Check out these answers to questions from magazine writers who are just getting started. Explore the rest of this site for internships, advice, and more about what it's like to work for magazines.

Career

Read advice from a magazine editor to new writers!

Pick 2 of your favorite magazines (in print or online) to compare and contrast. What sections do you like? What would you cut? Make a list of what you'd include in your own magazine or website.

Study your favorite magazines.

Find the editors of your favorite sites and magazines and follow them on Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat to get immersed in what it's like to be an editor.

Follow your favorite editors!

Editors

Plan, coordinate, or edit content of material for publication. May review proposals and drafts for possible publication. Includes technical editors.

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Third Interest High-Point

Second Interest High-Point

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

First Interest High-Point

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed

Writers and Editors

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

Media and Communication Workers

Prepare, rewrite and edit copy to improve readability, or supervise others who do this work.

Read copy or proof to detect and correct errors in spelling, punctuation, and syntax.

Allocate print space for story text, photos, and illustrations according to space parameters and copy significance, using knowledge of layout principles.

Plan the contents of publications according to the publication's style, editorial policy, and publishing requirements.

Verify facts, dates, and statistics, using standard reference sources.

Review and approve proofs submitted by composing room prior to publication production.

Develop story or content ideas, considering reader or audience appeal.

Oversee publication production, including artwork, layout, computer typesetting, and printing, ensuring adherence to deadlines and budget requirements.

Confer with management and editorial staff members regarding placement and emphasis of developing news stories.

Assign topics, events and stories to individual writers or reporters for coverage.

Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication and confer with authors regarding changes in content, style or organization, or publication.

Monitor news-gathering operations to ensure utilization of all news sources, such as press releases, telephone contacts, radio, television, wire services, and other reporters.

Meet frequently with artists, typesetters, layout personnel, marketing directors, and production managers to discuss projects and resolve problems.

Supervise and coordinate work of reporters and other editors.

Make manuscript acceptance or revision recommendations to the publisher.

Select local, state, national, and international news items received from wire services, based on assessment of items' significance and interest value.

Interview and hire writers and reporters or negotiate contracts, royalties, and payments for authors or freelancers.

Direct the policies and departments of newspapers, magazines and other publishing establishments.

Read material to determine index items and arrange them alphabetically or topically, indicating page or chapter location.

Write text, such as stories, articles, editorials, or newsletters.

Desktop computers

Digital still cameras

Digital video cameras

Laptop computers

Multi-line telephone systems

Personal computers

Precision rulers

Teleconferencing equipment

Universal serial bus USB flash drives

Video editing equipment

Videoconferencing equipment

Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects

Adobe Systems Adobe Captivate

Adobe Systems Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Systems Adobe Dreamweaver

Adobe Systems Adobe Flash

Adobe Systems Adobe FrameMaker

Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Systems Adobe InCopy

Adobe Systems Adobe InDesign

Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop

After the Deadline

Apple Final Cut Pro

Apple iWork Keynote

AutoCrit Editing Wizard

Avid Technology Media Composer

Cascading Style Sheets CSS

CCI Newsgate

Drupal

Editor Software Stylewriter

Elite Minds RightWriter

Extensible HyperText Markup Language XHTML

Extensible markup language XML

Facebook

File transfer protocol FTP software

FileMaker Pro

Google Analytics

Grammarly Editor

HP Autonomy TeamSite

Hypertext markup language HTML

LexisNexis

LinkedIn

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Publisher

Microsoft SharePoint

Microsoft Visio

Microsoft Word

myWriterTools

Orpheus Technology Pro Writing Aid

Polycom RealPresence

QuarkXPress

Style guide databases

Twitter

Web browser software

Web content management system CMS software

Whitesmoke

WordPress

YouTube

Editor-In-Chief

The Central route team heads east to New York City to interview Maribel Leiberman, founder of Mariebelle Fine Treats and Chocolates. In Boston, the Northern route team interviews photographer Abellardo Morell. The Southern route team braves New York City traffic to interview Atoosa Rubenstein, editor-in-chief of Seventeen Magazine.

Atoosa Rubenstein

Editor-In-Chief

Videos

Atoosa Rubenstein

Milestones

Education

Career

Career Roadmap

My work combines:

My work combines:

Fashion

Journalism

Helping People

Interviewed By

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