SNAP: The World Unfolds

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CHAPTER THREE

While earning my chops as a good editor who could spot and fashion high-impact stories, I’d had a lot of views out of a lot of windows—and in a couple of cases no view, no window. Starting with regional magazines, I’d worked my way through weddings, food and women’s publications.  It was a short stint at Hello! (no window) that brought me to celeb gossip. And in the firmament of celebs, SNAP is the lodestar.

My new employer produces a five-day-a-week cable “news” show—the 7 p.m. version is new every night, the 10 p.m. show takes the top stories from the earlier one and updates—a  print weekly magazine, a daily blog and updates on Facebook and Twitter.  Actually, there are five editions of the magazine; English, French, German, Portuguese and American.  American is the main edition with stories, photos and features on world celebs in aristo land, sports, films, politics and the jetset.  Within the magazine, a center section is devoted to strictly American trendies.  Like zoned editions of  national magazines, this center section changes for each language so I’m responsible for offices and staffers in London, Paris, Munich and Rio.

The Brazilian edition sells well but the German edition is second in circulation to the American.  It covers German-speaking countries like Austria, Switzerland and the edges of what used to be the Eastern Bloc, primarily Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, countries with emerging popular cultures and a growing flood of money.

Jazz’ question about phones was serious.  I’d be spending much of every day with someone’s voice in my ear.

“I need a Bluetooth and wireless headset,” I told her.  “Where are supplies, in the credenza?”

“No, that’s a coffee service and glasses.  What else do you need?”

Even with electronic communications, it seems like a lot of trees are still dying. “I use yellow legal tablets and fine point black pens.  A good fountain pen with blue ink for legal documents, copy and printer paper, be sure and have a supply of heavy cotton blend bond for letters.  And make sure that the printer and copier are always full of paper and toner.  If either runs out, it won’t be pleasant.”

Her eyes rounded. “Yes, of course.”

I meant what I said earlier about being called Maxie around the office.  That didn’t mean I was thinking we were one big happy kumbaya family and I wanted to make sure the rules were laid down at the beginning. This devil didn’t wear Prada, but with my new salary, I was angling for Jimmy Choos.

I do my job.  I do it well.  One reason I do it well is that I’ve done everybody else’s job on the way up.  I expect that everyone will do their job as well as I did.  For some people, that’s a big burden.  I have no time for people who whine about their feelings being hurt or expect decisions be made through some kind of consensus.  I don’t have the time or the inclination to spend hours listening to staff dismember and discuss the minutia of things.

I’d worked hard and long to get to the top.  Now here, I was planning to savor all of it.

I  turned to Jazz. “Where’s your desk and how do I call you?”

“I’m in the cubicle right outside your door.  That pod has my assistant and four senior editors.  The assistants for the other executives have cubicles outside their doors.  The junior editors who handle freelancers are further back and the staff writers, researchers and fact-checkers work in the room we came through.

“If you need me, just hit this button,” she pointed to the top right of the embedded phone console.  “I’ll go get the supplies you asked for.  Can I get you coffee or anything?”

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