Sometimes things just magically come together. This is now my second week as the Life and Style editor at TSL (The Student Life) and I couldn’t be happier with my job. I have learned so much about how a paper actually works (which I know will be beneficial to me later on if end up working for a newspaper or magazine). Last year I worked as a staff writer for TSL, and I had no idea how much actually goes on behind the scenes. So much happens after a story is submitted. For instance, it goes through the section editor, copy editors, managing editors and the editor-in-chief before it actually makes it to the print edition of the paper- and sometimes there are problems that need to be fixed along the way (facts are unclear, the writing isn’t up to par, or the article isn’t quite what you had in mind when you first assigned it). One thing I have enjoyed about editing is seeing the variety of writing styles and ways in which people choose to convey a certain topic. I have definitely learned a thing or two from my writers and columnists (who truly are fantastic). I have also really enjoyed being on the creative side- working with our design editors and discussing what kind of photos should accompany the articles.
Working for TSL has made me think a lot about how working for a magazine or a newspaper would be. Every Friday, we publish a 12-page paper, and yet my weekdays are absolutely packed. Based on my experiences at TSL alone, I would definitely say that working in publishing fits that crazy, fast-paced, slightly stressful work environment stereotype that I assumed every publishing office had. I imagine that large day-to-day newspapers like the LA Times must have a HUGE staff! Because, honestly, there is no way I can imagine producing over 15x the amount of content we already have to produce on a DAILY basis. All I can say is, whoa!
One area I think this job will help me improve on is my organizational skills. I have always thought of myself as a decently organized person, but there is always room for improvement, and I have already learned that the hard way (hello, article I forgot to edit!). Luckily, we have started a story Excel sheet, which helps track the status for every story that is expected to come in for that week. Lets just say the story excel sheet is going to become my new best friend. I think it will also be important for me to make checklists. For example: have you emailed your…writers? Design editor? Photographer? Etc. There is a lot to keep track of, but luckily I really enjoy making lists, so hopefully I will just improve in that area.
Finally, I am happy that I am getting to work with such a diverse group of people. The publishing world is clearly one that is collaborative, so being able to work with others is going to be an important skill to have. I’m looking forward to finding out my strengths and weaknesses as the Life and Style section editor. Life and Style has traditional been one of the stronger, more frequently read sections of the paper, so I really hope I can continue that this semester. No matter what happens, I know it will be a great experience for me in the long run.