Tag Archives: Editing

In the Workplace with Erin Riojas

Name: Erin Riojas
Title: Editor
Website/Blog: erinriojas.com
Location: Evanston, Illinois

erin

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
Okay. I graduated from MSU in 2006 with a B.A. in Professional Writing. During my junior and senior years I worked/interned at the MSU Press as the Acquisitions Assistant, reading manuscripts, corresponding with authors, and making copies of things. I was also Fiction Editor of the student-run lit journal, The Offbeat.

Tell us about your current job.
Certainly. I work as an editor for a medical office supply company called Medical Arts Press, which is owned by Quill, which is owned by Staples. Ya dig? It’s sort of like The Office only less funny. I edit every type of media that goes out, including catalogues, emails, web ads, newsletters, and blog entries.

I also write a lot of articles for our newsletter, and for Quill’s two customer newsletters. My favorite thing to do lately is write the cartoons for our newsletter, which is brand new for both me and the newsletter. A lot of my joke ideas get rejected by the higher-ups. I’m too cutting edge for medical offices.

Sometimes they let me do a little design work, too, like build web ads and other random projects.
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Open Editor Position at MSU Press

The Michigan State University Press has an opening for an Editor.

Job duties: Assists managing editor in team environment to expedite the publication process for highly specialized scholarly journals; follows established work flow for assigned journals from manuscript delivery through print and dissemination, including copyediting of electronic files; assists with production of marketing and advertising materials; tracks conference schedules and sends related shipments according to required timeframes; assigns and monitors student projects.

The deadline to apply is Jan. 29, 2009. Visit www.jobs.msu.edu for more information. The posting number is 2925.

Good luck!

In the Workplace with Amy Nalette

Name: Amy Nalette
Title: Associate Acquisitions Editor
Website: www.pubint.com
Location: Chicago, IL

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I double majored at MSU in Spanish and Professional Writing. I plan to pursue a master’s degree next – hopefully soon!

Tell us about your current job.
Publication’s International, Ltd. (PIL) is a privately owned Children’s Book Publishing company in the suburbs of Illinois. We create two different types of Children’s books: Electronic books (with all sorts of buttons that play sound effects, music, voices, etc.) and Quiet books (your typical storybooks without any sound component). We create books that feature licensed characters.

So for example, we work with Disney to create books featuring the Disney Princesses, Cars, Finding Nemo, High School Musical, Hannah Montana, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, etc. (the list goes on and on). Additionally, we work with Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, HIT Entertainment (Thomas the Tank Engine), Marvel, Dreamworks, and more.

My title is Associate Acquisitions Editor, but being an acquisitions editor at PIL is quite different than a typical publishing company. We do not accept outside manuscript submissions from anyone, because we create everything ourselves in-house. We have teams of editors, art directors, production editors, sound designers, animators, etc. that are assigned to each project. Every acquisitions editor in my department is assigned a different licensor that she works with daily. I am the acquisitions editor for Disney! Well, actually, since Disney is our biggest account, we had to split it in half. So I am responsible for all of Disney Quiet Books and another girl is in charge of Disney Electronic Books.

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In the Workplace with Lauren Fox

Name: Lauren C. Fox
Title: Assistant Editor
Location: Chicago, IL

Tell us about your educational/professional background.
I studied in the professional writing major, editing and publishing track, for four years at MSU. I also worked as a copy editor for The State News for a year before being promoted to copy chief, which I loved doing for a year and a half, and was recognized as Copy Editor of the Year in May 2007. I moved to Chicago to intern at Venus, Chicago Agent and Miami Agent magazines before being hired as News Editor for the magazines.

Tell us about your current job.
In July 2007, I was hired at Associated Publications Inc., where I continue to work as one of two assistant editors of three national magazines: Complete Woman, Sophisticate’s Black Hair and Sophisticate’s Hairstyle Guide. I mostly write content for the magazines, but also do a great deal of editing and securing material via PR and salon contact. I have interviewed various celebrities and their stylists, such as Amanda Bynes (actress) and Cassie Ventura (singer/actress). Some of my favorite pieces are about fitness/diet/exercise, such as how to get bikini-ready in 30 days and an in-depth look at organic food.

What does a typical day look like for you?
Work starts at 8:30 a.m. every day. I typically get into the office and read/respond to emails for about a half hour. After that, it’s nearly impossible to set a schedule. Since I have three different editors, one for each magazine, they likely will call me at least 10 times throughout the day to ask for celebrity photos, updates from PR agencies on different stars and status/progress on my story assignments.

Between that, I generally work on researching and writing stories. I share an office with the other assistant editor and the associate editor, so the three of us work hard but also are friends, so we take time out to talk during breaks. This is the time when we get ideas for stories, as we discuss our weekends, love lives, sex, etc. Anything goes, and everyone shares. I break for lunch around noon, come back and get back to writing. Some days I have five interviews, while some days I have none. Some days I have to write five stories, while some days I’m so bored I organize my files and alphabetize transcripts. It varies greatly from day to day. The office closes at 6 p.m., and the work day is done. We keep such long hours because we have to be in contact with both New York and Los Angeles for PR firms, celebrities and stylists.

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