1) The first step is to look at the publication's masthead. The masthead can be found within the first few pages of a magazine, somewhere near the letter from the editor. There are generally two mastheads: the first one you will come across lists editorial staff and the second lists employees on the publishing side. You will want the editorial masthead. It will look something like this:
2) The next step is to think about what you want to accomplish. Much of your success will depend on contacting the right editor. Do you want a product placement (your item shot on a model or as a flat)? Or do you want to secure a write up or review? Once you've determined your goal, go to Step 3 to determine who you should contact.
3) Editorial Titles and Definitions
Fashion Director – generally styles cover shoots and well stories for the magazine. Brainstorms fashion stories/themes for the magazine.
Fashion Editor – styles smaller features in the magazine. Often responsible for shooting “front of book” stories.
Associate/Assistant Fashion Editor – Assists Fashion Director and Fashion Editor on shoots (ie. Steams garments, transports trunks, etc…)
Market Director – generally responsible for keeping advertisers happy and attending events held by advertisers and other important brands.
Fashion/Accessories/Beauty Market Editor – these are the people who are employed to know who has what so that when the Fashion Director says “Let’s do a story on navy blue trapeze dresses,” they know how to find the best ones quickly. Also responsible for attending events and making sure advertisers are represented in the magazine. These are the people you ideally want to meet with when doing desk side* appointments.
Fashion/Accessories/Beauty Assistant – In charge of calling in the items the fashion/accessories Market Editor wants. They are responsible for opening mail, reviewing look books, filing look books, calling in samples and managing interns who do returns. When you need something to be returned this is the person you will talk to.
Fashion/Accessories/Beauty Writer – In charge of writing features and shorter blurbs about trends, products and people. The general rule is that the more senior writers contribute longer stories or have regular columns (i.e. Andre Leon Talley's "Stylefaxer" column in Vogue). A good rule of thumb is to flip through the magazine to determine where your product belongs. Take a look at who is responsible for the content on that particular page and then contact him/her.
*Note: a “deskside” meeting or appointment is a meeting conducted at the editor’s office. At some magazines you will meet at the editor’s desk, at others, like most Conde Nast titles, you will meet in the magazine’s lobby area. At some magazines you will sit in a conference room.
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