Editor-in-chief, managing editor, associate editors, copy editors, and a host of special-field editors such as travel editor and food editor make up the basic hierarchy of editors.

The editor-in-chief or editor operates on the principle that it is his or her job to make the magazine a piece of inspired, educational, and entertaining work.

They are the vision and they try to motivate the staff toward that vision. The editor see's herself as presenting a magazine gift-wrapped, to an interested audience. While writers are involved with stories, interviews, and organizing the article, the editor is concerned with the overall fit of the piece, the look of it, and the overall appearance of the magazine.

The magazine editor is involved with every aspect of the publication, from "breaking the book," to "putting it to bed."

While the editor doesn't write a great deal, she works closely with writers to make sure the copy is up to the standards demanded by her vision.

On large publications there is a managing editor who is responsible for making sure the magazine is functioning on a daily basis. There are many things going on to put out a weekly or monthly magazine together and she is the one to keep things flowing toward the deadlines. The managing editor is the taskmaster.

Questions always come into Sunoasis about working for magazines. It's a very dynamic industry and very difficult to break into the high profile ones. Some of the anecdotal evidence tells us that the magazine industry is a snobby one and you move according to the reputation of your last gig.

One piece of advice: Start in the trade magazines. They are much more likely to hire a person coming out of college or making a transition from another profession.

We mentioned internships last month and a subscriber wrote in to tell us about her experiences in New York City. "In my case, I just asked! They seemed happy to hire someone who would work for practically nothing." It should be noted that the American Society of Magazine Editors has a very respected internship program.

Book Editors

Newspaper Editors

Back to the Editor Page

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If you have any questions about careers in magazine editorship don't hesitate to ask!

For those new to the Net or overwhelmed by the nature of the online job market I suggest you look at the Cyber Search Tutorial.There are more job boards and classifieds from metro newspapers.

Don't forget to visit Sunoasis Joblog for daily updates on the writing and publishing industry.