor you are."

Read the entire interview here.

the information meeting

I was recently reminded by a veteran in the biz about the information meeting. If you're just getting started in your career, it's worth asking an editor or HR person if they would be willing to meet with you just to chat about the biz, critique your resume, talk about what positions you may be qualified for, what skills you need to get to where you want to be, and, in the case of editors, how they got where they are.