Job Responsibilities
All Media Guide has two primary functions: maintaining a free website consisting
of
an extensive database featuring reviews and synopses for music, film, and video
games, and selling the contents of this database to other companies. This
process of
selling our content -- otherwise known as licensing -- gives businesses the
option of
buying a massive amount of entertainment media for a significantly lower cost
than
hiring their own team of writers, editors, and fact checkers.
It is the previous sentence that most accurately describes my responsibilities
as a
content editor. There are a number of daily and weekly tasks to be completed.
These include:
1. Responding to customer corrections and complaints. Three days a week, for
approximately and hour and a half each day depending on the volume of e-mail and
the amount of research required, I check through a file containing e-mails sent
from
customers who believe they have found an error in our information (these e-mails
are
primarily from casual site readers, not licensees). Often viewers of a
particular film
will feel our review is too biased one way or another. I am responsible for
checking
the general consensus of the films in question and using my discretion to
determine whether or not our review contrasts too much with national opinion.
For
example: if director James Cameron's Titanic had been given a terrible review
and a
low star rating, it is likely we would edit this review and bump up its rating
due to the
film's historical significance, financial success, and almost exclusively
positive
feedback. I am also responsible for checking claims of factual inaccuracy. If,
for
example, a customer notes that we have the wrong director listed for a
particular
film, I am required to research whether or not the customer is correct. If AMG
did get
it wrong, I make sure the right information is added.
2. Writing product synopses and reviews. Many people ask me the question, "Do
you
need to see everything you write about?" The answer is no. For a general
product
synopsis, we are given a press kit or access to an official website; with this
information, we construct a short paragraph consisting of an unbiased
explanation of
the film or video's subject matter. Synopses for non-fiction titles, such as
exercise
videos and cooking specials, require no more than 40 to 60 words. Film
synopses,
on the other hand, are normally between 250 and 500 words, and are meant to give
potential viewers of the film a detailed plot summary. To write a film review,
i.e., an
opinionated analysis of the film's overall quality, one must have seen the
movie. To
write a review, editors must enter their name into a company-specific computer
application and reserve "dibs" on reviewing a particular film. It is not
required to
write reviews, and the company, unfortunately, does not pay us to attend movie
screenings. However, most editors find themselves reviewing 2-5 films a month
--
typically, it takes one to two hours to complete a review. Completing synopses
takes
up a more more substantial part of my time; in a typical week, I will spend five
hours
per day summarizing the plots of upcoming films and straight-to-video releases.
3. General website content maintenance. I spend 2 to 3 hours per work day
ensuring
that our content is as extensive as possible. If a film contains adult
situations, it is
my responsibility to note this and suggest whether the film is unsuitable for
children
or teens. I also add general thematic descriptors -- comedy, romantic drama,
film
noir, disaster film, etc. -- to hundreds of film titles per week in an effort to
give our
customers the most detailed information possible.
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Job Requirements
An AMG employee generally has a liberal arts degree. Many of us are former film
majors; others, including myself, studied journalism. Employees often refer to
AMG
as "the place where English majors go to die," and it isn't untrue -- there are
more
writers and and film buffs at AMG than there are upper management and technical
positions. Familiarty with computers helps a great deal -- though many of our
applications were designed specifically for our database, Fox Pro, Excel, and
Microsoft Word are used extensively as well. Most AMG editors can type at least
75
words per minute.
There is not a specific academic program one must take to get a job at AMG, or,
I
imagine, as a content editor in general. A strong background in writing is
required,
of course, as is a firm understanding of basic copyediting symbols. Due to the
nature
of the job, it is preferred that potential candidates have a passion for movies
and pop
culture. Most of us are self-professed film-geeks.
A pefect candidate for the position of web content editor for AMG would have
majored in writing and minored in film studies, but this is not set in stone.
Some
employees have no college education, but submitted enough content by freelancing
to earn a position based on that work. I cannot stress the importance of
providing
examples of one's work to a potential employer.
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Uppers
The best part of writing for a website is, to those who love write, the ability
to use your talents on a day-to-day basis and be paid for it. There is
relatively little stress with this job -- since the demands don't often change
drastically, it is fairly easy to plan a routine and stick to it without being
forced to exceed 40 hours per week. Since there is little direct interaction
with customers, there is virtually no dress code; some people elect to wear their
flannel pajama pants to work when it gets chilly, and no one so much as bats an
eye. Writers and editors are generally very creative people, and working with
them is a fun and oftentimes enlightening experience. I feel priviliged to have
met most of my co-workers.
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Downers
While the lack of drastic change and stressful deadlines can be a blessing, it
is also a
curse. The daily routine vascillates so little that the hours can creep by at a
snail's
pace and really suck the life out of you. Even though most writers, obviously,
love
their skill, writing the same type of material all day, every day, becomes very
tedious.
Self-motivation and passion for your work is extraordinarily important in this
type of
position; without it, you will be miserable, no ifs, ands, or buts. Salary is
also,
unfortunately, a downer -- we make less than 30k a year, which doesn't go
incredibly
far. Raises are sparse and small when they do occur; staff is so small that
advancement opportunities are far and few between.
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Lifestyle
There is no business travel involved.
The lifestyle of a writer/editor for a website is very much the lifestyle of
anyone employed by a full-time corporation. The hours are 8a.m.-5p.m. (or 9-6)
depending on one's preference, five days a week. Overtime is rarely required.
As mentioned previously, there is no dress code -- t-shirts, jeans, sneakers, and
virtually anything else is permitted, though provocative clothing is frowned
upon.
I would not say there is a lot of diversity in my work, though that may be a
fault of the company and not the position. The company is mostly white, though
there are some Asians and African-Americans.
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Compensation
The base salary for my position is $26,000, though because of my experience I
was
hired in at $27,000. After 90 days, upon a positive evaluation, employees
receive a
raise of $500. There are no incentives or stock options; however, each
Christmas
employees receive a bonus of $250. After a year of employment, one becomes
eligible for for a 3% raise depending on their evaluation. Benefits include a
401k plan
and a complete health benefits package (includes vision and dental) with an
optional
flex spending program available.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Before taking on a professional writing position, examine your abilities -- are
you a
strictly creative writer, or can you put your opinions and flourishes aside to
write
what, oftentimes, is standard, boring material? Are you capable of writing for
5+
hours per day without becoming sloppy? Are you a technically accurate writer,
or do
you need lots of copyediting? Are you meticulous? If the answer to any of
these
questions is no, I do not recommend this position.
However, if you answered yes to the above questions, the outlook for this type
of
position is quite good. Content is a rapidly growing industry -- as the
Internet
becomes bigger and businesses add online components, the need for site contents
of
all kinds is overwhelming. This is not a job that can be outsourced to a third
world
country, and while the staff is small, the likelihood of getting laid off is
relatively
small.
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