SiteYou Ask, We Answer: What if an editor calls and I’m not here?
Marita writes: Sensei [I like it! But now that I practice kung fu instead of karate, it's Sifu 
- LF],
I’m new to the world of (attempted) freelance writing and have decided that it’s much like a first date. Comparative to a teenage girl waiting for a call from a boy –- I’ve been checking my phone repeatedly to ensure that there is a dial tone. If an editor attempts to contact a writer and reaches an answering machine, will he or she:
A) Leave a Message
B) Call Back
C) Send an Email
D) Declare the Freelance Writer Unworthy and Move On
I vote for (A) and (C). Unless the assignment is so urgent that a delay of even five seconds will cause the magazine to go under, an editor is unlikely to move on to another writer just because you weren’t immediately available via phone. In my experience, if an editor gets your voicemail, she’ll leave a message and perhaps also send you an e-mail.
I’m starting to learn that you don’t have to be available 24-7 to be successful as a freelancer; in fact, what’s so awesome about freelancing is that you’re allowed to “disappear,” meaning make yourself unavailable — unless you’re disappearing because you had an article due two weeks ago and don’t want to face your editor.
If you e-mail me, you’ll see I even have a new autoresponder (text courtesy of The Four-Hour Workweek) saying I check my e-mail twice a day, and if an editor has an urgent assignment she can reach me via a phone number that rings both my office phone can my cell (courtesy of Grand Central). Last week, an editor did e-mail me about an urgent assignment, then she called the Grand Central number as instructed…and I wasn’t able to pick up either my office phone or my cell because I had kinda forgotten to take the cell with me when I went out. I returned her call later in the day when I got home and picked up the message, and the assignment was still there waiting for me. QED.
Have a question for the Renegade Writers? Send it to questions [at] therenegadewriter [dot] com. [lf]
One Response to “You Ask, We Answer: What if an editor calls and I’m not here?”
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Karen M. Lynch
Said this on July 9th, 2007 at 8:50am:I’m going to check out that Four Hour Workweek, Linda, thanks for that.
I also want to say that if you have a PDA or some handheld that you can check your email on when you are away you can have a mind that battles your heart’s desire for freedom/flexibility as a freelancer. I turned in an edited piece last Friday then headed out at noon for the weekend but was able to read the acceptance (and request for an invoice) later that afternoon at a girlfriend’s house (where we had nine kids running around us Margarita drinking moms who hadn’t seen each other in months).
GREAT peace of mind if one is in your budget.