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Topic: No Response is No the obvious answer
| Author | Message |
| kitty54 | Posted – 3/17/2008 6:17:51 PM | show profile Hey guys, I pitched an article to an editor, she said to work on the ptich and send it back to her. I did and no response. Is it the obvious answer NO! or does it take time before she can give me an answer? (does she have to clear the idea with her editor etc.) I followed up with her and she didn't respond. I am new to this, but I have a feeling my answer is no. your thoughts and suggestions? Thanks! |
| FeaturesGal | Posted – 3/17/2008 7:05:38 PM | show profile You know, it just depends. I've had no response for 6 months (Yes, I don't give up) only to get the story. Othertimes no means no. I say keep trying, in a very polite way. |
| seeattleme | Posted – 3/17/2008 7:45:59 PM | show profile sucks, doesn't it? and meanwhile hope you can pay your bills. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 3/17/2008 8:56:10 PM | show profile When you think about it, querying is a terrible marketing technique. Imagine if you told another business that they should market by developing a custom proposal for a potential client they have never met or talked to, send it to them, and wait patiently for them to respond no matter how long it takes. I know very few writers who make decent incomes who depend on queries for much of their business. --sucks, doesn't it? and meanwhile hope you can pay your bills.-- |
| aj | Posted – 3/17/2008 10:14:55 PM | show profile Move on to another editor... You wouldn't wait that long for a guy to call you back, would you? I kind of look at it like dating. If they're interested, they'll call. |
| seeattleme | Posted – 3/17/2008 10:25:48 PM | show profile good thing you don't pay your bills by dating. Unless you're Ashley Alexandra Dupree, that is. |
| reporterwriter | Posted – 3/18/2008 12:08:15 AM | show profile When you followed up, was it by e-mail or phone? E-mail is the worst way to follow up, because messages get lost, buried and misdirected. If you did it that way, try phoning. |
| TheSecondShift | Posted – 3/18/2008 1:35:15 AM | show profile I know very few writers who make decent incomes who depend on queries for much of their business.>> So what *do they depend on? Being a contributing editor/writer? Creating their own websites? Otherwise freelance writers, who still don't get regular assignments still have to learn the game of querying. If there is an alternative to querying, please do share! |
| writesonwater | Posted – 3/18/2008 5:17:47 AM | show profile | email poster As I recall, Dribble does a lot of corporate-type writing. But he can tell you about that. One thing I found true: as soon as you can, become one of the stable of writers for a couple publications. By the time I went back to full-time work, I had my list down to maybe four publications I wrote for, and my money up to a full-time wage. Now, it took me a couple years to get there. However, there was still hustle involved, and most clients rotate off your list at some point, just the way it goes. |
| snappiness | Posted – 3/18/2008 10:07:00 AM | show profile What I usually do is email or call and say, "Since I haven't heard back I'm guessing this idea won't work for your publication. If I don't hear back by Tuesday I'll assume that's the case." But, even doing that I've heard back from editors who suddenly want to include it in their lineup. Just last week, in fact. I told the editor I had pitched it elsewhere but hadn't heard back, so if she wanted it I would pull it from the other publication. I'm still waiting to hear confirmation from her, but in the meantime it's still at the other publication until I get a contract. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 3/18/2008 11:11:10 AM | show profile Wow, qunester, you're kind of a negative person. Anyway, Kitty54, I second what everyone else said. Follow up with a phone call, not an email, but make it clear that you have another person interested in the story or that you will shop it elsewhere. That lights the fire under the editor while still keeping it professional. Unfortunately not all those you send a query to will respond back. But by sending the sh*t-or-get-off-the-pot email, you are covering your ass and moving forward. If you dwell too long on someone who hasn't responded, they likely never will and you will waste valuable time worrying for nothing. It is a lot like dating. Good luck and let us know what happens! |
| seeattleme | Posted – 3/18/2008 12:42:43 PM | show profile Actually, you don't know me, but if you did you'd know that I am not. I am however, experienced and realistic. Don't like my tone? Don't read my posts. But don't do psychoanalysis based on a post on a media bistro board. It makes you look ignorant. |
| seeattleme | Posted – 3/18/2008 12:44:27 PM | show profile second shift is correct, btw. freelancers rarely are able to sustain livings on queries alone. Because of the randomness of this process. They usually have other jobs, other sources of income, contrib editor gigs, etc. |
| Rocky Mountain Writer | Posted – 3/18/2008 2:07:54 PM | show profile Qunester, your post was a negative response and it didn't really answer the OP's question. It doesn't require psychoanalysis. Maybe instead of getting the OP depressed you can share some your infinite wisdom about the world of freelancing. |
| kitty54 | Posted – 3/19/2008 9:44:01 AM | show profile Thank you for all of your tips. I agree freelancing/job searching and the like is a lot like dating. I will keep you posted on how it goes! |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 3/20/2008 8:08:31 PM | show profile similar experience I sent an email to an editor introducing myself and pitched a few story ideas. He wrote back the next day saying that they already had something similar in the works for one of my themes, but he "loved" the essay idea. But he didn't really give an indication of what was next. I wrote back asking what the next step should be, would he like to commission the work. No response. I followed up a week later. Nothing. What's the deal? |
| joyeuxnoelle | Posted – 3/20/2008 8:12:25 PM | show profile aren't phone calls rude? I've always been taught that it's rude to call an editor, unless you have an established relationship and you've published at least one piece with them before or have a contract. |
| InsomniacNOT | Posted – 3/20/2008 9:13:26 PM | show profile Who on earth taugt you that? And doesn't it seem rather a strange attitude in a profession where people call sources up for a living? |
| seeattleme | Posted – 3/20/2008 9:28:07 PM | show profile Guiseepia : I just did it's right above your last post. And I have on numerous other posts; this question has been asked a hundred (or so) times since MB came into existence in 1996. |
| chucho | Posted – 3/21/2008 5:57:39 AM | show profile I don't think it's rude to call an editor -- at least in newspapers -- if you have a story you think would be an asset to the publication. It is rude, however, to not "get a clue" if a repeated attempt to contact the person fails. An email and then a phone call is about as far as I would go unless you can confirm that it's OK to call back if the person is unavailable at that time. I agree that no answer means "move on". I like to send people who didn't respond to my query the clip that was published elsewhere because they didn't respond, saying politely something like "think of me next time". I don't that's passive aggressive, but I suppose that depends on the tone of the message you send with that clip. |
| kitty54 | Posted – 3/30/2008 10:14:00 AM | show profile Hi everyone, Thanks again for your suggestions. Well my update... the publication that I was asking about never responded, so clearly that is my answer. Although, another publication I ptiched to back in Feb recently assigned me a story. So although they didn't except my ptich I suppose I did something right :) Being new to freelancing I am realizing patience and persistance without holding your breath on one project or pitch helps a lot. Thanks again for your advice! |
