SiteYou Ask, We Answer: Is this a brush-off?
Rebecca asks: I’m a writer who is just starting out, and also a stay at home mom. Thus far, I have queried 2 nationals with different story ideas. The first responded and asked for clips. I sent them, and then when I followed up, the editor replied saying she liked the idea but wouldn’t be interested in it until January. The 2nd pub wrote back and said they liked the idea but that the section I pitched to was done in house. My question is, is this a polite brush off? And what should my next steps be? Do I hang out until Jan. and hope that pub 1 picks up my idea? Do I re-query pub 2 to a different section? Do I re-pitch new ideas altogether?
These aren’t brush offs…they’re encouragement! For the magazine that said they do such stories in-house, you should take your idea elsewhere, and at the same time come up with new ideas for that magazine (but make sure they’re not done in-house by checking the bylines against the masthead). For the magazine that said they won’t be interested until January…get back to them in January, and if they end up rejecting the piece, come up with more ideas for them since you have a foot in the door. (Or pitch your idea elsewhere and get back to them in January only if you haven’t sold it already. And send more ideas!)
Got a question for the Renegade Writers? Send it to us at questions [at] therenegadewriter [dot] com.
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