When the Editor is NOT the Enemy
They can be mean, unethical and downright unprofessional. But
not all editors fit that bill. In fact, most editors would
rather give you money that take it, make no changes than rewrite
whole pieces two hours before deadline, and accept every piece
of crap than start their mornings sending out rejection slips.
But step into an editor’s shoes, and you’ll know why that’s not
only hard, it’s just plain impossible!
Here are the most common complaints writers have, and why
editors aren’t always guilty of them.
Completely Changing your Work An editor I frequently work with
was in distress. One of her regulars had just written to
complain about his perfectly brilliant beginning being chopped
off. “They sometimes don’t get our style,” she told me over
lunch. “We need more quotes, we put them in. We need a stronger
beginning; we change it. There’s nothing much I can do about it.
It’s the way we work.” But while this editor was very
forthcoming about her reasons, and gave the writer an
explanation, you’ll usually get no further correspondence. That
doesn’t mean that they don’t understand the anguish you go
through. But they’ve got word limits, voice and style
limitations and a dozen other factors to keep in mind. And they
simply don’t have the time to offer explanations to each writer.
Paying Less or not Paying at all Most writers believe (or are
led to believe) that editors just don’t want to dish out the
cash. Sure, if they’re running a small business from home and
can hardly pay their bills, they probably won’t. But editors in
big offices don’t really care whether you earn $100 or $1,000.
After all, they’re not the ones paying from their pockets!
I was in a publisher-editor meeting the other day, and one
common concern was raised—why weren’t suppliers (including
freelancers) paid on time? A complaint unanimously raised by…
editors!
An important thing to remember is that while it may appear so to
us, editors aren’t really the ones calling the shots all the
time. That’s the publisher’s job. So hating the editor’s guts
won’t get you anywhere. While some editors may be creeps, most
of them are on your side! So, if you want more money, just ask
for it. Chances are the editor is the only one who can help you
get it.
Not Responding They’d love to, you know. But there’s only so
much they can do. And while each e-mail you send will determine
where your next paycheck comes from, an editor will get paid
regardless of the number of queries rejected. Their job is
putting together quality content. No one’s going to promote them
for being nice to freelancers. It’s a simple matter of
priorities. And when the choice is between finishing up the
issue and answering yet another freelancer’s query, get real—the
editor will finish up and go home.
Killing Articles We tossed a coin. The losing editor would have
to tell the freelance writer that his article had been killed.
That too after we asked him to send us a dozen writing samples,
come up with a dozen off-beat ideas, get a feel of our style and
send us a 600-word piece. We’d even negotiated the price. It
would have taken him at least a day’s work, if not more. We felt
cruel, but decided that the guy had potential for future
assignments.
I lost the toss and sat down to draft the e-mail. I explained at
length how our policies had changed, told him that we’d be
willing to give more assignments and even added a touch of
humor. But the writer was obviously blinded. He thought of me as
the devil. And by doing so, he’d just lost a perfectly good
opportunity for more assignments.
Editors aren’t out to take advantage of freelancers or make
their lives miserable. In fact, if you get to know them a
little, you’ll find that they’re often a very friendly bunch.
Stop looking at your editor as the enemy, and you might just
find a friend.