Editor's Letter Analysis

Seventeen Magazine Editors Letter

The editor of Seventeen magazine has a direct link with the reader. She makes the reader feel like they are a part of the experience. It feels more like a conversation is going on between you and the editor rather than you just reading the letter creating a bond between the two/ friendship. The way she successfully does this is firstly by introducing the whole page with “hi from ann”. It contains no capitals for the name suggesting that she doesn't want to give herself any priority and importance over the reader.

Also, throughout the letter she uses direct language, such as

“Help make your life amazing! You have big dreams and we want you to achieve every single on of them

“Help you make the best choices for your body : so you can feel your absolute best each day

Which makes the reader feel important as it makes the editor seem to care about you and your well being making you feel happier and better. It also draws you in as the direct language makes you feel like the editor is directly talking to you instead of genuinely talking to a crowd and making you just a part of the crowd. The highlighted words she put in her letter emphasise the main focus in the sentence and draws your eyes to that particular part. Also, the use of “never, real, amazing”- enhances the importance of the word in a different technique than highlighting it; makes it seem more formal as of the italic font.

The editor states that the “best part of this gig? [is] reading your messages”. Which makes the reader feel like they are helping the writer as well as the writer helping them. 

It is quite personal as its letting you into her life and knowing what she likes to do and want she enjoys best.

The writing of this letter is mostly informal e.g.

There is no capital at the beginning of the sentence and the name “hi from ann”.

She uses abbreviation for Facebook; FB, which is rarely used in formal and professional writing and also “gig” which is a slang word for a live performance.

Followed by the use of the words “awesome, shebang, amazing”. Which aren't really formal like words. The informal language helps you relax while reading it and not feel that it’s too serious which makes you discover that the target audience would be based on teenagers/young adults with a normal status and class.

There’s a lot of use of “!” which emphasises the sentence/ word and makes it more exciting. With a variety of long and short sentences.

The editor ends the letter with “XOXO, -A” Which makes the reader feel like the editor is a friend as you tend to send x’s to friends. The Initial is there as the readers know her name as she states it at the beginning of the letter;the reader is now personal with her.

The target audience would be teenage girls to young women. We know this as of the colours used on the page (Pinks). Also, the main focus of the letter is about young woman bodies which is in the interest of women. The first image is of the editor which is a young woman. This fits in well with the page as the target audience is the same as the writer

The other 2 images on this page are of the same teenager with the photo shopped differences to show girls that they don't do crazy adjustments to the body as every type of shape and size is perfect. The two images are the main focus of what the letter is actually about.

At the end the editor says “Listen carefully to you” for the readers’ opinion on the magazine which suggests that they care about your opinions and what you have to say. 

The highlighted sentence makes it stand out and makes it become a main focus on the page.

Cleo Magazine Editors Letter

The editor of Cleo Magazine uses direct address and makes the reader feel like her friend. The way she successfully does this is by firstly stating “Your friend Sarah xx”. The obvious ‘your friend’ makes the reader learn that the editor refers to her readers as friends not just readers which helps build a relationship between the two. Also “The story might shock you a little” contains “you” which is a direct address helping the reader interact with the letter more.

The editor uses a rhetorical question at the beginning and right at the end. This is to make the reader answer the primary question that the questioner wanted him to answer in the first place. The purpose would be to make a person realize something, without actually telling them. This helps the reader connect more with the letter as the editor is asking you the question. The rhetorical question “What do you think? Anyone want to join me?” Uses direct address as well and makes you interact with the magazine more with both language techniques used. The writing is formal which suggests the target audience would be for adults. 

“For a magazine girl” she talks about dieting and exercise which is the main focus of the letter. This suggests that her target audience is women as this is a main focus in women’s lives and she also states “mid-year solution” highlighting the adult target audience.

The image of her is also related to the target audience as she's a woman which helps you interact with the letter more as its coming from someone like yourself. The writer is very realistic stating things such as her “aiming to go to the gym four times a week, but [her feeling] totally righteous if [she] gets there just once” This helps connect to the audience as its not fake, she is being real/realistic. She helps us also have an insight in her life with her telling us a story about her child hood about her weight which is quite a personal memory. The colour theme is blue which is the same theme on the cover of the magazine for that month.