When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines

Carter describes the surprising differences between working at Vanity Fair and working at his previous publications. There was a receptionist and an elevator, and he had two assistants. He also quickly learned about expense accounts. His colleagues taught him how to use the accounts to his advantage, which was something of an artform in the community. Carter appreciated this “amenity,” as he and Cynthia were a single-income household and had several children. He and his colleagues could eat fancy lunches and charge it all to the company. He admits that this is something he missed after the post 2008 economic crash, when companies could no longer afford such luxuries.

In his first year at Vanity Fair, Carter worked to change the poisonous culture at the magazine. He and his colleagues from former publications tried to model a more congenial dynamic. He also had to fire members of “the old guard.” Directors or editors like Sarah Giles, Marina Schiano, and Michael Caruso were especially toxic. Carter worried about letting them go but quickly realized that the rest of the team was negatively impacted by them, too. Once they were gone, the company morale improved.

Carter also brought on new editors and writers.