Back to Home > Courses and Seminars > Intro to Magazine Editing

Intro to Magazine Editing

Course is closed.
Intro to Magazine Editing

DURATION/TIME
4 weeks
Tuesdays
July 18 - August 8
7-10 pm

LEVEL
Intro

LOCATION
New York (Soho)

PRICE
$350 ($325 for )
more info

Course Details

Magazine editing sounds fun and glamorous, but what does the job really involve? This class is designed to give newcomers to journalism a professional understanding of every aspect of the business. You will learn what kinds of magazines and editorial positions are out there and which one is the best fit for you. Most important, this course will familiarize you with editing terms and processes and teach you first-hand the editorial and people skills you need to land a job in this very competitive field.

Students will complete reading and editing assignments and should expect about three hours a week of outside-of-class work. You'll also role-play assigning pieces and pitching ideas in story meetings, learning to avoid any pitfalls that could hold you back in your career.

In this class, you can expect to learn:
  • What your options are, how to define your goals, and how to identify what makes top editors so fabulous
  • An inside view of the editorial process and the roles and responsibilities of a magazine's staff
  • How to analyze an article's structure, style, and potential audience
  • Basic skills an editor should have to make copy cleaner and more compelling
  • How to build productive relationships with freelance writers and top editors
  • How to network and launch a job hunt

Admission Requirements:
Please submit a letter of interest (including a brief work history) and what you hope to get out of the class. No writing sample is required. You will be critiquing articles from magazines, so it may be necessary to buy a magazine per week.

Instructor Bio

Alison Overholt's Courses

Alison Overholt
Alison Overholt is senior editor at ESPN The Magazine, managing investigative features and sports business coverage in addition to working on multimedia initiatives. Before joining ESPN in 2005, Alison was a staff writer and editor at Fast Company, where she covered emerging technologies and women in business from both Silicon Valley and New York. Her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Inc., Working Mother, Fitness, Sports Illustrated for Women, American Way and San Francisco magazines, and LifetimeTV.com. Alison received the Asian American Journalists Association's National Print Journalism Award for a 2004 Fast Company cover story about Starbucks entering the music business, and was a two-time "30 Under 30" pick for TJFR/NewsBios' annual list of influential business journalists. She holds a government degree from Harvard and is a graduate of the Radcliffe Publishing Course.

Testimonials


Alison was an awesome instructor. This class will help in the marketplace because I learned a lot about freelancing, masthead organization, and salary. I would definitely recommend it to a friend. Alison is great. -- Lindsey Hunter

"I would certainly take another class with Alison and mediabistro. I have learned a great deal about the writing and business aspects of the magazine industry and feel much more confident in the world of freelance writing. I left with much motivation to write on all I find interesting and confident in actually getting it published." -- Amy McIntyre

"Alison was a real pro -- she gave fully of herself, seemed to really want to be teaching the class, and was engaged throughout. The class was full of practical advice and assignments that really helped me look at magazines through an editor's eyes. The tone was positive and can-do." -- Leslie Koren

"Alison is a superb instructor. I looked forward to our class activities and discussions, and the homework was challenging without being overwhelming. Alison's can-do spirit was infectious. I learned more in these eight weeks than I did in my first job." -- Michelle Wiener

AvantGuild* Discounts on mediabistro.com courses are just one of the wonderful benefits of being in AvantGuild, our premium membership program. For just $59 a year, you'll receive instant access to our How to Pitch articles and other premium articles, transcripts from selected seminars and panels, and discounts on virtually everything we do (including eClasses and the Freelance Marketplace)! Click here to join now.