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Topic: Ever meet editors?
| Author | Message |
| Collier | Posted – 7/30/2007 8:59:10 PM | show profile I am headed to NYC next month and was thinking of e-mailing some of the editors I have been working with to see if they are interested in meeting in person (I live really far away). Do any of you schedule meetings just to meet in person, or do you always have a few ideas with you? I don't want to waste editors' time, but I would like to meet face to face. Thoughts? |
| WritingEd | Posted – 7/30/2007 9:24:00 PM | show profile As an editor, I've met up with writers from far flung places when they are in the region. Typically we've met for lunch and I've gotten my editor to agree to let me expense it. (That's partly because these are regular writers and I think the in-person meeting will benefit the magazine through stronger relations with our regular writers, and partly because our offices are in the suburbs of NYC and the writer has made the effort to travel to get to us.) In my experience the writers have not brought story ideas to pitch to these meetings. Personally I'd rather they not anyhow, as I might feel more pressure in an in-person face to face meeting to give an idea that wouldn't work for us more time than it's worth discussing. |
| westsidestory | Posted – 7/30/2007 11:45:51 PM | show profile By all means do this. Face time is never wasted - just remember to keep the meeting brief. 20 minutes or so. If they want more of you they'll say so. Come prepared with visuals (pix to accompany story ideas you want to pitch, copies of other publications that you work for.) Have three ideas in the hopper. Pitch them one. If theyr'e not enthusiastic, try the second. And then the third. Come a few minutes early to the meeting. Be prepared to wait. Have a few lines of chit-chat - your editor will want to know what you are seeing in town - be prepared with museums and shows you've seen or want to see. Ask their opinion - after all, they view you as the hick from the sticks -- of which show (or art exhibit or place that relates to your particular line of business) you ought to see while you're in town. Have fun and good luck! |
| mkelly | Posted – 7/31/2007 12:40:41 PM | show profile As an editor who uses some far-flung writers, let me say that I always would be eager to meet them face-to-face for lunch or a cup of coffee. If we have specific story ideas to ponder, great, but even if not, I'd be foolish not to want to forge a closer relationship with my good, regular writers. By all means, tell these eds that you'll be in town and ask if you can drop by. |
| Linda F | Posted – 7/31/2007 3:45:09 PM | show profile I agree that it's a great idea to meet with your editors when you can. I've done this several times. I always offer to pay for the meal; usually the editor expenses it, bot not always. Also, I come prepared with ideas just in case an editor asks for some, but I don't pitch them unless I'm asked. I want my meetings to be more like getting-to-know-you talks than like stressed-out pitchfests. (Maybe that just shows my feelings about in-person pitching!) I actually landed two assignments from meetings when I happened to talk about topics that interested me and were not meant as pitches -- once to Redbook and once to Fitness. Good luck! Linda The Renegade Writer Blog: http://www.therenegadewriter.com |
