From the Editor

In my 25 years as an editor, a few moments have been filled with such sheer terror that they are burned in my memory with remarkable clarity.

There was the time when, eight months pregnant and fresh out of college as an English major who never took a single journalism course, the publisher of a small weekly reached across his dark wood desk, shook my hand and said, “You’re hired.”

As the editor.

I didn’t even know what the term “copy” meant yet.

Another such moment came in the fat advertising days of the 1980s, when — as the new Lifestyles editor — I was responsible for the content and production of the features sections in the Thanksgiving Day Holly Edition of the Portsmouth Herald.

First time out? Sixty pages. One layout artist. No staff. Two days.

You get the picture.

In both circumstances, as you can imagine, I learned a lot — and fast.

A third such moment presented itself when in February of 2008, my home phone rang and I learned that the decision was final: We were going to publish a 60-page glossy magazine called The Andovers.

In April.

Now to newspaper people, a month or so to put out a 60-page publication sounds like enough time. (Reference aforementioned Holly Edition, flashback No. 2.)

In magazine world, not so much.

Consider the hours involved in long-form writing with rounds and rounds of edits; daylong photo shoots; graphic and map creation; attention to shelf life (what to do about snow in photos that readers won’t see until April?); unsuccessful cover shots. And those are just a smattering of the issues facing a magazine staff that knows what they’re doing!

Needless to say, it was a challenge for the editorial staff — as it was for advertising, production, circulation and other departments.

The Eagle-Tribune, that longtime, great, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper, was about to venture into magazining.

It’s two years later now, and we have learned a lot along the way; sometimes before we made mistakes, sometimes after, which is my personal, least favorite way to do so.

What’s so important is that in meeting the challenge, we’ve had a lot of fun and helped to bring our community together.

The Andovers is unlike any other magazine that circulates here. It is dedicated exclusively to the history, present and future of Andover and North Andover. You will find people you know in its pages and on its cover; and through it you will come to know more about your neighbors, and your neighbors about you.

To celebrate two years of publication, please join me in a quick look back at all of our editions to date.

And thank you so much for the warm welcome you have extended to us.

It has been a vividly memorable challenge.

(Flashback No. 3.)

Tracey Rauh,
Editor The Andovers