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. 24

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.”

Charles Oberdorf, Mentor Extraordinaire

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

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

"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

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

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.

Reading List, Aug. 29

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

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.”

Reading List, Aug. 22

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

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

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.”

Reading List

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

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.