Tuesday, March 6, 2007

A work in progress

Hi everyone, my name is Cody Haueter and I am Access’ online front-of-book (FOB) editor. The fall 2007 issue of Access is in production and it can only be described as a hectic yet fulfilling endeavor.
During the first few weeks of the semester, the Access staff focused on planning out the entire issue including content and design. Now that we are nearing spring break, the workload has shifted into high gear and the staff is working hard to keep in contact with their writers, illustrators and photographers. Each staff member is in charge of at least one feature article or a few FOB articles.
As editors, we are all learning how to manage our writers, keep in contact with them and make sure they meet their deadlines. It can be a tough job, but I’ve learned that having a strong and professional relationship with your writer can and will make the job 100 percent easier. When a writer can trust their editor to be compassionate and understanding, it seems like they are more likely to produce great work.
My specialties at this point are the FOB articles. These are short articles that are usually found in the beginning of a magazine. This issue of Access will be featuring some amazing FOBs, and since we will have an online issue of Access, we have the opportunity to use many of the FOB queries that were submitted.
The world of magazine journalism may not be as fast paced as newspaper production, but there are a lot of elements that go into creating a beautiful magazine that will grab the reader’s attention. This semester’s staff is large, so this means that the workload placed on each individual isn’t too grueling. However, it amazes me how many details are involved in creating this magazine and how each staff member has a few jobs to keep track of. Fortunately, our editor-in-chief, Evie Smith, has everything covered. Having worked for a San Jose publication, she knows a thing or two about the magazine industry.
Our leaders are the ones holding us together at this somewhat chaotic time. Evie and Kaitlyn Osborn-Brown, our managing editor, are superb leaders who know how to gather the team and get us working at our maximum potential. Their passion shines through and it’s obvious that they want this issue of Access to be the best one San Jose State has ever seen.
The story has only begun because we have so much more ahead of us, and I think the staff is looking forward to putting their hearts into this magazine, no matter how much work it takes. The end result is worth all the time and effort. It is a reward worth working for.

Until next time,
Cody Haueter

No comments: