Friday, June 18, 2010

Esquire, Editor David Granger

listening to the editor and chief of Esquire magazine. live blogging beginning now. we decided to mess with our covers. Magazine covers are always boring so we decided to overwhelm people with content on our magazine cover. Started to do origami on cover. biggest strangest thing we did make the magazine more interactive. Exclusive to magazine and could only have if they have the magazine. Professional writers are all so daunting. Made collection of their work in the 21 st centruy. Have a list of all the writing they have done in the 21st century. Wrote. A story of where Bill Clinton left us. John Sack covered every war for Esquire from Korea to Iraq. the falling man trying to find identity of guy who jumped off of world trade building during 911. Fours years after sept. 11th covered the rebuilding of the world trade center. a thousand dollar for your dog. Would you sell your cell phone, wedding ring, or your dog. fantastic story. Story about abortion doctors are killed. Roger Ebert dealing with cancer. reading online journal and talks about life. 5000 words of inner monologue. His voice is his inner voice. Life giving power of writing. The guy that wrote this is very passionate and that writing is more powerful now like how exert lost his voice a now his writing voice is hugely moving and powerful. Very viral event and many people tweeted about it. Ways to break into Esquire magazine.1. Must be job to do dumb ass stuff to pull people to the writing. Makes the writing more necessary. most of the stories written were in freelancers, Some people do make it in Esquire. He likes balls. One writer bought two boxes of donuts and one was for security guard other was for bottom of the food chain editors. 2. Never going to get better unless you are willing to be terrible. The last days of Heath Ledger. Writer wrote version of this and then they didn't like it and then she rewrote it eight hours later as inside of heath's head.3. Doesn't like to say no to freelancers. But with recession it is more common. Newbie wrote about Iraq and withdrawal of our troops. Got someone to pay all expenses all they were risking was writers fee. They are publishing story. 4. Really like reporting. Have impossible standard, key to great nonfiction is always in the details. Chris jones did 101 interviews and understood the entire thing and new all the minor details. The bulk of writers are in the Internet age. 5. Love the writers that write. People that are constantly writing. Because every time they write they get better. for the future of writing I am a fundamentalist. Regardless values that most be fought full. Writing injures vigilance. So many years where esquire has nearly died. Cause great joy and pain and suffer.

Q: How do you draw women into audience.
A: we are a magazine for men but we don't try to exclude anybody.

Q: whats your email address. What type of scotch you drink.
A:

Q: What is another way to get something read in terms of pitches?
A: there is no easy way to get a gig with us.

Q: what areas would Ike to cover in the future.
A: best and brightest section, profile of people who are trying to do positive things. Needs automative and commerce and solar power and space exploration.

Q: what kind of tech stuff is next?
A: do all sorts of cool stuff on esquire.com. Do daily affirmation and have beautiful women say nice things to men. might have the only phone app for a magazine that made some magazine. Solidly made five figures. Doing an iPad application, that will come out soon and it is a huge pain in the ass. Likes to enhance paper version of magazine first but like augment reality thing more. what you can do with primitive print is so Primitive.

Q: what do you think of writers who can do multimedia stuff.
A: its all about if you have skill. Flip cameras are just so good. Doing Reporting entirely on film and video. Because of what Pad can do for video is so exciting.

Q: what are your readers are doing this weekend.
A: driving a mini with two bike racks and staying in cool hotel at Zion national park and get there just before sunrise and ride down and eat big eggs and bacon breakfast .

Q: what does it take to be a great editor?
A: had an editor that said hey granger as header with stuff he wanted to do. File with 770 single ideas. He wants an idea that is so exclusive and imaginative. If this is true then this must be true and I am going to find this.

Q: where do you find the money to do good stories?
A: there are not a lot of places go do this. A lot of places that will sponsor good reporting. There are magazine that value good reporting.

A: our web presents blows in a way.

The Future of Freelance Writing

New business cards made, website up, portfolio in print... I am ready for the future of freelance writing conference tomorrow and Saturday.