Product Description

Examines the job of the magazine editor in both its journalistic and managerial aspects. An introduction for aspiring or newly appointed editors and a source of information for those with more experience.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146208 in Books
• Published on: 2003-06-26
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From the Author
This new edition represents my second thoughts, five years down the line, on the exhilarating yet frustrating business of being a magazine editor. At least half of the book – the important half – has been completely rewritten, to place a stronger focus on the things I never quite mastered while I was attempting to lead a turbulent crew of writers, reporters, designers and others on London's favourite listings magazine.

Magazine editing is about making vital journalistic decisions, very quickly, and then trying to put them into practice with the help of a lot of other people who may not share your views, enjoy your sense of humour or even like you.

It's not a perfect book – I made a particularly stupid mistake on p99 (for monthly, read weekly) – but it is the only modern British book its kind. If you are in the editor's chair, or hoping to get there, I promise you will find something in it to help you. And if you don't, seek me out and tell me why, and I'll sort it out next time.

From the Back Cover
Magazine Editing explains the dual role of the magazine editor. John Morrish considers the editor as both a journalist, having to provide information and enterntainment for readers, and as a manager, expected to lead and supervise successfully the development of a magazine or periodical. Looking both at the current state of the magazine market the book explains how this has developed and changed in recent years. Featuring case studies, examples of covers and spreads and useful tables and graphs, the book discusses the editor's many roles and details the skills needed to run a publication: knowing the reader; building and editorial team; using words, pictures and design; managing production; responsible and ethical management. Written by an experienced editor and writer, Magazine Editing offers practical guidance on:
*how to create an editorial strategy
*how to lead and manage an editorial team
*researching a makret and finding new readers
*dealing with budgets and finance
*legal, technological and ethical dilemmas
*how to become an editor

About the Author
I have been a journalist since 1980. I have worked in business-to-business publishing, on a local newspaper, on several national newspapers, on Private Eye, in television research, on consumer magazines and colour supplements. I have always been more interested in learning skills and developing my range than in clocking up the years of service: not that I always had that option.

I have interviewed, reported, reviewed, sub-edited, written columns, features and jokes, and edited several magazines to varying degrees of acclaim and indifference. More recently, I have turned to training writers, reporters and editors, as well as writing and editing books, mostly about music. I have created The JournoList (journolist.com), a free (and ad-free) website giving what I hope are useful tips about Internet research for journalists.

Having traced magazine journalism back to its beginnings for this book, I have concluded that we are in a particularly lean period. You, potential reader, can do it better. And who knows, reading my book might point you in that direction.

Customer Reviews

Producing a successful magazine
As a freelance journalist and author I have read many books on writing for magazines and editing them. This one gives the clearest account I have seen of the different ways a magazine editor relates to staff and frelance writers and how he/she commissions, guides and gets the best out of them.

Morrish is a writer and editor of much experience and it shows. He is able to illuminate the different premises that writers and editors work from and explain how these differences can be turned to creative accountin a successful magazine. He explains graphically how the editor combines the various management skills required.

No aspect of magazine management and production is omitted. The book is highly recommended to anyone working or wanting to work in or for a magazine in whatever capacity.