A brief look at editing for public relations, advertising, and book publishing
It’s more than just news! Carol Kinney 18 Apr. 2013
When most people think about editing careers, the first thing that commonly pops into their heads is the news editor . . .
But, editing is not just for news!
News Releases Corporate Reports Manuals Internal and External Advertising and other publications
Public Relations practitioners “are called upon almost daily to write and edit news releases (Brooks and Pinson 2009, 378).” A news or press release must stand out from the crowd in the eyes of media representatives. Only the best are chosen to be printed or broadcast.
“Releases with the best chance” are . . .
Written with to capture the “local” audience’s attention. “short and to the point.” “clearly written.” Written according to the rules of the chosen media. Ethical, truthful and professional. Not written like an advertisement. Brooks and Pinson 378, 380
Knowing how to edit news releases is crucial to a PR professional so that they can be successful for their client or employer.
Editing is needed in every aspect of the PR profession. “Publication design involves conception, writing, layout and production of a wide variety of . . . [branding] materials such as catalogs, brochures, manuals, flyers, newspapers, videos, DVD covers, podcasts, film credits . . .websites, logos, branded packaging, and even t-shirts (Curtis 2011).�
Advertising Departments for Print and Broadcast Media Outlets Advertising Agencies Advertising Departments for all types of business Website Designers
David Ogilvy “The King of Madison Avenue” and the “Original Mad Man” of Advertising
Ogilvy, once sold stoves door to door. The company asked him to write a “manual for other salesmen, and thirty years later Fortune described it as one of the finest sales manuals ever written.” He also interned at in an advertising agency, and “got an assignment in the US . . . for Gallup learning research.” After WWII, he “bought a farm in the Amish country of eastern Pennsylvania, then started an advertising agency where he created much of the best remembered and longest running ad campaigns of the century.” Eventually that company, Ogilvy and Mather would become the largest advertising firms in history. Kenneth Roman author of The King of Madison Avenue
“The better you write, the higher you go at Ogilvy & Mather.” In a memo to his employees and in addition to the above advice, Ogilvy wrote this:
“Good Writing is not a natural gift. You have to learn to write well. Here are 10 hints: 1.
Read the Roman-Raphaelson book on writing. Read it three times.
2.
Write the way you talk. Naturally.
3.
Use short words, short sentences and short paragraphs.
4.
Never use jargon . . .
5.
Never write more than two pages on any subject.
6.
Check your quotations.
7.
Never send a letter or memo on the day you write it. Read it aloud the next morning-and then edit it.
8.
If it is something important, get a colleague to improve it.
9.
Before you send your letter or memo, make sure it is crystal clear what you want the recipient to do.
10. If you want ACTION, don’t write. Go and tell the guy what you want. David”
Quoted by Maria Popova
More Editing Gems from Ogilvy
“Advertising people who ignore research are as dangerous as generals who ignore decodes of enemy signals”
“A lot of today's campaigns are based on optimum positioning but are totally ineffective — because they are dull, or badly constructed, or ineptly written. If nobody reads your advertisement or looks at your commercial, it doesn't do you much good to have the right positioning.”
“There is no need for advertisements to look like advertisements. If you make them look like editorial pages, you will attract about 50 percent more readers.”
“Does advertising corrupt editors? Yes it does, but fewer editors than you may suppose . . . The vast majority of editors are incorruptible.”
Textbooks Travel guides Cookbooks Other Non-Fiction books Fiction Children’s literature Every book needs an editor before it becomes published!
Current Job Openings At
Our NAL Managing Editorial department is currently seeking a Production Editor to review texts throughout the various production stages for 8 to 10 books a month as well as copyedit, proofread, circulate, and traffic book covers and jackets. In addition, the Production Editor will work with freelancers and help with reprint texts and cover corrections when necessary. New American Library publishes successful authors including J. R. Ward, Christina Dodd, Ken Follett, Harlan Coben, Jen Lancaster, and Stuart Woods.
Please apply if you meet the following requirements: 4 year college degree or equivalent work experience 1-2 years publishing experience necessary, including experience working on original and reprint texts without direct supervision
Strong copyediting and proofreading skills Strong attention to detail and accuracy Strong organizational and multi-tasking skills Ability to work well under pressure in a deadline-driven environment Excellent verbal and written communication skills Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook and Excel Experience using track changes in Microsoft Word a must
Our Perigee/Prentice Hall Press imprints are seeking an Editorial Assistant who can provide a high degree of basic administrative support, read and evaluate submissions, and oversee the entire production process from finished manuscript to bound book. S/he will have the opportunity to learn about the overall editorial process! Specifically, the Editorial Assistant will: Provide administrative support to the Publisher of Perigee and Prentice Hall Press (answers phones, handles correspondence, files, faxes, schedules meetings, keeps calendar, etc.) Evaluate proposals (read and review proposals as dictated by supervisor, write and send rejection letters, participate in weekly editorial meetings). Traffic books through production process from finished manuscript to bound book (communicate with authors and managing editorial department).
Departmental responsibilities include maintaining the seasonal publication schedules and helping with seasonal mailings, social media outreach, scheduling meetings, etc. Potential responsibilities may include editing manuscripts and acquiring books. Please apply to join us if you meet the following requirements:
Four-year college degree or equivalent experience Experience working in an office environment Excellent organizational and communication skills Strong editorial and writing skills Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines Strong follow-up skills Strong PC skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, and Internet)
Salary for this position is $33,500. Full-time employees are eligible for our comprehensive benefits program.
Join Putnam’s Managing Editorial department and work on the coordination and monitoring of the production process for titles across a number of adult imprints including Putnam, Riverhead, Tarcher, and Blue Rider Press! This position will also serve as the Managing Editor for Avery and will be responsible for the following: working with Production and Copyediting to write book schedules, approving book materials (i.e. jacket copy, sample pages, and manuscript transmittals), routing pricing for approval, managing unpublished inventory, and providing support to all departments throughout the production process to ensure that deadlines are met. Avery publishes titles with a focus on health, wellness, fitness, psychology, and popular science and is best known for publishing cutting-edge, but accessible, books from the top experts in their fields. The Assistant Managing Editor will also: Provide administrative support to the Senior Vice President, Director of Publishing Management (answers phones, maintains calendar, prepares and submits monthly expense reports, processes invoices). Act as point person between Editorial, Copyediting, Art/Design, and Production departments. Shepherd projects through the production process, from edited manuscript to finished book. Track and report schedules and due dates for books in production. Set up and maintain title metadata in Firebrand Title Management. Liaise between Editorial and Legal departments. Negotiate requests for book materials from foreign publishers. Coordinate between Editorial and Marketing to order bound galleys. Coordinate and track the inclusion of promotional material in eBook files. Provide general administrative support to the Managing Editorial department. Please apply to join us if you meet the following requirements: 4 year college degree or equivalent work experience Minimum of 2 years of prior book publishing experience Strong communication and interpersonal skills Superb organizational and time management skills Excellent computer skills (i.e. Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Adobe)
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter with salary requirements.
As you read through the requirements for the jobs at Penguin Books, you may have picked out words and ideas that Brooks and Pinson have defined and discussed throughout The Art of Editing in the Age of Convergence. (Just in case you missed these words and ideas, you can go back and read the bold faced print in each job posting.) Much of what Brooks and Pinson wrote in their textbook was directed at editors of newspaper, internet and broadcasting outlets, yet these same skills are what book publishers seek in editorial candidates.
Now . . . Comparing the duties of each of the three editorial positions, how much do you think an assistant managing editor makes per year?
Assistant Managing Editor Salary in New York, NY $54,000 (indeed.com) Not even twice as much as an editorial assistant, with more than double the responsibilities!
In the interest of full disclosure, we should also mention the bad news . . . Entry-level jobs with major publishers are among the most competitive . . . And editorial assistants typically make about the same as beginning journalists� Brooks and Pinson 383-384
For the good news . . . Brooks and Pinson say that the best book editing positions are the ones where you can work from your own home in your pajamas if you want (384)!
Freelance editors can earn between $35,000 and $200,000 per year even ones with names “rarely known to the general public (Wasnak).� It just takes hard work, determination, and good editing skills, along with the ability to market yourself as a professional editor (Wasnak).
Many who study editing “are preparing for careers in fields other than” newspapers, magazines, radio, TV or the Internet . . . There’s more to editing than just editing news, but the editing skills are the same no matter where you use them!
Many will make a living writing publicrelations press releases or advertising copy, and some will edit books.” Brooks and Pinson 376
But wait! There’s one editing profession that Brooks and Pinson did not cover in Chapter 14, and I would be remiss for not mentioning . . .
The Movie Industry Aside from advertising editors, movies cannot be made without script, sound and video editors.
Sources on next slide. Thank you for viewing this PowerPoint presentation.
Created and edited by Carol Kinney
Sources Brooks, B.S. & J.L. Pinson (2009). The Art of Editing in the Age of Convergence 9 th Ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. Curtis, A.J. Dr. (2011). “Journalism and Public Relations Compared.” Retrieved from www.uncp.edu/home/acurtis/Courses/ResourcesForCourses/PublicRelations/ Journalist–vs-PR-Professional.html. Indeed.com (2013). Assistant Managing Editor Salary in New York, NY. Retrieved from www.indeed.com/salary/q-Assistant-Managing-Editor_I -New-York,-NY.html. Ogilvy, D. (nd). David Ogilvy Quotes. Retrieced from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/david_ogilvy.html. Penguin Books. (2012). Job Opportunities. Retrieved from www.us.penguingroup.com/static/pages/aboutus/jobopportunities.html.
Popova, M. (07 Feb. 2012). “10 Tips on Writing from David Ogilvy.” Retrieved from www.brainpickings.org/index/php/2012/02/07/david-ogilvy-on-writing//. Roman, K. (24 Feb. 2009). “The House that Ogilvy Built.” Strategy + Business. Issue 54, Spring 2009. Retrieved from www.strategy-businss.com/article/09103?ps=all. Wesnak, L. (2007). “How Much Should I Charge?” Retrieved from www.writersmarket.com/assest/pdf/How _Much_Should_I_Charge.pdf. All Images retrieved from Google Images