Ever wonder what goes on here at brass? Here's a look behind the veil at how brass editorial staffers get the job done.
It all starts in editorial meetings…lots and lots of editorial meetings. We throw ideas around the table until a fresh annual production schedule lands in our laps. From there, we produce article topics and solicit contributors to write for us. We then select writers based on the quality and depth of their submission pitches.
Once we receive authors' works, then the magic happens. The first stage requires formatting the work to our production specifications--having a streamlined process makes publishing a magazine that much more efficient. We also assess the writing at this stage and make sure it's up to our standards and meets the needs of the assignment. If there are things that need to be changed or expanded upon, we contact the author for a rewrite. If time is of the essence, we may push it through to our editors--you never know, things can get pretty hectic in publishing.
Being an editor means understanding that an article belongs to the author, not the editor. There is a fine line that editors walk between publishing a solid article and not tarnishing the author's voice. This is done delicately, by fully researching a topic so as to approach it from the author's point of view, both in their voice and writing style, while adding or tweaking the necessary information.
Once the article goes through two stages of edits, we fact check the work--information should be as accurate and up-to-date as possible--before the final version is sent to the design department.
After designers do their magic, articles are passed back to editorial for proofing (i.e., checking design consistency and that the article is exactly as the final version). At this point, articles are ready for print.
For a shot to work with the pros, become a brass contributor at brassmagazine.com/contribute. Land an article from a sweet pitch and you're on your way to being a published, and paid, freelance writer.
--Chris
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