Magazine Editing

The last few years have seen great technological changes in the way magazines are produced. If anything, those changes are accelerating. Already, most of us work in the 'digital domain' when we create material. Our words, pictures and graphical elements are produced, stored and manipulated by electronic means. In the next few years we are likely to turn to digital electronics for the delivery of that material.

In these exciting times, the instinct, judgement and skills of the editor will be more important than ever. This book examines those attributes in a way that should be helpful for aspiring editors, new editors and even experienced editors, who may on occasion need to be reassured that they are not alone.

At the same time, it discusses the other side of magazine editing: the managerial and leadership role that editors have, in the past, been expected to learn by trial and error. The aim is to ease the difficult transition from being 'one of us' to being 'one of them'.

The technological transformation of recent years is obvious enough, but there has also been a change in the way senior journalists, and particularly editors, think and work.

Many of us have learned to understand commercial realities, and business philosophy and language, in away that our predecessors would never have imagined. The disciplines of business are a powerful force in our society. Not to try to understand them is to shun full participation in our industry: indeed, in our democracy.

Business itself is changing, however. These days profit and loss are complemented by talk of responsiveness, flexibility and service. While some magazines and publishing houses stick to the old philosophy of mass production-produce something you consider acceptable and pump it out in volume-those which will survive and prosper in the new era are making ever greater efforts to serve their readers. If they continue to do so, they will continue to be attractive to advertisers. The virtuous circle by which editorial success and commercial strength reinforce one another will be maintained.

Knowing our readers and their interests has always been fundamental

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