Borrowing Tools From an Editor’s Toolbox: 5 Enduring Lessons From a Different Publishing World

I went to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 on opening night with a group of former magazine editors. Over drinks afterwards, we debated how accurately the movie depicted the decline of the magazine industry that we’d all lived through. We also reminisced about the glory days from the first film, when print issues were thick, mastheads were long, and we worked with our teams to put out the best possible issues every month. 

(Why Patience Is a Publishing Superpower.)

Being a magazine editor was a bit like being a jack (or jill) of all trades. It involved so many different tasks, from coming up with endless article ideas to negotiating with the art department to testing sunscreen. In my 26 years at Parents, I had to use all the tools in my toolbox.

However, when I first tried to write middle-grade fiction, I quickly learned that I was unequipped. Even though I’d been writing about children’s books, I needed new skills. So, I went to conferences, took classes, and read craft books to figure out how to develop characters, a plot arc, and a tween voice.

But now that my debut novel, Roxie in Color, has finally made its way into the world, I’ve realized that many of the big-picture tools I used as an author were the same ones I relied on as an editor. 

Editors put themselves in their readers’ shoes. At Parents, we considered every topic from the perspective of busy moms and dads who wanted to raise healthy, good kids. We had to grab their attention and make them want to read an article rather than turn the page. Our job was to anticipate readers’ questions and curate content that would be helpful, interesting, and entertaining. Every issue had to feel like a treat and convince readers not to cancel their subscription. 

As a middle-grade author, I need to put myself in my readers’ sneakers and consider what 9- to 12-year-olds care about. Kids have a lot competing for their attention, so whatever I write needs to be worth their time. They’re reading less for pleasure and most want shorter, funnier books. Since I write contemporary realistic fiction, my job is to anticipate what would make them want to pick up my book, keep reading until the end, and recommend it to their friends. 

Every magazine has its own voice, as if the editors are talking to their readers. (“Stiff” was a common comment on manuscripts.) At Parents, we wanted articles to reflect the things that readers were thinking and worrying about, and we often talked about what was in the zeitgeist. We made sure articles included quotes from parents that were honest about what their life was like, and that photographs throughout the magazine reflected the diversity of families. 

Authors know how important ‘voice’ is, even though it’s tough to define. More than anything, I think it means that it sounds the way someone would speak.Young readers are savvy and skeptical. They like characters who talk and think in a way that seems real and honest. So I make sure my characters express the kinds of thoughts they would never say out loud. The sort of messy, complicated feelings all kids have in middle school—about their friends, their family, and their teachers. Reading a manuscript out loud is a key part of my revision process. I can always hear when dialogue sounds stiff, awkward, or too ‘adult’ for a 12-year-old. 

When editors brainstorm article ideas, they think about what they don’t know or what they want to learn more about. It’s a journalist’s job to research a subject and interview people to shed new light on an issue or experience. I wrote an article about blind parents because I was curious about how they do things differently to take care of their kids.

Authors are told to write about what they know. Although I’ll always bring my own experiences to my books, I have to write about subjects that also involve research. I need to learn new things so that I won't get bored because I’ll be working on a book for years. My article, “What Blind Parents Want You to See” ended up being the inspiration for Roxie in Color, my novel about a girl with blind parents. My co-author is one of the moms I interviewed.

Putting out a magazine is a team effort and everyone needs to work together: editors, designers, fact-checkers, copy-editors, photo directors, production managers. You have to meet your deadlines and not make other people’s jobs more difficult. Editors have to appreciate that sales and marketing are on the same team; if they don’t sell ads, there will be no magazine. If you run into a problem (with a writer, a source), it's better to mention it early. You need to look and act like a professional when you’re representing the brand at events, speaking to publicists, or interviewing experts. You’re working for a larger company and like Miranda Priestly, you’ve got to navigate the ever-changing corporate landscape.

Publishing a book is a team effort too. As an author, you need to collaborate with your editor, art director, copy editor, proofreader, and publicist. You need to be easy and enjoyable to work with, so they’ll want to work with you again. That means meeting your deadlines (or asking for an extension), being respectful of their time and how they prefer to communicate, and having reasonable expectations. You also need to show potential agents that you are a professional. A query letter is a pitch for your book, but it’s also an application for the job of being a client. You want to show that you can follow guidelines, be patient, and accept the realities of the publishing world.

As an editor, I was used to sitting in meetings and suggesting ideas that no one else was excited about. I was used to having the editor-in-chief write so many notes in red pen on manuscripts I’d edited that it looked like someone had bled all over the page. Every time, I'd go back to my computer and revise the article until she was satisfied. It wasn’t about me; it was about our readers. But ultimately, the magazine was a reflection of her taste, and that could be subjective.

As an author, it’s hard not to take rejection personally when you’ve poured your heart into a book. You may send hundreds of query letters to agents and get rejections with vague feedback like “I didn’t connect with the characters.” If you’re lucky enough to get an agent, you’ll go through the submission process where editors pass on your manuscript for similarly vague reasons. You’ll have to keep revising or write another book. It’s not about you. Book publishing is a subjective business—where persistence is more valuable than Prada. As those on-screen editors keep reminding us, it’s all about attitude. 

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