If you can dream it, you can do it
Editor-in-chief of Minnesota Bride and Wisconsin Bride Sarah Baumann Rogers talks about her journey in the magazine industry.
By BERET LEONE | Web editor
Sarah Baumann Rogers is an editor-in-chief of Minnesota Bride and Wisconsin Bride. She’s been in the magazine industry for ten years and had some insight and advice to college students pursuing a job like hers.
What does a typical day look like for you?
“The good part about my job is that the days look very different depending on where we are in the publication cycle! It’s always interesting. I start out by coming into our office in Downtown East, I respond to emails, then I dig into work on whatever issue we’re working on. That means I could be: researching story ideas, assigning stories to writers, planning our issue’s pagination, writing a story myself, editing copy that comes in from our writers, proofing layouts, meeting with our art director to plan the look of the magazine, attending photo shoots to approve images and model looks, etc. It’s always something new!”
What are some of your duties and responsibilities?
“In my main gig at Tiger Oak Publications, I am in charge of producing Minnesota Bride and Wisconsin Bride magazines. I oversee every little thing that goes into the magazines, from start to finish. Every issue is a blank slate, so I sit down at the start of every issue to figure out what it will look like and what stories will go into it. Then I work with our art director to start producing our photo shoots. I assign out all of our stories to freelance writers. I edit all the copy for the magazine. I do some writing myself for our magazines. I proof our magazines pages before they go to press. In addition to that, I’m involved in events that our magazine hosts, and I also attend events that happen in our industry to stay connected.”
Have you ever had a crisis or an editing horror story? How do you deal with stuff like that?
“There are always crises — thankfully most of them are small and can be swiftly handled. One of the biggest problems is when a story you’ve assigned to a write comes in and it’s not at all what you wanted. But if you’ve built enough time into your production schedule, you have the time to go back to the writer and let them know what edits you need from them — even if there are a lot of them.
“We’ve had a source pull out of a story at the last minute, but again, the key to that is having enough time to re-work your story or find a new source.
“Because our magazine is so visual, we do a lot of photo shoots. So, another crisis that could happen would be merchandise that we borrowed getting damaged on a photo shoot. Then you need to work with the vendor who supplied it to figure out a course of action.
“In all cases, professionalism, organization and time management are key.”
How did you get to where you are today? What jobs led you to your current position?
“I have always loved magazines, and it was my dream to work for one. I studied English and Studio Art in college, and embarked on several internships in the publishing industry. I’ve been working in publishing in some way or another, part time or full time, intern or employee, since graduating. I’ve worked as a freelance writer, the editor for a city lifestyle publication, as a writer of ad copy, as a style editor, and currently as editor in chief of the Bride magazines. Other jobs that aren’t directly related to my current job have actually helped, as well. For instance, my work in the beauty industry as a freelance makeup artist gave me fresh insight into the fashion shoots that we produce for the magazine.”
Did you have a mentor? How did they impact you?
“There have been so many people who I’ve found to be inspirational in my 10 years in this industry. I watched them lead by example, and especially when I was getting started, they were gracious in giving me opportunities to get my feet wet and guiding me when I needed assistance.”
“To be a bit cliche — if I can dream it, I can do it.”
What is the best or most rewarding part of your job?
“I absolutely love the creativity of my job. To be a bit cliche — if I can dream it, I can do it. There’s a lot of creative freedom and I love being able to see my ideas come to life. That includes working with insanely talented people who help make that happen, from our art director to some of our fabulous writers, to the photographers, hair and makeup artists and stylists that work on our photo shoots.”
What is the worst part of your job?
“A hard question, indeed! There are no truly bad parts, of course. But it is a challenge! There are always a lot of moving parts to manage, and sometimes that can put you off schedule. It can be hard to get caught up at these times — but press dates wait for no one. So some times there are long work days/weeks. This week, for instance!*”
*This past week was publication week.
What are some of the necessary skills in this field of work? How did you learn these skills?
“So many, of course. But to name a few: creativity, keen writing and editing abilities, flexibility, reliability, keen eye for detail, critical thinking, industry savvy, deadline-management, public speaking — in my line of work, though not all editorial positions — complex problem solving, cooperation.
“My scholarly education was essential in every way, but on-site in the field was where I learned the most.”
What sort of skills do you look for in interns?
“Mostly, talent at writing editing, reliability, enthusiasm, interest in the industry.”
“My most oft-given advice is to get as much experience as you can. Write for your student paper or magazine. Write just for you.”
What is some advice you have for college students in journalism?
“A wonderful choice! My most oft-given advice is to get as much experience as you can. Write for your student paper or magazine. Write just for you. Write a blog. Write everything and anything. Get an internship or 3. If you’re looking to apply for a specific internship, practice writing in the style of that magazine and submit some of those samples with your application. Reach out to people in the industry and make connections.”
Speaking with Sarah taught and inspired me in a variety of ways. Sometimes I get caught up about grades and academics — not that it’s not valuable and important but speaking with Sarah reminded me that it’s not everything. For the field that I want to go into passion is so important and she has inspired me to do things and gain experience more for myself and my own passions rather than for a grade.
I loved what Sarah said about her most rewarding part of her job: “If I can dream it, I can do it.” I think that it’s a beautiful mantra to live by. I occasionally feel as though my dreams get lost in the politics of journalism.
Reaching out to Sarah is something I probably would never have done if it weren’t an assignment, yet Sarah emphasized the importance of networking. That is something that I need to work on. Sarah has stirred the passion that got a little lost this semester. Overall I had a great experience interacting with Sarah; it’s pretty cool to have a connection in the industry!
This interview has been edited and condensed by Beret Leone
