A Day in the Life of a Managing Editor

When I tell people what I do for a living I always get similar responses, "Wow! That sounds like an interesting job. Tell me more about it." It is my hope that through some of these blogs I can bring you into my life as a managing editor of an awesome magazine.

First, I'll start with one of the most fun things about my job -- the photo shoots. I love going to a photo shoot! Here's some background on how we chose our photographer, the great Mr. Andy Fiala! (Actually, we never call him Mister.)

When Cyndi came up with her plan to start Altered Arts, she asked me to call various photographers in the area to find one that would fit well with our needs. I have to admit that it was funny to hear each of the photographers' responses when I tried to explain the types of items they would be photographing.

Andy was one of the photographers I contacted and during our conversation, I took an instant liking to him. I asked him for some samples of his work, showed them to Cyndi, met him, and hired him. (Heck, we may even have hired him before meeting him since Cyndi liked his samples and trusted my judgment.)

Well, I have to tell you that he was an excellent choice. Not only is he an awesome photographer, (You should see some of the wedding photos he has taken.) but he is also a lot of fun. This is why I enjoy the photo shoots so much.

Mind you "it's not all fun and games" as the saying goes. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing for a photo shoot. For example, prior to the photo shoot I have to put together a list of all of the artwork (including images) that is scheduled for the shoot. Using that list as a guide, I read through all of the artwork instructions emailed to me and do a first edit. All of these files then have to be put on a CD and given to my boss, Cyndi, on the day of the photo shoot.

Also, before heading off to the photo shoot, I have to make sure that I have all of the artwork scheduled for that shoot in my van. (Yes, all artwork comes directly to me - my house - my storage.)

One of the nice things to look forward to after finishing up a photo shoot is having lunch with Cyndi. It gives us a chance to chat about everything that is going on in our lives and I consider it all a wonderful way to spend a day.