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A variety of careers are available in the magazine industry, from the obvious jobs in
editorial and advertising to work in supporting areas such as circulation and marketing. The
majority of consumer magazines are published in New York City; however, many career
opportunities exist elsewhere, particularly at magazines published for city, state, or regional
audiences and at magazines that serve trades and associations.
While staff positions vary from one magazine to the next, most have the same basic staff
roles. Editorial functions are carried out by people who work with words and images to
create the editorial product. The editor or editor-in-chief is the top editorial position at a
magazine and is responsible for directing all content and implementing the mission of the
magazine. The editor's right-hand person, the managing editor, is responsible for following
the day-to-day operations of a magazine, and the duties of that position include enforcing
deadlines, overseeing the quality of the work, managing the editorial staff, and serving as
the liaison between writers, artists, and production personnel. The production manager,
along with production assistants, work closely with the managing editor to track the
progress of each issue, helping the staff meet printing deadlines and making sure that each
page is formatted correctly for the printer.
Some magazines also have an executive editor who may fulfill some of the managing
editor's duties but who is usually more focused on content issues than on production. The
editor and executive editor work with a staff of senior editors and/or section editors as they
oversee particular areas of a magazine by planning content, assigning articles, and writing
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stories. Associate and assistant editors may have similar duties with smaller magazine
departments or may assist the senior editor on a magazine's larger sections. Staff writers
handle specific story assignments without managerial and planning functions. Entry-level
positions in the writing area of the editorial department usually fall under the title of
editorial assistant. The duties for a person in this position can be wide ranging and often
include basic administrative functions, but they may, in some cases, include short writing
assignments.
Once articles are written, copy editors read them to correct errors in fact, grammar,
spelling, and punctuation; to eliminate problems in organization, clarity, and style; and to
ensure that the piece reflects the content and tone of the mission of a magazine. The
copyediting staff, often referred to by the traditional newspaper term "the copy desk," is
managed by the copy chief. Entry-level positions on the copyediting staff include
proofreaders and fact checkers.
The visual side of the editorial department is supervised by the art director, who works
closely with the editors to carry out the unique look of a magazine. The art director makes
all assignments to photographers, photo stylists, and illustrators and manages the designers
who lay out editorial pages. The more experienced staffers in the art department may carry
titles such as senior designer; while the entry-level positions may include staff artist, junior
designer, or art assistant.
