This Monday I turned some assigned recipes to one of my editors. For some reason she couldn’t open up the file, so she asked me to send it again with the copy pasted into the body of my e-mail, which I did with a note asking her to confirm receipt. Later I sent her the […]
Archive for the 'Editors' Category
Funny subject line story (or why editors don’t respond to hot teen party e-mails)
Filed in: Editors Observations
You ask, we answer: Publicizing a controversial client?
Carol asks, “Over the years, much of my freelance work has come from a non-profit organization that is somewhat controversial due to its conservative views and religious affiliation. As a result, I’m hesitant to include this organization in my queries. My question: Is this fear warranted? I wonder if I’m doing myself in by […]
Filed in: Advice Editors Ethics Query letters You Ask, We Answer
You ask, we answer: My published article was lifted by another writer
Kate asks, “I’ve been trying to break a certain section of a particular national magazine for a few months now, and have been considering re-packaging a nutrition article I did for [Magazine X] over the summer. When my subscription of the other national mag [Magazine Y] arrived in the mail yesterday, I saw that […]
Filed in: Advice Editors Ethics You Ask, We Answer
You ask, we answer: How can I show off a handful of clips?
Denise asks: I’m a full time mommy trying to turn my “hobby” of writing into a real profession. I’ve been stringing for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, covering school districts and city halls for the Metro Briefs section. The trouble is that I don’t get a byline unless they deem the subject worth more […]
Filed in: Advice Editors Marketing You Ask, We Answer
The world says No. The universe says Yes.
This morning one of my editors let me know that a project I had pitched them had been reshaped and she invited me to work on part of it. Suffice it to say that the part she offered was the least compelling part of the project, the recipe development. I was also annoyed because she’d […]
Filed in: Advice Editors Observations Personal yammerings
Good freelancing advice from a former editor
Writer (and former editor) Liz Strauss guest-blogged this week on the Freelance Writing Jobs blog about the three qualities that made freelancers stand out when she was sitting on the other side of the desk. Strauss admits that these traits were uncommon. Sad, isn’t it, because they’re such basic business 101 qualities. Unfortunately, I have […]
The honest freelancer
Recently one of my editors assigned me two features based on pitches I’d sent to her over the last year. She asked me to get back to her with some recipe ideas to go along with them by the end of the week. I looked the pitches over; one of them was very familiar to […]
Filed in: Editors Ethics Observations Personal yammerings
Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? Or Do They Go Anywhere at All?
I’ve been pulling together my travel writing workshop, and happened to be preparing my materials on ethics, when a lovely little travel writing ethics scandal conveniently popped up in the news.
You’ve probably already heard about the fracas surrounding the new tell-all travel writing book, Do Travel Writers Go to Hell? A Swashbuckling Tale of High […]
Filed in: Classes Editors Magazines Observations Personal yammerings Public relations Writing
Dropping In On Editors
I visit my editors once or twice a year, and the payoffs have been great. Editors love being able to put a face with a name, and I’ve even become friends with a few of my editors because we bonded during a visit.
I’m lucky that I live a few hours’ drive from New York City, […]
Hilarious Writer/Editor Sketch
It’s funny because it’s true!
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Filed in: Ass Editors Personal yammerings

