Are you a beauty junkie? Is fashion your passion?
Many people think that the publishing industry is filled with glamourinas and high fashion fiends, and though this may be partially true, it is also an industry that requires hard work, humility and the willingness to pay your dues.
None of the editors you see photographed all dolled up in events look like that on a daily basis (correction: perhaps they do but they are up late and actually working) and there is no such thing as 9 to 5 in this line of work.
Closing an issue? Be prepared to be at the office late into the night. Shooting a cover with a big celebrity? Well, she may be free only at 11 p.m.
Think you can love this enough to turn it into a career, despite the stress, lack of sleep and on-the-go lifestyle? Then, read on. (Don’t worry, the pros outweigh the cons for the most part!)
Stage 1: Be prepared to do everything
More often than not, you will start from the bottom, as an assistant and you might start wondering how you got yourself in the situation you are in.
You will be answering and making calls from all your superiors, fixing schedules, contacting talent agencies and following up shoots. You will basically be everyone’s go-to person for, well, everything.
Don’t fret though, because it’s during this time that you’ll be able to prove that you can actually write (when asked to do short features and write about minor shoots) and that you are reliable and a team player.
This stage doesn’t last forever.
Stage 2: Know your niche
You will eventually graduate to the role of features, beauty or fashion editor, depending on what you are interested in.
You will then be responsible for your section and this means doing shoots and writing the accompanying text, delegating stories to contributors and editing all their work. Plus, you need to attend events and keep good relationships with all of your magazine’s business partners and advertisers.
At this stage, you need to keep updated with trends and know anything worth featuring in your section.
