CREDIT: THE INSPIRED HOME
How to Organize Your Editorial Team So you’ve got your concept, and you’ve got the drive to start a publication. You’ve managed to recruit similarly passionate and driven individuals, and you’re rearing to get started. But how do you organize your editorial team? How do you make sure each person is reaching their full potential in the framework of your publication? Here are some of our tips.
The Classic Model
If you have literally no idea how to organize your team, the classic newspaper organizational model is a good place to start. You’ve got your Editor-in-Chief at the top, who steers the publication’s overarching creative vision. Below you have your Managing Editor(s), Creative Director, and any Business Managers. Of course, the specific titles will change depending on your needs as a publication, but these are the ones who oversee the different departments within your publication. Below your Managing Editor you have Section Editors, who commandeer the writing staff (staff or freelance). Similarly, your Creative Director manages your Visuals, Layout, 20
ISSUU.COM
Photo, etc. editors, who then manage staff photographers/designers/editors/etc. You might have noticed that this is all very vague and freeform. That’s because there’s no secret sauce to organizing an editorial team — the best way to organize is whichever way works for you. That being said, there are strategies you can employ to best divvy up the work.
Divide and Conquer
First and foremost, find what needs to happen. Are you dividing your publication into different sections? Then put someone in charge of those sections. Are you planning on launching a website? Social media? Find out what tasks are large enough for a person to take on, and then find people to fill those roles. If the work on those different sections builds up, see if they need to be staffed further. Add people accordingly. What’s important is to stay perceptive of what your publication needs and in what capacity.
