Becoming an industry magazine editor has been an interesting learning curve. After twenty years in sales, business development and partner management roles, making the transition to editing, writing and curating content has been rapid and fun.
Fortunately, skills learnt selling have transferred well into editing which have helped make the change of roles a little easier. Here is my list of top traits for being a successful industry editor:
1. Never be afraid to ask questions
As crazy as it sounds, some press events I attend are marked by their quietness from the floor. A presenter asks if there are any questions and the lack of questions is strange. Maybe they already understand what they have been shown. I susally don't understand, so I ask some simple questions. Maybe it sounds foolish to ask so many questions but if I don't ask I will have no chance of writing anything intelligent let alone interesting.
2. Be genuinely interested
Being interested in what you are writing about makes editing much easier. If you don't fully understand what you are writing about showing an interest in what you see or hear opens up the subject and triggers your curiosity. The more interest you have, the more you enjoy it. Being interested accelerates your learning and develops your expertise. I can't imagine not being interested in what I write about or edit. There's also the added benefit that people are pleased that you show an interest in what they do, despite how dry it might appear.
3. Be a good connector
Being an editor means you are going to meet lots of people. People want to meet you because they see you have a degree of influence in the industry by what you are writing about and covering in your magazine or website. But, your influence goes beyond just what you write about or publish. Meeting so many people in your industry means you can connect lots of people together who can help each other out. For instance, if you meet a consultant who is looking for a manufacturer to help them solve a problem, connect them up. That's good for everyone and your influence grows a little at a time.
4. Keep abreast of technology
Publishing sounds like a cosy business, but it is far from it. Technology is changing the business at a revolutionary pace and editors today have to keep up to date with search engine optimisation, social media and web technologies including HTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as content management systems. Aside from online publishing skills, it is good to be able to speak the same language as web developers and designers.
5. Read like hell
Reading goes with the territory, right? Right. Learning to read quickly is important to help cut through the bad to the average to the good is vital if you are to curate content for your publications successfully. The more you read, the better you will become at spotting the interesting, useful or entertaining content.
Being an industry editor is great fun and there is never a dull moment. If you do find it dull, then something is not right. Ask yourself if you are interested in what you are writing about. Or, get out and about and get interested. An editor's role can be influential and you can help people and businesses by being a connector.
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