Best programs for editing jobs?

[windowlesswindow]

I just completed my undergraduate studies in philosophy from a well-reputed state school and am looking at terminal M.A.s in literature, such as Columbia's program. I'd love to get involved in an editing career for magazines like NYRB, TLS, or Harper's. Would an M.A. in literature set me up to be competitive for careers such as those? I don't have much interest in academia, so I don't think a PhD would serve me well...or would a PhD be necessary for these opportunities?

Edited July 30, 2020 by windowlesswindow

[meghan_sparkle]

No, no, and no. I interned at one of the ones you list for about 6 months straight out of undergrad. An MA in literature really is not necessary to work at these; what's much more helpful is journalistic experience and connections (say, if your goal is NYRB/The New Yorker, try to write for LARB or keep an eye on entry-level positions going at, say, Slate—Slate has a lot of lateral movement to those places). PhD --> literary journalism has in recent years become something of an alt ac track; think Naomi Fry (NYU PhD --> New York Times Magazine --> New Yorker) or Josephine Livingstone (NYU PhD --> New Republic staff writer + freelance for New Yorker et al). But it's pretty rare, and in all cases, those who are successful at it 1.) Are very lucky 2.) Wrote freelance and networked throughout their PhD. So it's not necessarily that a PhD leads to these opportunities; more that when you're doing a PhD in New York and there are no job opportunities in academia, the next best thing for someone who also writes/edits freelance is to move into journalism.

It's extortionately expensive and not funded, but if you reeeeally want to do a terminal MA, Columbia's journalism MA is going to get you in the door (as in, set you up with work placement opportunities and connections) much better than an MA in Literature would. The MA in Literature is set up to either be a terminal degree or to prepare people for PhD programs—I can't really see the connection to the career path you're highlighting. 

I also feel compelled to say this (don't shoot the messenger). Editing careers at the New Yorker, NYRB, Harper's, TLS (which is in London, by the way--wasn't sure if you knew, because the others you list are all US-based, but the News UK salary for the TLS will certainly not be high enough for a visa sponsorship if you're American), etc are extremely rare. Even if you've been educated at top institutions and have connections and can get a foot in the door, there's a huge amount of competition for a dwindling number of positions. The places you list all have fairly small editorial staffs with 1, maybe 2 interns—interns that are criminally underpaid (in Harper's case, not paid at all). The editors themselves have either been at the mag a very long time, or come with several years of editing experience from somewhere else. What's more, upward movement in these careers is rapidly becoming a thing of the past; hardly any entry-level internships ever see promotions to editorial assistant or assistant editor positions. Harper's also has a fairly dictatorial publisher who has driven out long-time editors over disputes related to, e.g., doxxing individuals related to the MeToo movement, which is par for the course in this industry. Literary magazines often exist through the benefaction of a single wealthy publisher, and thus are beholden to the wills and whims of rich people.

Anyway—I really don't mean to rain on your parade, I promise, just food for thought. This is all intel that isn't clear to a reader of these mags on the outside looking in, and it's something I'd wish someone told me when I was just starting out. 

[meghan_sparkle]

On a slightly brighter, albeit literature-grad-unrelated note: since you're straight out of undergrad, if editing is something you're really serious about, my sincerest advice would be to look into copyediting courses, e.g. in NYU's Continuing Education department. Once you've done that and studied some of the literature (e.g. Carol Fisher Saller's The Subversive Copy Editor; Benjamin Dreyer's Dreyer's English) you can contact various organizations/publishers/magazines about copy-editing positions; in the case of publishers, they'll give you a copy-editing test, which if you pass could very well lead to some beginners freelance sub-editing. This is great because even if you're not in the exact place you want to end up, you still learn from an editor's edits, which is crucial and tbh rarer and rarer in the modern world, imo. Freelance editing isn't a job (or I guess, it would be really hard to make it one?) but it can certainly lead you to a job in journalism or publishing. Anyway, sorry to ramble—good luck!

[AP]

My best (academic) editos are historians ?

[Bumblebea]

No. As others have said, you absolutely do not need an MA in English (let alone a PhD) to get an editing job. 

If you're interested in the technical side of editing, you might look at taking online courses in technical writing--Oregon State has a really reputable course for under $500. You might also look at joining the Society for Technical Communication, which also has seminars and certifications. 

But if you're looking to get into journalism, your best bet is to try to publish some pieces so that you have a portfolio, and keep a lookout for internships.