Magazine features editor
A magazine features editor ensures that their publication is full of entertaining, informative and newsworthy articles.
Most opportunities are in large publishing companies that produce a wide range of titles. However, features editors are also employed by trade magazines, specialist publishers, online media and in-house magazines.
The responsibilities of the role can include: generating ideas for features; commissioning work by freelance writers; editing and proofreading; managing writing staff; and liaising with artists and photographers.
Magazine features editors do not always need specialist knowledge of the subject they cover, unless the content is highly technical, although an interest in the subject is usually expected.
The role will vary according to the size of the publication and the nature of its content, but responsibilities will typically include:
The profession can be open to non-graduates, but most entrants will have degrees. This role is not an entry-level position, so you will need previous experience and a certain amount of training, obtained either through a degree or on the job.
Some specialist magazines, such as those in the business or science sectors, do require a degree in a relevant subject. It is possible to study journalism as an undergraduate degree, but it should not be assumed that this will be favoured over other degrees. Other subjects, such as art or geography, can often give you a specialism to write about.
Postgraduate qualifications are useful, but are not essential. Postgraduate degrees in creative writing or English are popular, and a postgraduate qualification in journalism is a useful way of topping up an undergraduate degree gained in another subject.
To succeed you will need to show evidence of the following:
Magazine journalism, as with journalism generally, is heavily oversubscribed, and competition can be fierce. You can improve your chances by gaining work experience before applying for an entry-level position. Since work experience is valued over qualifications, a candidate with a portfolio of published work will stand a much better chance of employment.
There are plenty of opportunities to get your work published. The student newspaper is a good starting point, as are local newspapers. If you have a hobby, you can submit articles to magazines which serve that interest. If there is a local event which interests some national publications, you may be able to cover it for them if they do not have the resources to send someone down. It is also possible to self-publish through a website or music fanzine.
Sending off speculative applications for articles is a useful way of getting your work published. It is important to do your research on the magazine you are contacting. Editors will not be impressed if your suggested article demonstrates ignorance about the magazine and its readers.
Although writing experience is crucial, there are other skills that journalists might need. If you can develop these, you will stand a better chance of gaining employment. Knowledge of HTML code could be beneficial, particularly as more and more magazine content is going online. Experience of photography can also be useful, and a second language can come in handy for international publications.
In an attempt to offset the scarcity of black journalists, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has set up the George Viner Memorial Fund to help those who want to take industry-recognised pre-entry courses, but lack the money to do so.
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Once in employment, the range of training available varies between employers. Some of the bigger companies offer staff a range of usually free training courses, which can lead to N/SVQs.
It is unlikely that smaller publishing houses will be in a position to offer such a package.
The national training body for the magazine industry is the Periodicals Training Council (PTC) . The PTC accredits S/NVQs offered by many colleges and universities.
The National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) also offers a preliminary certificate in magazine journalism, which covers a range of subjects including:
There are other organisations which offer training in journalism, but these qualifications can be of variable quality and some are not greatly valued in the industry.
The first experience of journalism you are likely to receive is with a student newspaper or with a free local paper. Some people also begin by publishing their work online, usually with small online magazines.
After gaining experience of writing or working for a publication, the next step is to apply for an entry-level position with a publisher. These positions include junior writer, editorial assistant and proofreader. For smaller publications, other opportunities, such as press sub-editor, may be available for recent graduates with writing experience.
It can take many years of writing and working for a magazine to be considered for a features editor position, but this can vary with different publishers. The larger magazines sometimes ask for previous experience as a features editor with a smaller publication, although extensive experience as a features writer, particularly with the magazine in question, is a common route into the role.
Features editors can be promoted into the senior roles of deputy editor or editor, but this often takes many years. Promotion can be more difficult with specialist titles, as it is not always possible to move between different magazine sectors when looking for a senior position. Niche titles are also more vulnerable to market changes, which can also limit the opportunities for promotion. Bottlenecks can occur at the highest level due to a shortage of senior positions.
The biggest employers in the industry are the large multi-title publishing companies, but opportunities are also available with small, independent publishers and in-house magazines. Online magazines are also becoming an increasingly useful vacancy source.
There are opportunities in many different areas, including:
Each of these areas can include many different titles. General consumer magazines, for instance, cover interests such the arts, news, entertainment, health and sport. To access a detailed list of the UK’s magazine publications, look online at Media UK .
The majority of jobs are not advertised. Using established contacts/networks within the industry, which can be built up through experience, is a good way to find out about opportunities. Alternatively, contact magazine editors directly.
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