John
What do magazine editors do?
I like popular mechanics and I'd love to work at a magazine someday. Seems like editors get respect and are in the movies all the time as the top of the magazine. But what do they REALLY do? What's a day-in-the-life of a magazine editor like?
Thanks in advance #editor #publishing #magazine
4 answers
Alwyn Velásquez
Alwyn’s Answer
John,
On a low-level a rank and file magazine editor improves the writing of others for grammar, syntax, style and punctuation. At a high-level in a magazine hierarchy a magazine editor would set the tone of the magazine, its stylistic point of view, lead its editorial direction, the stories it covers and manage the overall writing, design and production of a magazine. If I left anything out hopefully others will fill in whatever gaps I missed. I hope this is helpful to you.
This was very helpful thank you!
Bekemeh
Seth Stevenson
Seth’s Answer
A section editor will try to collect stories on a certain topic (sports, politics, technology, lifestyle). They might try to find a group of regular writers that they assign story ideas to. They might hear pitches from freelance writers and decide if it's a good idea for a story.
At the most basic level, editing means taking a written draft and making it better -- improving the word choices, sharpening the thinking, and asking the writer questions that will help make the article better.
Good luck!
Ace Yamaguchi
Ace’s Answer
Magazine editors are people who are responsible for the fit and finish of the magazine. They normally check for grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. They also check for layout, color, and other elements of the pages (like ads placement).
