Work the Net

If Ed's told us once, he's told us a million times: sometimes, who you know can be just as important as what you know. In some publishing houses, it's more important than what you know.

With that in mind, I've been trying to get to know as many of the people who work around me as possible. Whether they're interns, assistants or seasoned editors, I wanna know who they are, what they do, and how they might be able to help me get a job in the future.

So, this morning, I delivered mail to the editorial and publishing sides of two different magazines and a completely different department on our floor that has nothing to do with publishing whatsoever (I still have yet to figure out what they do). It was certainly an adventure, and I got to meet a lot of different people.

It was not only an exercise in icebreaking, but also a great way to see how a magazine works. This goes without saying, but keeping a brand alive takes more than a dedicated editorial staff. There are two ad reps for every staff writer, a healthy web staff, a team of girls in our multiple fashion closets who really can run in heels, and all of the market editors and writers and assistants and photographers and designers you could ever hope to meet.

If you have the time, take the opportunity to get to know your staff better. You'll make a lot of contacts, you'll get to know how your book runs, and the people who have dedicated offices with doors that close might stop referring to you as "the intern."

Have a good weekend, kids! More on Monday!

- Trade Intern