Hammock People | Emily McMackin

A Day in the Life of Emily McMackin

Summer Huggins — April 9, 2009 1:51 PM

Special Projects Manager Emily McMackin has full and busy days on her calendar each day of the week, but I stole a few minutes of her time this morning to ask a few questions about exactly how those days play out. I lost count of how many cups of coffee she had while we talked. Do you doodle while on the phone or in meetings? I don't actually doodle that much. I never have. I'm more of an auditory person, so I retain information by listening and replaying words and phrases that I pick up over and over again in my mind. It's like having a constant tape player rolling! Sometimes I take a pen and pad into meetings, but I usually just come out with an empty page or a bunch of random circles and swirly lines. What's your favorite non-tech tool you use for work? My AP stylebook ... It seems like I pick it up a couple of times a day! Some grammar rules become ingrained in you after a while, but there are so many to keep up with that it helps to have a refresher. When in doubt, I always take a minute to flip through because assuming has gotten me in trouble in the past. Of course, a cup (or two) of coffee in the mornings is also essential to get my creative juices pumping! What is your favorite on-the-job responsibility? I love writing most anything, especially feature stories. I also love interviewing people, even if it's just over the phone, because for me it's like taking a trip; hearing their stories takes me to a different place and allows me to experience another perspective. I also get a thrill anytime I get a layout into my hands to edit because there is nothing like seeing stories and images come together—it makes everything real. Another new favorite task is putting together an edit slate. It's fun to be part of shaping story ideas for readers and tying different concepts together to create a complete issue. Do you listen to music while you work? If so, what are your favorite artists/songs for working? I don't listen to music much when writing or editing because it's too distracting (too many words colliding in the brain!). But I do crank up my iTunes for more repetitive tasks like making PDFs or changes to design documents. My favorite tracks include anything upbeat—artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Beyonce, Sarah Bareilles, Rascal Flatts, to name a few. While working on a magazine project for a military client, I created a special mix of "fighting" songs to keep me going. How do you refocus if you're having trouble concentrating or getting the creativity flowing? I get a cup of coffee! Seriously, something about coffee stimulates my brain—but that's not all I do. Sometimes, cleaning off the clutter from my desk (or computer desktop) helps me regain clarity. For writer's block, it helps to listen to a song with great lyrics or just do 10 minutes of "free writing" without putting any restrictions on myself. Taking a walk is my favorite way to get my creativity flowing. My best ideas come during afternoon walks when I'm listening to nothing but the birds chirping and the wind in the trees.

I Resolve ...

Emily Mcmackin — January 2, 2009 12:06 PM

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day are two of my favorite holidays. Call me sentimental, but I love the idea of getting all dressed up and going out to celebrate all that was good about the past year ("Auld Lang Syne" always gets me choked up!) and embracing the possibilities of a new year. I've always made resolutions. Like the cabbage, black-eyed peas and hog jowl I consume on New Year's Day, I know that making resolutions might not bring me prosperity, wealth or luck, but there's something magical about believing you have the power to change and grow. Here are my three resolutions for 2009:

My Holiday Schedule

Emily Mcmackin — January 2, 2009 12:03 PM

I'm out of the office for the holidays from Wednesday, Dec. 24, until Monday, Jan. 5. I will be checking my email—emcmackin@hammock.com—and office voice mail during this time. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Postcards From Chicago

Emily Mcmackin — October 21, 2008 4:05 PM

Recently a few of us Hammockites traveled to Chicago to attend the Folio: 2008 Show. In addition to gaining valuable knowledge about the magazine industry, we also got to check out some of Chi-Town's most interesting sights. Here are a few snapshots from our trip.

Make Your Magazine a Must-Read

Emily Mcmackin — October 15, 2008 4:16 PM

3 Keys to Keeping Readers Engaged

Recently, I spent two days attending the 2008 Folio Show in Chicago with fellow Hammock editors Jamie Roberts and Megan Pacella. It was my first visit to the Windy City, and as you might imagine, I learned a lot during my 48 hours there. (Like always give an address to cab drivers, so they’ll take you to the right place and ignore people who approach you on the street—lest you find yourself part of a product demonstration.) But, seriously, attending the show gave me new insight into the ever-changing magazine industry and new strategies to help our clients produce publications that can compete in an interactive world.

Hammock editors Megan Pacella, Emily McMackin and Jamie Roberts between sessions at the Folio: 2008 Show in Chicago on Sept. 23.

My favorite session focused on how to make your stories (or issues, for that matter) must-reads. With most readers going online to get instantaneous news and information on topics that interest them, magazines must do more to stand out to audiences with high expectations and shorter attention spans. Even newsstand staples like National Geographic and The Scientist grapple with this issue. If your publication covers stories that are covered elsewhere, you can distinguish yourself by going beyond the facts to provide context, point of view and a guiding voice. National Geographic’s executive editor Tim Appenzeller and The Scientist’s editor and publisher Richard Gallagher keep their magazine compelling and relevant to readers with these three tips:

Confessions From a Teen Magazine Junkie

Emily Mcmackin — April 3, 2008 7:12 PM

There are many reasons I love working at Hammock, but one of the biggest ones is getting the chance to indulge in my love of magazines—and not just any magazines but teen magazines. Yes, I’m 31 years old, and I can still be spotted checking out all the great ones at the grocery store racks, including Seventeen, Justine and even Cosmogirl! Hey, what can I say? Just because I’m a responsible, tax-paying career girl with a 401K doesn’t mean I still can’t use advice on the timeless subjects of beauty, fashion, friendship and dating. I still remember my mom buying my first Teen magazine for me at 14. It felt like a rite of passage (like getting my ears pierced or going to my first New Kids on the Block concert). I spent hours in my room that day engrossed in a glossy book that introduced me to a new world I'd only begun to explore—one of style, possibilities, angst, infatuation and identity. Recently, while doing some research for a client who publishes a magazine for teenagers, I found the perfect excuse to delve into this world once again. Boy, was I surprised! Like everything else, teen magazines have gone digital.

About Emily

Laura Creekmore — November 26, 2007 6:25 PM

Before joining Hammock, Emily worked as an editor at a newspaper in Decatur, Ala., where she covered the teen and young adult beat and designed weekly sections for Gen-Xers. There she spent most of her time scoping out malls, arcades and the local water park for sources, and writing about everything from breakups to blogging.

Now most days, you’ll find her scouring the Web for business owners to profile for her MyBusiness features. Or she may be spotted lurking around libraries to research American Spirit articles and interviewing everyone from East Coast water-sport devotees to West Coast health-care executives—all without losing her Southern accent.

Storytelling is her strength—one she came by honestly growing up amongst big talkers and colorful characters in the small northern Alabama town of Tuscumbia (birthplace of another writer, Helen Keller). She swept through several small towns pursuing her education, traveling first to Searcy, Ark., where she received her English degree from Harding University and honed her journalistic skills at the same campus newspaper that the infamous Ken Starr wrote for as a freshman.

After a detour at a book publisher in West Monroe, La., Emily headed south again to Tuscaloosa, where she graduated with a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Alabama (home of her favorite team, the Crimson Tide, and alma mater of her favorite author, Harper Lee).

Now she’s glad to be a small-town girl in the big city, exploring museums, staking out live music, going salsa dancing and drinking Starbucks anytime she wants.