Four Ways Being a Magazine Editor Helps Me Write Fiction—and One Big Thing I Had to Learn

By Erin Quinn-Kong

When I was a sophomore in high school, I took an Intro to Journalism class where we learned about news and feature writing, the role of editors, and more. That was it—I knew what I wanted to do with my life. After attending the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I moved to New York City, where I was a junior editor at Allure and then a staff editor at Us Weekly. 

Life then took me to Austin, Texas, where I was editor-in-chief of Austin Monthly for five years. After having two babies and becoming a freelance writer, I desperately needed something of my own. I decided it was the perfect time to try to write a novel.  

I’d been a professional editor for 15 years by then, but I was still a complete newbie when it came to writing fiction. I’d always wanted to write a book and had taken a class here or there, but I didn’t know anything about writing a novel beyond the fact that I loved to read them. 

Now that my debut novel, Hate Follow —about an influencer who is sued by her teen daughter for invasion of privacy—is publishing on Oct. 8, I can look back on my journey and see how being a magazine editor helped me write fiction—and one big thing I still had to learn.

Treat Writing Like a Job

Based on some quick math, I’ve produced at least 227 magazine issues. And while I have no idea how many stories I edited or wrote within each of those issues, the number must top 1,000. All this to say I’m very aware that writing is a job, so when I started writing fiction, I went full force. Along with coming up with a book idea and starting to write, I joined the Writer’s League of Texas, started meeting other writers, and submitted early pages for a workshop. Back then, my kids were 1 and 4 and going to a part-time preschool program three days a week. It took me more than a year to write a full draft, and then I shared it with beta readers—aka friends who were avid readers. After revising with their suggestions, I started querying. I was never going to write just to write. My aim was always to try to get published.

Look for the Hook

That first book got a good bit of interest from agents, but it did not secure me an agent. As rejections and feedback rolled in, I quickly realized that my book lacked a distinct hook to help it stand out in the crowded bookstore. At magazines, ideas meetings are frequently on the schedule. Writers and editors are expected to bring story ideas to each meeting, complete with a hook—or reason why the story was worthy of running now. Books are similar. I’d long been obsessed with influencers (I first wrote about them in 2009 for Self magazine), and as soon as I had the idea for a book about an influencer who is sued by her teen daughter for invasion of privacy, I knew it was worthy of writing. This time, an agent agreed with me!

Get the Details Right 

Every story you write or edit in a magazine should have multiple sources. So it came naturally to me to interview experts for Hate Follow. I consulted two lawyers about the fictional case, talked to a doctor about a medical subplot, and had two teenagers read sections of the book to make sure I captured being a high schooler today correctly. Readers respond to those specific details, too, and can tell when you know your stuff. 

Trust Your Editor

At magazines, it’s not unusual for an article to be read—and dissected—by three or four editors. You get used to taking someone’s feedback and either making their changes or fighting to keep something. (Spoiler: The editor usually wins.) While fiction writing is more personal, as it is your story and voice, it is a privilege to have experts read your work. Getting edit letters can be tough, but it’s important to take the time to think about your editor’s feedback. Even if you may not agree with everything, there will be nuggets that make your book better. 

Structure is Key

The one thing working as a magazine editor didn’t teach me about writing fiction is the importance of story structure. Magazine articles are all over the map when it comes to length and content, though they have basic similarities, including a nut graph and expert quotes. Novels are a whole other (very big) beast. With my first book, I knew there needed to be an inciting event in the first few chapters, highs and lows in the action, and a satisfying ending—but that’s it. It wasn’t until I was writing book two that I was introduced to story structure books like Save the Cat and Story Genius and used them as a guide to hit standard story beats. I highly recommend checking them out if you want help with structure and pacing. 

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Currently managing editor at Texas Highways, Erin Quinn-Kong lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and two children. Hate Follow is her debut novel. 

HATE FOLLOW

“A rich and witty story with two complicated women at its heart, Hate Follow is a beautiful debut. Quinn-Kong’s story of an influencer mom sued by her resentful daughter is of the moment, but its exploration of female power and privilege is timeless.”   — Amanda Eyre Ward, New York Times bestselling author of Lovers and Liars

This riveting, thought-provoking novel pulls back the curtain on influencer culture to reveal a story of a mother and daughter grappling with what they owe one another as they struggle to navigate life in the glaring public eye.

Influencer Whitney Golden has it all: beautiful, photogenic children; a handsome new boyfriend; a gorgeous house; and designer clothes and beauty products that arrive on her doorstep every day. After spending years building her brand as a widowed mother of four (including twins!) to over a million followers, the thirty-seven-year-old is at the peak of her career.

But it all comes to a screeching halt when Mia, her teenaged daughter, announces she’s tired of the social media life. She wants nothing more to do with her mother’s online brand—and demands that not just she, but her siblings and their deceased father be removed from Whitney’s Instagram, blog, and just about everywhere else on the internet.

When Whitney doesn’t agree, Mia does the unthinkable: She sues her mother. What started as a family spat turns into a monumental case about child privacy, individual agency, and modern parenting that shatters Mia and Whitney’s relationship and wreaks havoc on both their lives. As the case ignites a media firestorm and unrelenting online bashing from a Greek chorus of internet snarkers, Whitney has to decide whether she’s willing to risk everything she’s built to win back her daughter.

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