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Topic: What do editors REALLY expect from writers?
| Author | Message |
| somethinglike28 | Posted – 5/26/2006 9:18:39 AM | show profile Hi all- I was wondering if you experienced editors could give me some short insight into what editors (whether it be at magazines, newspapers, etc.) really expect from writers they work with. I'm pretty familiar with the fact that us writers are not always perfect, and that we can sometimes hand in material that contains grammatical errors, confusing sentences or paragraphs, and even spelling errors. Though every time I hand in an article, I'm always thinking that certain changes in my wording, sentence structure and other parts of the piece mean I did a less-than-adaquate job....even when, realistically, it was a decent job. It'd be interesting to hear what you think.....thanks! |
| ItsAMysteryNY | Posted – 5/26/2006 9:39:58 AM | show profile Is an editor likely to pass on a pitch that has one spelling error in it? (Just one- the rest of the pitch was, IMHO, perfect) Curse be to spell checkers who can't differentiate certain words... |
| Mirage | Posted – 5/26/2006 10:34:24 AM | show profile Just venting here... What I EXPECT is different from what I WANT. I want writers to deliver quality work on time; what I expect is that excuses will abound. Honestly, I have never known such tragedy-prone people as writers at deadline time. Just today I got yet another e-mail from yet another author who just happens to have had a death in the family the day before his material was due. This is probably the eighth example of death looming on the doorstep of one of my authors right at deadline this year. Christ. I'm glad I'm not related to any authors...that seems to be a death wish. |
| worm | Posted – 5/26/2006 11:35:01 AM | show profile I am a writer who has never missed a deadline. I always thought that was how a professional should work. So one time, I turned in a large piece on deadline, June 1. I got an email back from the editor saying that she wasn't expecting it so soon, and didn't have time to edit it right away. I felt confused, and called to ask if I had misunderstood the deadline. She told me no, it was June 1, but that almost none of her writers turn work in on time. I got a phone call out of the blue a couple weeks later from an editor I never heard from before who said that she got my name from that first editor who said that I was a "real pro" who actually turned work in by deadline. You want to make an impression? Just do the job you contract to do and editors will appreciate it. And every writer needs an editor. The cleanest copy always has a few wording changes, improvements, etc. If you want to know how your work stacks up, talk with your editor. Ask what you could do to improve as a professional, and what you could do to make his/her life easier. Better to get personal specifics than to rely on generalities. |
| Janetblueyes | Posted – 5/26/2006 11:43:07 AM | show profile | email poster My wish list As the editor of a fairly large lifestyle publication, I truly appreciate writers who do not pull the "diva act" when I make a suggestion regarding their piece. My job is to make the article read as well as possible, and some writers take any changes very personally. Often a writer puts his/her heart and soul into a piece and any constructive criticism is viewed as a personal attack. I know, I've been there. Those of us in the creative field are especially sensitive to what we perceive as negative feedback. When I was just starting out as a writer, I had the good fortune to work for some very wise and seasoned editors. Rather than feel personally insulted with their changes or suggestions, I saw it as an opportunity to learn and perfect my skills. Even when I absolutely disagreed with what the editor wanted to do with my piece, I forced my ego on the shelf and made an effort to listen and learn. I love it when writers turn in clean copy. Typos are no big deal, but consistently misspelling simple words makes me cringe. I recently edited a medical piece where the writer referred to patients as ?patience? throughout the whole piece. When I pointed this out to him, he became hostile and blamed it on spell check. Summing it up, I love writers who meet or exceed deadlines; are open to feedback; make an attempt to become familiar with the style of my publication; make an effort to make an article come alive even when dealing with less than stellar subject matter; take the time to spell check; and lastly, even though they may be amazingly talented, realize that there is still much to learn. I try to avoid writers who are defensive; turn in careless and sloppy copy; expect plum assignments before they have proven their chops; are passive aggressive; refuse to admit that maybe, just maybe, I may know what I am doing when I edit their work; badger me with four or five revisions on a 250-word piece; and refuse to adhere to deadlines. It is a tempestuous profession we have chosen and filled with many creative, sensitive and (sometimes) brilliant souls. The act of taking random words and making an empty page come alive is no easy task. Those that can pull it off have my utmost respect. |
| Mirage | Posted – 5/26/2006 12:56:20 PM | show profile To Worm Send me your CV and some pitches. :-) |
| Little Fingers Make Magic Happen | Posted – 5/26/2006 2:51:53 PM | show profile | email poster how odd I agree with Worm. I have always operated under the assumption that, as a professional, I should behave professionally. In 8 years of freelancing I have never missed a deadline or had a complaint from my clients. In fact, I usually turn things in early. And, as an editor, I fully appreciate the role and take feedback/corrections accordingly. It saddens me to hear that so many editors expect work to be late, but I know that in my own book publishing experience we were often chasing authors down to get material. Maybe that's why I have always been adamant about not doing the same! LOL. Mirage, Janetblueeyes...if you're looking for CVs and pitches, I'd love to hop on board! What sort of publications do you run? |
| activeverb | Posted – 5/26/2006 3:05:37 PM | show profile I've been a freelancer for many years, and have been an editor. I think what everyone has a right to expect is professionalism: 1. Meet deadlines. 2. Alert the editor in advance if the research indicates the story is changing. 3. Do an adequate amount of research based on the publication's standards and pay scale 4. Turn in clean, solid copy. 5. Answer questions quickly. Be opened minded to suggestions and requests for changes. |
| chucho | Posted – 5/26/2006 3:51:14 PM | show profile I?ve been an assignment and sub-ed at a newspaper and a magazine. Spelling and grammar errors don?t bother me that much, especially common and minor mistakes. (Not to be confused with submitting resumes and cover letters, documents of particular importance in forming first impressions.) It?s the job of the ass-ed, sub-ed and copy-ed to work out those things; obviously, the fewer errors the better. Some of the best reporters are sub-standard spellers. I actually consider that an endearing trait of a good reporter, again, as long as the mistakes are minor. I would take a reporter that has all the elements of a well-written story (with a lead that shines) with minor spelling, style and grammar issues over a reporter who writes clean but only interviews one source, writes uninspired cookie-cutter drivel, opines in the copy, and, most definitely, is difficult to contact and/or puts heat on me by submitting stories late. Basically, your model newsroom journalist (the proliferate and nice guy or gal you rarely see at his or her desk because they?re to busy ? in the words of the Bronx journo Murray Kempton -- ?going around?) is the model of all media writers: timely, careful, thoughtful, creative, responsive, honest, fast, busy and available. By the way, there?s a difference between ?diva? or ?prima dona? and somebody who cares about the changes made to the copy. It?s a good sign when a writer establishes his or her concern for the copy itself. It?s a bad sign when the writer doesn?t seem to care or doesn?t give any indication that he or she even reads the final version. At the same time, when things happen to their copy that don?t like they don?t have a hissy fit about it, but they do express their opinions in an honest and constructive manner that helps the editor in his or her own learning process. PS ? New York City is an awfully stress-inducing, neurotic self-conscious place. I like the town, but it tends to attract a lot of types, a lot of back stabbers and ladder climbers as well as overachievers and people that will always be around to make you feel small. I find a lot editors and writer there seem to be on the verge of some breakdown, or they?re just catty, cliquish schmucks. If you encounter one of these types (either as an editor or a writer) it?s best to say as little as possible, get your paycheck, and try to avoid future interaction. |
| -bob- | Posted – 5/26/2006 5:24:43 PM | show profile | email poster I agree with most posters here. As a freelancer who's continually producing, crafting anew and pitching - I appreciate editors who are sensible, honest and straightforward regarding deadlines, needs etc. Most of the editors I work with presently are great people, but there are a few out there, who seem to have huge egos, and need to change things - seemingly without reason. On the other hand, I actually love a great editing job because... It makes MY work look better! An adage I often use, is: "Writers write and editors edit." SImple as that. No one is perfect, but a writer's responsibility is to turn in intelligently written, clean copy on deadline. Do this consisently and you'll be fine. Add humor for that special sauce. |
| JenX | Posted – 5/26/2006 7:58:27 PM | show profile I'm in magazines, and I expect my writers to call and ask for a few more days because this happens more often than not. I'm used to it. I don't get agitated. I'd rather something be a little late and done well than rushed to me in bad form. If you do submit on time, though, you're a standout! One thing that bugs me is writers who overwrite. It's okay if a story's a couple of hundred words over the assigned word count, but when I get a manusript that's over by a thousand words or so, I know without even reading it we've both got a lot of work ahead of us. Granted, at times this is partly an editor's fault, in muddled assigning. As for editors rewriting your copy, I can say I know editors who can't resist rewriting everything they touch. It doesn't matter whom they're editing. If you have repeat clips to show, not to worry: you're doing OK. |
| activeverb | Posted – 5/26/2006 8:19:53 PM | show profile A writer should never turn in a piece that's over 100 words longer than the assignment for a feature. If you feel it will be longer, you need to clear it with the editor. On the other hand, editors will sometimes ask for a bunch of additions that jump the story length. When they make this request, I always reach an agreement with them if the piece's final length will be expanded because of the request additions, the payment will expand proportionately. If you request a 2000 word piece and then request more changes that turn it into a 3,000-word piece, you should pay for that. Occasionally, an editor will bawk. If so I tell them, "Now if for originally commissioned 3000 words you would have paid for that. Why do you think it's okay to commission 2000 and then ask for 1000 words for free later?" There isn't a good answer to that. < |
| JeanMarie | Posted – 5/26/2006 9:53:57 PM | show profile | email poster *heavy sigh* Wouldn't it be something if all editors were like Janetblueeyes? If you ask, editors will tell you what they want. It's probably the same thing you'd want in any relationship. I try to remember that editors are people, not just disembodied red pens. |
| janbrady1 | Posted – 5/30/2006 3:12:44 PM | show profile As an editor, I'm shocked by how many freelance writers turn in copy late with misspellings (certainly, they happen from time to time, and yes, we have copy editors, but I admit that they peeve me to no end), style that deviates from the section they're writing for (i.e., a first-person lede when we never run first-person ledes), and sentences that amount to gobbledygook. I'm not saying every writer is like this, but the sad truth is that writers who turn in copy on time (or early), with proper backup, format, and some writing flair on top of that are few and far between. My editorial assistants consistently turn in better copy than many of the long-time writers I work with (and I'm talking people with many national clips to their name). Inevitably, the writers who are the worst with deadlines are the ones who demand payment the fastest, before I've even had a chance to request a revise. I'm not saying I'm perfect as an editor. And if I change a writer's wording, it doesn't mean she's a bad writer--so many edits come down to cutting the story to fit the page, or whether another story on the same page had a similar lede, or whatever. I hope writers understand that many times these changes are so completely not personal, and not even about their own writing style. So, I guess, here's what I'm looking for: 1) Please turn in your story on time. If you can't, please let me know before the actual day the story is due. 2) Please proofread for misspellings, run-on sentences, and the like. 3) Know that I am not making changes in your piece to spite you. I am doing so to fit our style better; to correct said run-on sentences which you may not see because you are so close to the material; to make sure the piece fits with the other pieces running in the same issue; for many reasons that are not personal, but all about making the story and the issue the best they can be. 4) Please be open to changes and know that I am not actively trying to make your life harder. The alternative to a major revise is having me rewrite the piece myself, and I don't think that you'd like that any more than I would. 5) Know that we editors do respect writers who are truly professional and make a concerted effort for us--and we want you to respect us too! It pays for both of us to have working relationships we can count on. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 5/30/2006 10:00:11 PM | show profile >My editorial assistants consistently turn in better copy than many of the long-time writers I work with (and I'm talking people with many national clips to their name). Inevitably, the writers who are the worst with deadlines are the ones who demand payment the fastest, before I've even had a chance to request a revise.> Is it safe to assume that you have a very high rate of freelancer turnover? Do you work more than once with such lousy writers? Can you not in any way anticipate how terrible they will be? I'm a little bemused that writers turn in copy with typos...What writer is so lazy they don't print out their story in hard copy at least several times precisely to catch and correct what spell-check doesn't? Everyone knows its weaknesses by now, no? When I was an editor, I wanted people to give me their best, not the least they figured they could get away with. The editors I work with now are grateful when I actually include people's ages and other details, which is completely basic for a daily paper, where I now work. It's a little shocking they don't get this from everyone all the time. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 5/30/2006 10:43:39 PM | show profile That is shocking. But also good news, for us writers, in a way. If you're a good writer, a strong reporter, and thorough professional, there is tons of work out there -- high-paying work with eager repeat customers. I do sometimes wonder, though, if these kinds of problems are because the best writers with professional business practices tend to move away from magazines to corporate work. I still do the occasional magazine article (maybe one or two a month) when editors call, but I spend more time on corporate projects, where the pay is better per hour and the money often comes in big ($5,000 and plus) chunks. < |
