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Chapter Four:
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WORKING WITH EDITORS
ILLUSTRATORS
, VENDORS
AND
INFORMATION
,
,
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In publication design, notes Jeremy Leslie,
“Essentially you have an editor and an art
director on equal footing. A good editor has
to have an understanding of design even if
they don’t design, and a senior designer has
to have a good understanding of words. The
best magazines come from the best teams.”
Like most great partnerships, the one between
editor and designer should be based on build-
ing personal and intellectual rapport—you
may be fortunate and stumble upon an ideal
situation, but it’s more likely that you’ll need
to create it. “You’re never going to have a
great budget, great editor, great staff, and
great subject matter all in one,” Ina Saltz
points out. “But if you have a great relationship
with your editor, then it’s a good job no matter
what any of the other factors are. Because it’s
all about the power of the merging of visuals
and content, there has to be a partnership and
a trust and mutual reliance and respect. And to
that end, the art director has to appreciate the
power of the written word and the editor has
to have good visual instincts.” When all those
elements come together, you get not only a
magazine of excellence but a gratifying per-
sonal experience as well. “Working with great
editors is like a drug,” laughs Saltz. “It’s very
addictive and very satisfying.”
THE EDITOR IS YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR PARTNER
JEREMY LESLIE
INA SALTZ
74
Red magazine, designed by Agnes Zeilstra,
captures the lifestyle of the busy European
woman juggling family, fashion, career,
and friends.
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365 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
The best way to understand an editor and get
more out of them is to try and think like one.
As Arthur Hochstein notes, “Editors tend to
see designers as a rare, sensitive species, like
tropical plants or African violets. But if you can
talk the language of editors, they’ll bring you
into the process more.” Exactly how does a
designer learn to enter the editorial mind? “You
have to think about how something translates
to a reader, rather than just how it looks,”
Hochstein advises. “You have to see design
as a visual narrative, not just a decorative pro-
cess. This is a huge distinction because some
designers just think about the arrangement of
things, but we have a story to tell.”
THINK LIKE AN EDITOR
ARTHUR HOCHSTEIN
75
Red magazine, designed by Agnes Zeilstra
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