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Topic: Magazine Freelancing: Revision Limits?
| Author | Message |
| JeffG1 | Posted – 3/31/2008 3:21:25 PM | show profile | email poster Is there a point at which you can say "no" to an editor for a prominent weekly who keeps asking for revisions? Sometimes minor, sometimes major, the revisions process seems to go on and on, with pub dates being constantly being pushed back, inconveniently allowing for edits and consequently more work for me. In the current instance, I met my deadline early, received edits, turned them around the same day, notifying the editor that I had other deadlines the following week and wanted to get this done as soon as possible. Today I received an email that the piece has been pushed back (after I agreed to a very tight deadline to begin with) and more edits are coming. Is there a point when a freelancer can say "Sorry, I'm too busy now" or "You'll have to pay me more for revisions?" I don't want to jeopardize my relationship with this magazine, but I feel at the mercy of their whims, their often rude and capricious editing, and the constant moving of deadlines and innovative ideas for how I can change things leaves me feeling out of control of my schedule. |
| dribbledrive1 | Posted – 3/31/2008 4:41:03 PM | show profile At this point, I would wait until the next edits come and evaluate them. Before I did any work, I would tell the editor I've done quite a bit of work on this piece and would like to know if this is the last round of edits? In other words, I would open up a dialogue about the amount of additional work he is expecting, and which I was willing to provide, making it clear in a businesslike way that I was not willing to make this an open-ended project. I might tell him that I need all his comments and question by X date, because my schedule is booked from Y to Z and I will be unable to work on this project during that span. And then stick to that. If you turn in your revisions and they want more, remind them you told them you were booked. It's up to you to set reasonable boundaries because the editor won't. Honestly, this might poison the relationship and you might not get more work from them. On the other hand, do you want to really get more work from capricious editors who want to hijack your schedule? This hurry up and wait attitude is not uncommon. Obviously, this piece isn't really scheduled, and they have some issues with it, and it still might be killed. Don't stew silently. Don't say, "Yes, sir" to every request. Because remember a request for more work and a suggested deadline is a request and a suggestion; you are not their employee and you can't let them control your calendar. |
| snappiness | Posted – 3/31/2008 5:26:44 PM | show profile I have had this happen two times recently. With one magazine I wanted to keep working for, despite the problems, I did what dribble advises, saying I needed revisions by X date because I was booked after that. They were really nice about it, realizing I was busy, and were accomodating. The editor herself ended up doing some of the revisions -- clearly the edits were coming down from above and she wasn't happy about it either. For another magazine, a big women's glossy, I figured out pretty early on that I wasn't interested in writing for them anymore (inexperienced editor didn't manage the process well, long chain of superiors had to weigh in and make changes every step of the way, the piece got too fluffy for me, etc). It looked like that was going to be the process every time and I didn't think I could change it. So I sucked it up and did all the revisions, then when they called again said I was too busy to take the assignment. |
| JeffG1 | Posted – 3/31/2008 5:40:19 PM | show profile Thanks for the thoughtful responses so far. I've written for this magazine a fair amount and do want to continue writing for them, despite what I've described. I thought that by indicating I had deadlines this week and wanted to get the work done last week, by turning around the piece as soon as I got edits, I was making the point that I was moving on. The editor acknowledged this. I think the piece is being pushed for space, which is often the case with weeklies in my experience. This is fine by me--except that means they have another week to close the issue and more to-ing and fro-ing could ensue. I do feel like I am their employee in this case, and therefore subject to their caprices. I've never put my foot down before, just despaired and sucked it up. I appreciate the advice to wait for the next round and seeing if it's unreasonable. The waiting feels excruciating, the not knowing what will come next and/or how intense it will be. |
| snappiness | Posted – 3/31/2008 6:08:39 PM | show profile putting foot down It may feel kind of confrontational to "put your foot down," as you say you haven't done before, but it doesn't have to be like that. When I don't get revisions in a timely fashion, I call the editor and say, "Hey, just checking on the rewrite. I'm getting a little concerned because after June 3 I'm traveling and on deadline for two features, so I've got to turn this around before then." So, it's not like "I've had it with your capricious and endless rewrites, you vermin!" It's more like, "Regretfully, due to events beyond my control it will be impossible for me to rewrite after this date. I know there are probably issues outside your control, I really hope we can put it to bed before then." Sounds a little more whine-y than I sound -- I'm very firm about it, but my immense workload and overwhelming popularity is the bad guy, not me or my attitude, if that makes sense. |
| caitlinkelly | Posted – 3/31/2008 10:00:42 PM | show profile snappiness makes a good point. It's like any abusive relationship -- the more passive and accepting you are, the fewer reasons the behavior will stop. You have to set clear and firm boundaries. Maybe you can ask your editor to schedule a brief phone meeting -- not to discuss any story but to address this pattern -- and ask them if having (more) detailed assignment letters might prevent all this back-end revising. If they are so disorganized, why should you lose income dealing with it? If they insist the pattern won't change, ask for a raise in your rates to include this revision time, as it's habitual on their part. Maybe doing more would be less annoying if you were earning more $$ to do it. dribbledrive makes another good point..How much rude and capricious editing is worth it? |
| TheSecondShift | Posted – 3/31/2008 11:09:28 PM | show profile Yes, after the second revision I'd probably start asking myself why this was happening. Is the assignment not clear enough? Did the story change midway (but how many times can that happen, really?) or am I really just not getting it? I'd imagine few editors would repeatedly deal with a writer whose work needed multiple rewrites. So, if it's their disorganization and you decide to keep writing for them, you are in essence choosing to be inconvenienced. |
