Full name/age/job title:

Eleanor Turney, 24, Editorial Co-ordinator for ArtsProfessional magazine.

Please give us an overview of your average day…

This is tough, because my average day depends on where we are in a press cycle. I start every day by battling with my inbox, sorting out the (hundreds) of press releases and article pitches, replying to contributors/potential contributors, filing news stories and newsletters, and then liaising with our intern about who’s going to write what.

I usually spend a couple of hours writing news, uploading it to our website and tweeting it out to our followers, but this can take longer if a story requires digging, phone calls, interviews for quotes etc. I also spend a fair amount of time thinking of hilariously witty things to say on Twitter…

Then, depending on what week it is, I am either editing copy, sourcing pictures, flat-planning the magazine and working with our designer; or sub-editing, proofing, cutting copy to fit on the page, chasing photo credits and writing news and features for the magazine; or working on news and links for our e-bulletins, uploading content to our templates and wrestling with Excel spreadsheets full of subscribers’ data.

What is the most common misconception about your job?

Probably that it’s glamourous all the time! Yes, I get to go to press nights, the odd conference and the occasional award ceremony, but most of my time is spent sitting at an (old) computer in an open-plan office in a village just outside Cambridge, where the most exciting thing is the duck pond.

The other misconception is that I like saying “no”. I don’t, but we get many more pitches than we have pages to fill, and a lot of these pitches are generic or not relevant to our readership, so they get turned down.

What is the hardest thing about your role?

The hard part is if you work on an article and the writer doesn’t like your changes – then diplomatic skills come into play. You have to try and reach a compromise where the author feels that the piece is still “theirs”, but it’s of publishable standard. This is not work to get into if you don’t enjoy a good argument from time to time!

There is also always the risk that someone won’t like a news story or interview you’ve written, so it can be difficult to stick to your guns (assuming you’re in the right and not libelous, of course) without making enemies.

When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life and how did you set out to achieve it?

I’m not sure I have yet decided what I want to do with my life! I knew from a fairly young age (I guess 15 or 16) that I wanted to write for a living, and never really considered doing anything at university apart from English Lit. I also knew from age 16, after doing a three-week summer school at Warwick University, that I wanted to go to there.

It wasn’t until I was actually at university and working on a newly founded student magazine that I discovered that I loved editing just as much as writing, and started thinking about it as a career. I wrote (and still write) as widely as possible, and did a couple of work experience placements. These were as much to see if I definitely wanted to go into editing/writing/journalism, as they were to boost my CV.

What can you do to get a head start?

Unfortunately, work experience is important, and this is likely to be unpaid. Working for a magazine before I applied for jobs definitely helped, as I had an insider’s knowledge of how a magazine is put together, from planning and commissioning through editing to design and proofing.

Otherwise, think about how you spend your time at university or during school, and fit in as much relevant stuff as you can. Talk to people, make overtures and seek out a mentor figure who might be able to give you tips, if not a foot in the door.

One caveat, though: don’t over-commit yourself. There is nothing more annoying than giving up your time to help someone – whether that’s a long reply to an email or an internship – who then doesn’t show up or say thank you. It’s a small world, and you will be doing yourself damage if you mess people around.

Could you describe the creative element to your job?

I get to write! Because I work in such a small team, my ideas get heard, and I have the freedom to suggest feature topics or one-off articles. I get to interview directors, chief executives, Arts Council employees, politicians, etc for the magazine, and I have a small hand in the layout (although our lovely designer gets all the credit for making the magazine look nice). Editing itself can be creative, too.

What one thing do you wish you had known at the start of your career that you know now?

If you can’t handle criticism or rejection, don’t pitch ideas – and I say that as both a pitching writer and a commissioning editor! Editors are sometimes woefully underappreciated; you often do an awful lot of invisible work on an article which the author then gets all the credit for. But, when it works, when a writer sees that you’ve made their work neater, stronger, better, then it is intensely satisfying.

Which organisations/websites/resources do you think would be useful for people entering your industry?

Well, obviously, ArtsProfessional is an incredibly useful resource for anyone looking to get into any kind of arts-related job, but I am biased! Have a look at the website or take out a free trial subscription to see for yourselves. Our sister site, Arts Job Finder, has all the latest jobs and opportunities in the arts and cultural sectors, too.

I’m a big advocate of newspapers: read a paper, preferably more than one, every day. Know what’s going on. I find it useful to read papers with opposing political ideologies, just so my thinking doesn’t get too cosy. I know which I tend to agree with and which will make me angry, but it’s useful nonetheless. I read bits of The Guardian, The Stage and The Telegraph every day.

Pitch articles to places, but tailor each pitch to the publication. Read submission guidelines, email the right person (and spell their name right!), and angle your pitch to their readership. Even if all you get is a bunch of rejections, lots of places keep names/suggestions on file, and you might well be able to get useful feedback.

Remember that no one needs to know how old you are in your pitch: use a professional email address and pitch succinctly, and if your pitch is good enough you’ll get the commission. If you do get a commission, use it as a springboard. This means obeying word counts and hitting deadlines. Simple stuff, but you’d be amazed how many people don’t.

Oh, and be on Twitter, and use it to engage. Think of it as a way to join in conversations that you wouldn’t otherwise be part of. I am almost evangelical about how useful it can be for making contacts and friends, picking up info, finding out about opportunities etc. I am @ArtsPro and @eleanorturney if you want to say hello.

Would you like to be featured in Job of the Week? If you work in the creative industries and would love to share your advice, expertise and experience with IdeasTap members, get in touch with our deputy editor at Luiza@ideastap.com.