September 2001

Dear Readers:

From what can be read on writing and journalism-related message boards, it seems that editors have earned an undeserved reputation as mean, unpleasant curmudgeons. Perhaps writers often envision us hunkered down over a desk, wielding red pens, avoiding answering the phone, and generally being cranky. The truth is... a day in the life of an editor is incredibly busy. Are you curious enough to dare find out what it's like? Read on.

Editing for a magazine, especially one that covers communications technology -- still one of the hottest industries -- is an incredibly tasking challenge. It is imperative that we are up-to-date on the latest news announcements and industry trends. To that end, we are grateful to the PR reps and marcomm specialists who help us realize just how much is going on out there. As much as we would like to acknowledge the receipt of every press release, such a chore is impossible. On an average day, we receive upwards of 20 press releases e-mailed to us directly, in addition to faxes and snail-mailed envelopes. Oh, if this were enough!

We also spend a great deal of time scanning headlines -- panning for gold, if you will. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement over cool technology, however we also have to keep our readership in mind. Sixty-six percent of our readers said that they have used ideas and information found in Communications Solutions magazine's articles, reviews, columns, and news. If the news is of no importance to them, we can't spend precious time concerning ourselves with it.

In addition to funneling news items from the wide reaches of cyberspace straight down to the neatly categorized editorial sections in our book, Com Sol editors also prepare content based on our editorial calendar. If the topic happens to have attracted a lot of news of late, we will often write the article ourselves, amassing a collection of relevant releases, and often contacting companies (both notable players and up-and-comers) to request brief contributions, such as a sidebar, or a response to a Q&A.

We also look to industry experts (engineers, product managers, and marketing executives representing vendors; analysts and consultants; and representatives of industry associations) to write in-depth articles. As you might imagine, this is an opportunity that many people find interesting, and we receive many article abstracts that appeal to our interests. Com Sol editors find ourselves having to make difficult decision of choosing just one out of several intelligent, thought-provoking queries.

True, editing for Com Sol can be difficult and stressful. After all, it's easy to become cynical when nearly every product is touted as "best-in-breed" and every company an "industry leader." But we are able to drill down and get to the core information so we are able to pass that on to you. It is, after all, our job to inform and enlighten our readers. And it is especially rewarding when we receive feedback on the material we run. Although we are busy people, we encourage you to offer your insights on the material contained within these covers. Perhaps we won't be able to respond right away, but we will certainly appreciate and consider your views and comments.

-- The Editors

People who are interested in contributing to Communications Solutions are welcome to view our editorial calendar online and contact the editor who handles the appropriate section (Enabling Technologies, Corporate Solutions, Interactive Commerce, Next-Gen Networks/Services). Our editorial guidelines can be found here. Please contact managing editor Carol Bancroft with any questions.

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