What to Do When Your Editor Kills Your Story

Few things can send shivers down a seasoned freelancer’s spine like the words, “Thanks for the hard work, but I don’t think I can use this.” And, no, the promise of a paycheck doesn’t ease the tension, though it does help. I know because I’ve experienced the early death of piece a time or two in the past.

The truth is, no matter how much time you’ve devoted to crafting the perfect draft and how closely you followed an editor’s directions, killed stories are bound to happen at some point during your career. Fortunately, penning a story that doesn’t make it to press doesn’t mean all hope is lost. Lucky for me, I know a thing or two about bouncing back from disappointment and resurrecting your beloved piece. Mourning writers everywhere, follow these six steps to recovering from a story deferred.

Also on Mediabistro

Marketing Professional Associations: The Best Organizations to Join

5 Bad Writing Habits That Hurt Your Career (And How to Fix Them)

1. Verify the status.

It may seem like a no-brainer, but make sure the story has actually been killed before doing anything else, says Anna Davies, former Cosmopolitan editor turned full-time freelancer. “I’ve written stories that have been on hold for up to a year before they ran, so getting an editor to commit to running the piece is key.”

If and when the editor does confirm the killed status, you’ll want to find out exactly why your story didn’t make the cut. It may not be a reflection of poor execution, but have everything to do with something going on behind the scenes. The publishing industry is constantly changing; therefore, it’s sometimes hard to predict whether or not a story assigned in December will still work for a national publication six months later.

2. Learn and move on.

It’s tempting to wallow in your sorrows once the plug has been pulled. Although you may want to hide for cover, you’ve still got some unfinished business to take care of with your editor. Confronting the situation and asking what went wrong is essential for moving past the incident.

While changes at the publication can result in failed stories, there are times you might be the one at fault. Be prepared to take responsibility for any shortcomings or misunderstandings. Most importantly, be able to learn from the situation. Not every editor is willing to be your mentor, but some are willing to give you feedback as to why something won’t or didn’t work.

And whatever you do, don’t be overly apologetic. You’ll only appear desperate and needy to the editor, which doesn’t bode well if you hope to work with him or her again. I learned the hard way that editors simply don’t have patience for it. Instead, thank them for the opportunity and assure that you’ll apply the lessons from the experience to future assignments.

Regardless of the reason, it’s never easy dealing with the rejection of an assignment. But instead of getting emotional, wondering if you’ll ever be good enough, try being logical, suggests New Jersey freelance writer, Stephanie Auteri. “I like to remind myself you can’t make everyone happy and you can’t be the right writer for everyone. If someone isn’t head-over-heels in love with something you did, you can’t take it personally. You have to remind yourself of all the positive feedback you did receive,” she says.

3. Fight for your rights.

Now that you know your prized piece stands no chance of getting printed in the chosen publication, it’s time to take some action. Comb through the contract to find out exactly what you are entitled to. If you are lucky, you’ll be paid for the entire piece. In other cases, you may be offered a kill fee.

Kill fees aren’t meant to protect the writer. They’re meant to protect the publication in the event the story was written so poorly it can’t be used or the fact checker found many issues with the story. They shouldn’t be used when editors change their mind, lack direction, leave the publication or just aren’t clear of what they want. That’s why Boston-based freelance writer, Susan Johnston suggests writers advocate for the full pay, if deserved. “If the writer holds up her side of the bargain and the story is killed for other reasons, I think it’s reasonable for the writer to politely and respectfully advocate for the full fee rather than accepting 50 percent or less of the agreed upon fee.”

Sometimes the editor will agree with you and offer the full amount. However, if the editor does not agree, you’ll have to decide whether potentially straining the relationship is worth the extra bucks. If the editor is one to constantly push back publication dates, kill stories or request constant rounds of edits, it may be worth it to fight for the pay and cut ties.

4. Repurpose and strategize.

I like to revisit the story and see what interesting parts may be used in research for other stories. Even if the original assignment didn’t work out, there’s no reason to let all that research go to waste. Create a list of useable information from the story and file it away in case it can be applied to something else in the future. If anything, it would make for a great, quick reference if ever you’re in need of sources on a similar topic.

5. Alert your sources.

You’d probably let your sources know when the story you quoted them for is available, so you should alert your sources in the event the story doesn’t pan out. Wouldn’t you hate it if you were spending lots of money on every issue of a particular magazine only to find out the story you were quoted in was never published?

I know it can be embarrassing to rehash the fact that your story didn’t make the cut to someone who probably doesn’t understand the industry, but it’s the courteous thing to do. In the past, I’ve sent short emails to my sources, thanking them for their contribution and letting them know that the story wasn’t published as planned because of space constraints, difference in opinions or issues with timeliness. I also promise to alert them if the story gets published at a later date. Most of my sources have responded with a note of support and appreciation for the update.

6. Pitch and publish the story elsewhere.

The original assigning editor may have killed your story, but that doesn’t mean it can’t live on at some other publication. “Dust yourself off and start pitching,” says Kristen Fischer, author of When Talent Isn’t Enough: Business Basics for the Creatively Inclined. “If you’ve placed it once, you can probably do it again. Who knows? You may wind up with more money from it the second time around.”

Unless the killed story is a personal essay, I would advise against sending the entire piece to another editor — especially if the story was killed because the editor didn’t like it. Remember the list of useable facts I suggested you create earlier? Well, now is the time to revisit the list and use the information to create a new pitch.

However, freelance writer, Joel Long* finds it beneficial to tweak the work he’s already done for another publication. “I usually pitch the idea, and then, if accepted, re-hash the article while adding some stuff that wasn’t in the original piece or rearrange some [points].”

Even if you’ve repackaged the killed story into a new pitch or altered the story, keep mum about the story’s morbid history. No editor wants to receive the sloppy seconds of your story, warns Davies. “If an article is killed from one publication, you don’t want another magazine to know because their thinking is, if X magazine doesn’t want it, why would we?” she says.

If all else fails, consider posting it on your own blog. It may be better off living in this form to help build your portfolio than rotting away in your hard drive never to be seen again.

*Name has been changed.

Terri Huggins is a freelance writer living in New Jersey. Visit her website www.terrificwords.com or follow her on Twitter @TerrificWords