In magazine editing, no one knows what can happen in any given day. Just
ask magazine editor Jason Schreurs.
"One time...I got a call from campus security saying extremely disgruntled
readers were heading over to my office to pay me a visit. I freaked out, locked
the door and hid out for awhile. They never showed up.
"Another funny thing that happens on this job is all the bizarre excuses
you hear from writers who miss deadline," he continues. "They truly go beyond
the 'dog ate my homework' cliche. A girl once claimed she got her hand stuck
in her computer disk drive and had to be rushed to the hospital. I never did
confirm that one."
Deciding what people read in the magazine is an important job, according
to Dona Sturmanis. She is the editor of a lifestyle magazine.
"The social topic articles and environmental articles I'm putting in the
magazine are changing people's conscience," she says, adding that there is
"absolutely" a social importance to the job.
Of course, that depends on the magazine you're editing. While Nina Pearlman
enjoys her editing work at a New York-based music magazine, covering music
may be a bit less socially relevant.
"Frankly, I don't find there to be much social importance in covering musicians,
and I don't think it's changing the world. I work really hard to make sure
that the writing in our magazine is good, but I'm not sure that people notice."
Regardless of the content of the magazine at hand, editors can learn from
all aspects of their work.
"It's made me a better writer," says Sturmanis. It's also given her "a
distinctive, additional occupation to that of being a writer."
"It has helped me to become a better person," explains Schreurs. "It's
helped me to be able to make clear, concise decisions and think fast.
"I'd encourage anyone who enjoys the written word and also those who want
to improve their own writing to try some editing," says Schreurs. "I really
believe that in order to be a good writer, you need to be a good editor, and
vice versa. The writer/editor relationship is such an interesting dynamic;
you really need to see both sides."
What about some of the challenges of the job? What are the hardest parts
of being an editor?
"The most difficult thing about the job is dealing with unprofessional
writers who can't follow word limits and hand in stories late," says Schreurs.
"If all writers could avoid these two regular problems, my job would be a
breeze.
"Dealing with fallout from stories we print is a hard part of the job,"
he continues. "After every issue hits the stands, I have to field complaints...from
our readers. Although this can be a bit of an adrenaline rush and keeps me
on my toes, it's mostly just a pain because people don't want to listen to
reason."
For Pearlman, the decisions about what gets in the magazine are a constant
struggle.
"In terms of deciding what goes into the magazine, it's a challenge to
constantly keep in mind: What would best serve my magazine's readership? Sometimes
what best fits the magazine is of no interest to you personally, but you have
to cover it anyway.
"It's also hard," she adds, "when editing other people's writing, to not
inject your own voice into their writing. That's nearly impossible."
There are other drawbacks to this line of work.
"It doesn't pay well enough and it's quite volatile, competitive and stressful,"
says Sturmanis.
But the hectic nature of editing is the main joy of the job for many.
"It's a job that requires fast decisions and a lot of running on pure instinct,"
says Schreurs. "I like the pace of this job because it's never boring. Every
day is a thrill a minute."