A Variety of New Ventures

Thus far, each week of my internship has been full of new knowledge and experiences. At the beginning of this week, however, I was worried that the newness trend would end. Most of the things I worked on in the office this week were things I’ve done in previous weeks, but there turned out to be plenty of new and interesting experiences in store for me.

(Above: red folders filled with submissions stack up around Friends Journal)

The week began pretty regularly. I worked on my long-term projects, commented on articles for the upcoming special issue on Quaker education, and did quite a bit of proofreading for the August issue, which will be printed soon. I’m still trying to draw a clear distinction between copyediting and proofreading, which both involve carefully reading a manuscript for errors. I think that copyediting describes most of the editing I do and proofreading is more of a final check after an edited, formatted copy of the article has been ‘run out’ or printed. It amazes me that after so many edits there are still errors to be discovered right before sending an issue to the printer. It can feel pretty tedious to reread an article I’ve already edited, but I’ve actually caught errors that I didn’t notice the first time.

This week’s notably new experiences began on Wednesday at lunch when a bunch of my fellow interns and I went to Chinatown for lunch. I had never been to Chinatown before and there were lots of new sights and smells—unfortunately Chinatown on a hot summer day was not the most pleasant place for my nose to be. Regardless, we found a charming, reasonably priced Chinese restaurant and had a fun time! I always look forward to lunch breaks with the other interns. Usually we all bring lunches and eat together outside. Depending on the day there are typically at least four or five of us and it’s fun to get to know each other while enjoying the summer sun (or preferably the shade).

Following Wednesday’s lunch adventure I got to work on writing some short descriptions of the articles for the August issue’s table of contents. Someone else had drafted a set of descriptions, but my task was to rework them to add variety to the way each was worded. I learned afterward that the descriptions were meant to be as short as possible while still being full sentences, so unfortunately mine had to be shortened and simplified. But hey, at least some of my words got in there and I'll know what to do if I ever get a chance to try again! Completing new tasks like this one reminds me that there are so many steps to publishing an issue that I never really think about. It seems obvious now, but I had never considered that someone needed to write those descriptions.

The final adventure of this week was my commute home today. It started pouring about twenty minutes before I needed to leave and let up somewhat for my walk to the station. I arrived only slightly soggy, thinking I had lucked out by missing the worst of it. Well, I was pretty wrong. The weather caused a lot of delays and I waited for almost an hour to get on a very crowded train. I did not enjoy waiting on the humid platform or standing in the over-crowded train, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sense camaraderie I felt from the other passengers. People joked with each other, offered up their seats, and displayed a great deal of patience for the situation.

Week 3? Whoa!

I can't believe that I just finished my third week at Friends Journal! Time is flying.

This week was lighter on the editing than the past two weeks have been. The August issue is almost ready for its mock-up printing, and September and October are well under way. With less concentration on preparing articles for publication I had time to start my long-term project. All Friends Journal interns choose a project to work on when not completing daily editorial and production tasks. Some have written articles for publication in Friends Journal. Many other interns choose to work on an anthology–a book of previously published articles on a particular topic such as peace, Quaker history, or parenting. Friends Publishing Corporation recently published one of these anthologies: Answering Terror: Responses to War and Peace after 9/11/01.

Both project ideas appeal to me. I'm interested in book publishing so taking part in creating an anthology sounds like a really cool opportunity. However, I also like the idea of doing some writing and research of my own. So, as of now I'm hoping to take advantage of both opportunities. I've started collecting articles for an anthology on Quaker heroes and historical figures and I'm thinking about possible directions for an article.

Of the two projects, writing an article feels like a much larger challenge. Writing is a lot more personal than selecting articles for a book and as a non-Quaker I don't feel completely comfortable writing for a predominately Quaker audience. Why should Friends Journal readers care about what I have to say? What if my views are very different from theirs? What could I possibly have to say? What do I even want to say? Past interns have written about their first experiences with Quakerism, its impact on their lives–but I want to do something different. What new thoughts can I offer?

I've kept these questions in mind as I've read and edited articles, noting the relationship between Quaker values and my own moral and religious beliefs. I've definitely seen some overlap, which I actually hoped and expected to find. The small religious high school I attended was part of a Quaker sports league–one that emphasized sportsmanship and friendly competition–so I expected to share Quaker values at least on some level. I hope to continue to explore this connection and to look for a unique way to present it. I also want to look into possible historical interactions between Quakers and members of my own church community. I'm not really sure what I'll find, (if I find anything at all) but I think it's worth exploring.

How many interns does it take to edit effectively?

A lot more than I originally thought. At Friends Journal anywhere from five to ten different people read the same article multiple times and each person sees different improvements to make.

This week I’ve enjoyed starting to participate in lots of different stages of Friends Journal’s production. I spent most of the week reading and commenting on submissions for the October issue, and copyediteding feature articles, book reviews, and forum pieces for August. I also got to participate in a layout meeting where we discussed the August cover and page layouts. So much time and thought goes into each article to take it from an author’s idea to a published piece and I really like being a part of that process. I’m also finding copyediting to be surprisingly satisfying—I guess the perfectionist in me enjoys polishing grammar and discovering missing punctuation.

Although I'm enjoying my editorial work, I'm certainly experiencing a learning curve. Like anyone in a new position I’ve made some errors—I’ve used the wrong editing symbols, had to ask for directions to be repeated, and forgotten to save my work. I’m a little self-conscious when editing the work of others or when making comments that other staff members and interns will read. However, as I become more familiar with Friends Journal's procedures my confidence, especially as a copyeditor, is steadily increasing. I guess I’m just going to have to work on trusting myself and on asking for help when I need it.

Speaking of overcoming insecurities, I'm feeling very confident in my train-taking and navigational skills. After testing a few routes from train station to office I finally found the fastest one! What took me about ten minutes the first few days now only takes about five. I took the picture above along my route on a particularly beautiful day this week.

On Submissions, Style, and (Web)Sites

After only three days at Friends Journal I feel like I’ve already learned and done so much! On Wednesday, my second day, I attended my first staff meeting and finished my orientation exercises. First I examined the paperwork regarding the February 2010 issue to learn everything I could about how Friends Journal is put together. The Journal is comprised mostly of unsolicited articles—Quakers and even some non-Quakers submit hundreds of articles every year on a variety of topics involving personal experience, current events, controversial issues, and their relationship to Quakerism. A manuscript takes quite a journey once it is submitted. First multiple editors and interns read each submission to decide if it is appropriate for publishing in Friends Journal. If the manuscript is accepted several interns and editors copyedit it, corrections and comments are returned to the author, and the art department adds the new draft to the complete magazine layout, which is proofread again and again before printing.

My next exercise was a lesson in copyediting, which involves checking spelling, grammar, style, and facts. Before I could practice actually looking for errors I needed to know the specific notations for correcting them. Corrections have to be consistent so that everyone who looks at a manuscript is on the same page (yes, literally and figuratively). My assignment was to take an electronic version of any piece of writing, to introduce errors into it that would demonstrate my ability to correct each kind of error I’ll encounter, and then to print it out and make corrections in proper form. It took a while for me to get the hang of Friends Journal’s copyediting style, but after repeating the exercise I felt a lot more confident.

The final orientation exercise was to critique the Friends Journal website after exploring the websites of three other comparable journals. I shared my thoughts with the senior editor and then compiled them into an email, which he forwarded to the webmaster. At first I felt slightly uncomfortable critiquing the Journal’s website, but I also felt that I had suggestions that might actually improve the website and I was excited to contribute my ideas so early on.

On Thursday I got to start work on an actual issue. I spent most of the day formatting submissions for October and readying them for their first round of editing. Although formatting can be tedious work I found that I actually enjoyed it! Later I joined other interns to work on a mailing and I learned how to operate a machine that simultaneously seals and stamps envelopes.

I am enjoying my work at Friends Journal thus far and I appreciate the friendly environment I get to work in. I am grateful for the company of my fellow interns and for the cheerful guidance of Friends Journal staff members.

First Day Fears

My summer internship at Friends Journal has begun! I will admit up front that I had quite a few fears coming into today, beginning with my commute. Although I’ve lived in the suburbs of Philadelphia my entire life I haven’t ventured into the city very often and am not completely comfortable using public transportation (something I look forward to gaining confidence in this summer). I was nervous about taking the train, especially after a startling train experience a few months ago when I went for my interview. About halfway into the trip the train car in front of mine filled with smoke due to a problem with the brakes. The passengers in that car relocated so that we could inch along to the next station and switch trains. I, embarking on my first solitary train experience, was not too traumatized but was quite late. Luckily I had written down my future supervisor's phone number so I was able to explain my tardiness (lesson one, always be prepared).

Thankfully, all went smoothly this morning and after completing my journey I faced my next fear: making my entrance. As with any new experience, a heap of unknowns weighed heavily on my mind: what would be expected of me? Who would I meet? What would they think of me? I felt, at risk of being cliché, like a fish out of water. As I opened the office door I took a deep breath and jumped into whatever metaphorical body of water awaited.

I soon discovered that I had not jumped into the large turbulent ocean I feared, but rather a very friendly…lake! I was introduced to staff members and fellow interns and set to work completing a series of orientation tasks. I studied the last twelve issues of the Journal, noting my impressions, observations, and questions regarding content and policies. I also read four feature articles, making notes both before and after reading. I then discussed my notes with my supervisor, the senior editor. I began a third exercise, selecting one issue and examining all of the paperwork associated with its production (edited drafts, emails, etc.). I will continue this and other tasks during the rest of this week as I settle in. I look forward to beginning work reading submissions, editing, and learning about all areas of periodical production and publishing. My first day was not so fearsome after all.