By Amanda Belo
ELLE magazine is considerably one of the top fashion, beauty and lifestyle publications available for women. So it would seem that many writers that live for the trends and styles of today and tomorrow would aspire to one day work for a magazine such as this. New assistant beauty and fitness editor, Julie Schott, is one of those people as she is able to write for and represent a magazine she always wanted to work for.
“This is my first in-book writing position, so I’m learning a lot,” Schott said.
Schott joined the publication in July, and before that she served in a similar position atxoJane.com, covering beauty and style, writing personal essays and working on video projects.
Schott is a creative writing graduate of the Pratt Institute of New York and had additionally served as an intern for Lucky, Teen VOGUE and SELF magazines.
Her role at ELLE varies dependent on the time of year. Just earlier this month, during New York Fashion Week, her source for beauty coverage involved backstage exclusives with leading make-up artists in the industry.
More regularly, Schott is responsible for the “It List” and “Beauty Opener” sections in the ELLE book. She makes sure to keep equal measure between lighter content and subjects that are more multi-layered in terms of coverage.
For example, she recalled a backstage moment during a fashion show where a model disclosed her face washing regimen that includes only using mineral water.
Schott explained that ELLE works to keep its readers style informed and primed by taking that extra step.
“We’re not just going to give you a trend report because you can get that anywhere.”
Pitching Tips
Schott prefers to receive pitches and story ideas via email. She is receptive to many things as long as it fits with the “ELLE brand.” No follow-up is necessary.
In terms of subject matter, Schott said, “I love dermatology topics, scientific studies and beauty insiders.” She also mentioned her interest in new product launches.
Schott believes in the power of the journalist and public relations professional relationship. She suggests building rapport by sharing information as you would with a friend and making communication more personal.
