Not Your Everyday Kind of Editor—Part 1

I love the bustling excitement that always seem to exist in big cities, and when I think about my dream of being a magazine editor and writer, I always picture myself surrounded by the dynamics of such a city blossoming with adventure.

Although I don't remember a specific reason why I chose to enter the fields of journalism and editing, I have since noticed many popular depictions in movies and books about the life of an editor—especially female editors. These depictions may be what have influenced what I see for my future, as the editors featured always seem to be successful, smart, and laid-back, and, well to me at least, their job seems quite perfect.

While these cinema depictions are lacking in that they often conveniently omit the details about the nitty-gritty assignments every editor deals with, I have found that they do highlight the limitless aspect of the job description of an editor/writer—these professionals may encounter ANY type of assignment. This characteristic attracts me to editing by allowing me to become informed on a variety of subjects, opening doors to many different kinds of positions, strengthening my personal characteristics, and helping me work with others towards a common goal.

One passage in "Editors on Editing: What Writers Need to Know About What Editors Do," by Gerald Gross explains that being an editor is not merely hunting through a manuscript for errors or typos, but instead includes proposing ideas and subjects, soliciting authors and experts, deal making, line editing, packaging, preparing profit and loss projections, and countless other tasks," (page 35).

I've found this statement is true—an editor is responsible for many different things and has to have knowledge about many different topics. In fact, I've realized the aspect of journalism and editing I love the most is the aspect that allows me to get involved in different subjects and to expand my knowledge in different ways.

I love the process of researching a new subject for an article I'm writing or analyzing and asking questions about a manuscript. I love the idea of continuously growing and learning while performing a task. I fully agree with the statement that "editing can, and should be, not only a life-enhancing profession but also a liberal education in itself, for it gives you the privilege of working with the most creative people of your time," (Gross, page 28).

In addition to learning about a wide variety of subjects, I also love that being an editor does not limit me to one specific job. The idea of working as a magazine editor does thrill me, but it is not necessarily what I'll want to do for the rest of my life. I believe as an editor I have so many options as to what I can do professionally. If I don't want to be a head editor over a lot of production processes, I can simply copyedit. If I'm not in a position to have a full-time job, I can freelance. If I don't live at a permanent address, I can maintain business and clients through electronic edits. The options are endless, and I look forward to continue exploring what I believe editing personally offers me.

See Not Your Everyday Kind of Editor—Part 2