My Thoughts on the Gina Tomaine Interview

The initial parallel that struck me between our class and the Gina Tomaine interview is the “journey” we often talk about to land a position in a publishing house. As we have come to find out, the social foundation of this particular industry is crucial, and often will aid one in finding a job. Gina, like many others, had a winding path which eventually led to becoming the Health and Wellness Editor at Philadelphia Magazine. She talks about leaving Boston Magazine to move back to Pennsylvania, where she was doing freelance work for some time. I don’t know about you guys, but the lack of a steady income that many authors and editors alike experience scares me. I forget where, but I read something recently that said publishing is a survival of the fittest industry, and you have to fight your way through the competition. Whilst this is true of many industries, it is one of the bigger ones, I think, where being freelance is ubiquitous in nature. Do you think this is what may deter some from entering or sustaining a publishing career? Often, as seen with Tomaine, on the other side awaits a dream job.

What is described as the “best training” to see how a reporter or writer’s mind work is the job of fact-checking. In doing so, you are retracing the steps of the writer, following their line of logic, and in doing so, reviewing the history or accuracy of the subject at hand. I feel like this skill would be undeniably useful as an editor, as part of the job is understanding the writer or writer’s intent and then being able to make it universally understood. 

Something I didn’t know magazines, like Philly Mag, require is an outline of each story. I definitely see their value, especially given the shorter time frame between writing a piece and having it published in comparison to books. Does this mean some of the research or interviews have to happen before a story gets approved, or is it really basic formatting things? And how does it work when you’re trying to stay on top of the news and publish something quickly and digitally?

In light of COVID-19, many publishing industries have had to cut back on staff in order to stay afloat. Tomaine says over at Philly Mag, everyone is furloughed for a month (if they weren’t ones that were laid off), but their jobs remain intact upon their return. With print books and magazines already in trouble with modern digitalization, how do you guys think the global pandemic will affect these industries moving forward? Do you think this will catalyze a big push to digital? Tomaine explained how digital traffic has increased 75%, given that more people are spending time online and searching for cabin fever cures during this period of isolation. I’m sure smaller publishers in particular will struggle to stay open. That being said, she said regional magazines/city mags have a dedicated readership given the niche of the magazine, so who is most at risk? For those that have been on co-ops, or may have been hired recently for an upcoming one, have you heard how they’re doing? 

Other questions:

• Is anyone interested in publishing thinking about or wanting to pursue a career in magazine publishing?

• Where do you see print magazines in the future, if at all?

• Why do you think having an online presence for print magazines is important?

• As an editor for a book, the author’s voice has to shine through. For a magazine, it’s the house’s that is most important. What limitations do you see with this?