Magazines consist of two types of images, those commissioned by the magazine thus through the editor,(thus the name) and those that are paid ads. If you’ve ever looked through a fashion magazine, the first 50 pages can be ads before you get to something vetted by the editor. In a magazine such as the New Yorker, it could only be 5 pages before you get to the editorial. Editorial usually means more artistic freedom and less oversight ,which can be liberating, but also a little nerve racking, if you think you’ve gone too far. That being said, it has never happened to me. Sometimes I would give three different versions because I was having so much fun with the concept. What was different about working on ads was  the photographer keeps the copyright for the shots. With an ad for a client or agency, they keep the rights of usage.This also meant that editorial work paid less than ads did. This  was fine once you realized that they help build up your portfolio and people could see what your capabilities were outside of an art directed image from an agency.