Edsters at West Virginia University were ecstatic to meet Ed2010 founder and CosmoGIRL! executive editor Chandra Czape Turner when she spoke on campus Nov. 4. It was the first time the group had hosted a NYC editor since its founding in August, so Chandra was the ideal inaugural speaker.
Chandra spoke to more than 50 students and faculty members, walking the group through the editing process of a magazine and revealing the truth behind some of the industry’s myths.
Here are some of the interesting things Ed at WVU learned:
1. Editors at Magazines Write! It’s true! Yes, magazines do hire writers, but editors do a lot more than just edit. They write many of the stories that appear in the magazine and have creative control over how writers’ stories are published. So if you want to be a freelance writer who works from home in your pajamas, you should really try working as an editor first.
2. At CosmoGIRL!, they believe in color coding. When editing stories and pages, the editors of CosmoGIRL! all have their own ink color, so the writer/designer knows who is saying what. If he’s not mistaken, Ed’s pretty sure that Chandra’s pen is blue!
3. Don’t burn your bridges, even with the person who sits next to you in a cubicle. In the magazine industry, everyone knows everyone. The chances of you having the same boss again—or that person in the cubicle next to you becoming your boss—are very good. Make sure you treat coworkers respectfully and leave the job on good terms!
4. To the one guy in the room who admitted to reading his little sister’s CosmoGIRL!: Yes, magazines made for teenage girls interview real people for those “Ask the guys” stories. In fact, that’s part of an editorial intern’s job. A lot of the guys that appear in those stories can be friends of friends of editorial interns. And sometimes they interview guys on the street, too.
5. It’s OK to be scared to move to New York City, but it’s not OK to let that stop you. Even Chandra was a little nervous when she was dropped off in front of NYU’s dorms as an ASME intern. But when moving to New York after college, she soon learned that she wasn’t the only one fighting the good fight. Networking with people in the same situation as you is easy (hence the reason Ed exists!). Things can only get better when you believe in the power of numbers. —By Karen Snyder, West Virginia University EOC