Maybe I AM Cut Out To Be A Magazine Editor

/ Stuart Danker
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The Men’s Folio Malaysia and Singapore teams

So… remember this post when I shat on the editor’s role? Well, this happened. Here’s the TLDR if you want to save the click—I am now the managing editor of Men’s Folio Malaysia. 

Since it’s been three months since taking on the new role, I can’t think of a better time to discuss the flip side of the coin. Because today, we’re going to explore all the good things about being an editor for a lifestyle magazine.

1. Grow socially (by force, mostly)

Look, you probably know this already. Put me in a room with five other people and give me a choice between making new friends or eating cardboard—and I’ll break out the cutlery just to save everybody’s time. Small talk does not come naturally to me, and my superpower is imparting discomfort through small talk alone.

But just like any other flaw, you becomes less sucky the more you expose yourself to it. Thanks to the nature of lifestyle media, I’ve met more people this past year than the past decade combined (not hyperbole), and this has improved my interactions through sheer brute force.

Every time I fumble through an event, I effectively lay the groundwork for a better me for future events. I learn the best moment to whip out my business card, for example, or how to shimmy myself into an ongoing conversation.

These are skills I never knew I could attain, especially since I’ve always painted myself as a social newbie. This has helped dispel my life’s biggest doubts as well, allowing me to venture beyond the box I’ve contained myself in.

2. Enjoy once-in-a-lifetime experiences

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You get access to the best and latest

Most work assignments aren’t replicable, even if you have the money. And some experiences stick with you for life. After all, how often do people pay you to have a trip of your lifetime?

You get to visit different countries just for a new product launch. You get to be one of the first visitors at a newly-opened resort. You even get to taste ten-thousand-dollar whiskies.

I’ve forged so many strong bonds from these trips; friends who give me a knowing nod whenever we meet again at local events. I’ve planned my own adventure or two in my life, but press trips give you such unique stories that they end up being your core memories. This alone is worth the price of admission.

3. Meet interesting people

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You get to meet all types of people in everyday life

Not only are you expected to get in touch with all the biggest brands in the world, you also get to speak to some pretty interesting personalities. But that’s the obvious bit.

On the side, you get to cross paths with notable photographers, caterers, printers, CEOs, financiers, and event managers, each with their ability to enrich your personal life. 

Need a photographer for your wedding? You’ll have someone on your Contacts list. Friend looking for an event venue? You can help there. There’s something to be said about having a strong network, and being in media provides that.

4. Learn the neglected side of writing

In most cases, you write less when you take on the editor’s role. But what people don’t know is that you’re still essentially writing the entire magazine. 

Yes, you might not be the one filling the blank page, but every article will require you to go at it with a hammer and chisel. Basically, it’s your responsibility to ensure that every single piece shares the brand’s values.

And you have to do this on so many levels: grammatical, factual, even ensuring that the captions match the pictures. I never knew the difference between the Loewe Pebble and the Puzzle bags before this, for instance.

As someone who’s only cared about vomiting words his entire life, I have to say that my current job is rounding out my craft in an interesting way. And it will do that for you, too.

5. Discover the business side

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So much work of securing sponsors went into ou

Yeah, yeah, we all know that writers should mind the dollars and cents of the craft. But how many of us actually care? I sure as hell didn’t. Helming a magazine has changed that.

For instance, it doesn’t make sense to print a thick issue if ad revenue is low for the month. Because more pages mean more costs. And it doesn’t matter how well-written your stories are if nobody wants to buy a spot in your magazine. So you’ll need to actually go boots-on-ground and find out what clients actually want.

This goes against all I’ve ever cared for, and that’s to write what I want with zero thought for profit.

I’m not saying I’m going full-on marketing, with acronyms like ROI on CPC or what have you, but I’m starting to get a bigger picture of writing sustainably, and it will do us all well to at least learn how to monetise our craft. 

Don’t let me talk you out of it

So these are the perks of being an editor, and we’re only scratching the surface. It’s a pretty fun job, albeit a low-paying one.

But seeing how I’ve scared a few people from wanting to become an editor in my previous post, I now hope that I’ve offered an opposing enough view to balance the scales a little. 

So what do you say, yay or nay?

31 thoughts on “Maybe I AM Cut Out To Be A Magazine Editor”

  4. Stuart good to be back here. Congratulations on being a magazine editor. Wise lessons here too. I can only imagine how many fascinating people you meet in such a prominent positon.

    Ryan

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  5. Great to hear from you again! Congratulations on your new role – glad it’s treating you well!

    I’ve never really given it much thought but if this is true, it’s a yay from me –
    “Thanks to the nature of lifestyle media, I’ve met more people this past year than the past decade combined (not hyperbole), and this has improved my interactions through sheer brute force.” I’d do anything to master the elusive art of small talk 🥲😂

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  6. While I’m happy for your new role, I miss the old Stuart who wrote here weekly and kept me glued to his every word. I hope you will return to it again some day like you once did. Til then, I’ll be waiting.

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  7. Glad to know you are doing so well, Stuart. Keep sharing these updates. They are great to read because I usually don’t see any editor actually writing about their experiences, unless they are writing some kind of self-help book.

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    • The media industry is fun and demanding at the same time, but don’t think for a moment I’ve forgotten how fun it was when we used to interact regularly. Thanks for always showing support by commenting, Tanish!

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    • It’s so crazy that you’ve stuck with BJJ all this while, while I’ve been treating it like my writing—read: abandoned. I’m glad we’re connected on IG though, so here’s to more keeping in touch in 2025!

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      • Perhaps I’m unwittingly trying to pick up your slack? Not only have I thrown myself into BJJ, my first novel comes out next year (hence the name change). But I also love editing and trying new things, so I’m glad you’ve got that part of my/our personality covered. ;)

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  12. As with any new venture, there are pros and cons. I appreciate you letting us in behind the curtains. if it makes you happy, then why not?

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    • I guess we’re never truly happy 100% of the time, even when pursuing our ‘calling’. But yes, always love dropping updates in real life. Sure beats the ChatGPT stuff that’s been prevalent in the writing world these days—which might be an idea for a future update, lol. Great to see you again, Pete!

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