What Education is Needed to get into Magazines / Publishing?

[daddybuymeapony]

I originally posted this in 'what to do about school' thread but I think this is a better place to ask my question:


Are there any London College of Communication MA Publishing alumni here? I'm considering applying for the Magazine pathway. I have a degree in Design & Art Direction (my specialism was editorial design and magazines). It's now 2 years since I graduated and I've since realised that whilst I enjoy doing practical design work, I don't want to do it on a daily basis. I was always good at writing and critical thinking and my tutors suggested I should do an MA, but I didn't listen!

I would still like a career in magazines and I want very much to use my skills as a designer and problem solver just not at the mac monkey end of things. I have been working as a freelance graphic designer, in a bookshop and as a library assistant since I graduated. Is it worth me doing this MA in Publishing at LCC (or University of The Arts as they're now all called) or should I attempt to find work now somewhere on the bottom rung as an intern?

The course: http://www.ma-publishing.com/pathway...ne-pathway.php

To summarise my waffle: is this MA valuable to starting a career in Magazines? (both fashion and other.) I would like to be a features editor or art director.

 

[BetteT]

I moved it here ... because you are asking about education.

I can't offer an opinion about the course other than to say it looks like it's a good overview of magazine operations. Which will be helpful to anyone who is interested in a career moving up the ladder towards managing editor. It sounds like geared a bit towards the business and financial side of working for a magazine.

I would say that you need to evaluate if you want to take the route up the ladder. The other two routes would be creative (art director, fashion editor, you already said that you don't want to be a graphic designer for a mag) or journalism and writing. Either one of these can also take you up the ladder ... depending on your management skills too.

You might want to review this thread too for ideas about how people break into magazines: How to Get Work in Fashion Magazine Publishing (see Post #1 for related threads)

Hint: In fashion, it's usually who you know, not your education (not to say that education doesn't help) that gets you in the door. So Internships are indispensible for that reason. The sooner you get your self in the right environment the better ... to start building contacts.

Many fashion editors, art directors, and managing editors don't have a specific education for fashion or publishing ... they come from all sorts of educational backgrounds. They got hired at a magazine and began their career because they had connections ... and of course, had the talent too.

 

[CrisGalaxy]

^
So the degree tittle doesnt rlly matter? Theres a school in my city (Chicago) that offers both graphic design and Art Direction in Advertisement and I wanted to ask which one would help me out more in landing a job at a magazines creating the layouts and covers. I would love to eventually become an Art Director but of course that takes time. There arent really any big fashion magazines here so I dont know I would go about getting a job at a major fashion magazines when their offices are all located in NYC.

 

[BetteT]

My thoughts (I'm not an expert here, at all) regarding which courses to take:

As I understand it ... graphic design is about the actual manipulation of shapes, type, photos, etc. to create the cover (or ad, or web site, etc.). It might be a great thing to be able to do, just to get hired at a magazine at entry level ... with a possiblitly of working your way up.

The Art Director would be in charge, telling the graphic designer what the general look should be and directing the changes, and giving final approval. Of course Art Direction can encompass lots other things too, like editorials (they would direct the photographer and stylist), store layouts, windows, look of the ads or a campaign for any company ... things like that. It will probably be a much wider field of study than graphic design. Not too likely that they would hire an "Art Director" right out of school ... so you'd still need a way to get in.

Not much help, I know. I'd say you need to to more research regarding how Art Directors actually got their start. That information might paint a clearer picture for you as to a good potential career path.

 

[officielhomme]

I read somewhere that you can have a Fashion Merchandising degree if you want to be a fashion editor? Is that true? I'm planning to get a fashion degree and working as an editor at a magazine. Is journalism really necessary for styling people...

 

[BetteT]

Journalism is for writers. Styling ... well that's a whole different career and so is being a fashion eiditor.

Don't know about Fashion Merchandising for fashion editors ... it dsoesn't make sense. But on the other hand, fashion editors don't have a pre defined educational requirement so they seem to come from various educational backgrounds, including the liberal arts ... which is also just loosely related. So it's possible. It's mainly about having a good styling eye, having the right connections where someone realizes that you have both the talent and the skill to get the job done effecitvely. You have to get your foot in the door ... so you have to start somewhere ... but I don't see why a magazine would hire someone with no experience, but who had a Fashion Merchandising degree, except that it shows some interest in fashion and the fact that you were able to finish college.

Fashion Merchandising is about retail sales (we have a thread here about it). It's about the retail business from the inside out .... and lots of numbers: how to interpret prior sales, how to forecast sales trends, how to order the right merchandise in the right amount to make a profit for your store. It also includes store displays ... how to get the customer in the door, how to arrange the racks to move them through and how to get them to buy the items with the highest profit margin.

 

[superbeautiful]

To CrisGalaxy- I would go with the graphic design degree. I am studying graphic design right now, and to become an art director, graphic design experience is a must. Most art director jobs require at least 5-10 years of experience in the field, since you essentially are directing other designers on how they should conduct their work, etc. It's kind of a practice what you preach kind of deal. In order to direct other designers on how the layout and designs should be, you need to be a skilled designer yourself and now what works, etc.

If you want to design layouts and covers, that falls under graphic design. Art direction in advertisements, is essentially just directing ads. If you major in graphic design, it'll be easier to get a job in editorial work since you learn layouts and other important skills, that will help you work your way up.

 

[CrisGalaxy]

^ Thanks for the advice! and thank you as well BetteT

 

[fashionandstyle1]

Has anyone participated in or heard about the Columbia Publishing Course? It's a summer graduate course at Columbia in NY designed for people who recently got their Bachelor's and are interested in book and magazine publishing and/or digital media. Many of the speakers are from the fashion industry, including the editor-in-chief of ELLE. Here's more info: http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/page/233-cpc-course-description/234

I would love to know if anyone has any thoughts on this or experience with it, as it's something I may consider for 2013 after I graduate

 

[Mockingbird]

Would an Advertising and Marketing Communications degree from FIT be useful for fashion journalism?

 

[BetteT]

I don't think so. It's a whole different career path to perpare you to work in other companies..

Marketing is pretty much using statistics, creating an image for your product and positioning your product to get the most public interest. Advertising is writing, but it's very different than journalism. It's calling people to action ... in conjunction with learning where to place the advertising and what the ad should look like. Whereas journalism is just reporting and interviews ... and sometimes offering your own opinion about it.

If you work in advertising or marketing, you probably won't be working for a magazine ... but for some company that will need to advertise in the magazine.

Of course, any education about this stuff should help you learn how it all works together, so it's not wasted, But it won 't prepare you to be a journalist or be a prerequisite to get a job at a magazine.

 

[joanagomes]

If I were you, I would either jump right in and do a Fashion Journalism course (which I regret not doing) or I would do something like Art History, English or Literature. I live in London but I'm from Portugal and I notice that A LOT of the girls in the industry here have English degrees or other non-journalistic degrees, but many have now started to be straight from Fashion Journalism.

I did a Media & Communications BA degree in Portugal but thought it wasn't enough for me so I've been doing short courses, getting some experience and I'll be starting a Master's in London College of Fashion this year. From what I have experienced, sometimes it's better if you choose what you truly want to do in terms of studying and focus on getting some side experience.

-

Joana

Grow In Fashion

 

[KhaoticKharma]

^ I just graduated from an English Lit program at a Top 50 school here in the states, and the only person I've heard of who went directly into fashion journalism came from a very wealthy family and had connections for undergrad internships. Most of us are pursuing more education of some sort- usually a publishing program or an associates degree- and we're doing it in the city.

So I guess the gist of that is: yes to doing an English or straight journalism program, but only if you're doing it at NYU/Columbia/Barnard or maybe even U Southern California/UCLA. The program itself is relevant, but your internships during school (which are much easier to get in the fall or spring, and the only way you can do them in the fall or spring is by living in the city during those times) will prove far more so. Otherwise, just go to FIT/Parsons/LIM right out the gate.