How to p%@!* off your editor
Most of my blog posts are designed to help freelance writers learn the right way of doing things to improve their chances of success.
Today I am going to write about two things NOT to do: two things that rank at the top of my list of professional peeves.
I would even go so far as to suggest that these two things would make a commissioning newspaper and magazine editor about as happy as flat beer, nails on a chalkboard, a mail boy with an attitude problem and a dog with excessive flatulence would.
There are few things that p*$#@ editors off more than freelancers who:
- don’t write to the story brief; and/or
- who are so precious about their work that they baulk at any request to change, edit or rewrite any element of the story.
Let me elaborate.
I am always gobsmacked when a freelance writer turns in an article that bears little resemblance to the brief that lays out the original story premise.
When written by the editor for the freelancer, the brief is obviously designed to be used as a guide by said freelancer to write the story that said editor needs, but it is surprising how often said freelancer doesn't follow said brief.
On one occasion, I commissioned a freelance writer and gave her a detailed one-page brief for a 1300-word article that suggested a number of experts to call, research links and poignant questions to ask.
The brief was so clear and informative that the writer had to do little more than make a few phone calls and fill in the blanks.
When the completed story finally beeped into my email inbox, however, not only was the focus of the story way off the mark, but the writer had only quoted one person throughout the entire article.
Now, just for the record, it is common for stories to ‘fall over’, for the initial premise to be proven baseless or for the angle to change - but this was not one of those times!
This was a clear case of the freelancer simply not taking the time to read the brief properly or, worse, choosing not to follow it.
As an aside, when a story angle does change, it is imperative the freelancer contact their editor immediately to give them the heads-up that the story has changed direction so they can make an informed decision on how to proceed with it.
Anyhoo, when I asked the freelancer why the story didn’t cover the issues I needed it to and why it was totally bereft of supporting quotes and substantiated evidence, I was told, ‘Oh, the people I called never rang me back.'
Mmm, I still wonder if she truly expected me to say in return, 'Okay, I understand. That's a perfectly acceptable reason to publish a half-baked, unsubstantiated story then.'
The fact is, good writers know that in most cases it will be up to them to call, call, and call again before they manage to speak the interviewee. Playing phone tag is part of the job description.
Based on this one episode alone, I deleted this freelancer’s details from my contact book.
The simple fact is, it is the freelancer's job to give the editor what they asked for, when they asked for it.
Too precious to take constructive feedback
When the commissioning editor calls – and they do – and says, ‘The story is great. Well done. I just have a couple of questions and need you to change this...,’ it is entirely inappropriate for the freelancer to sigh audibly, raise their shackles and go on the defensive with the McEnroe-esque retort, "You can not be serious!"
The editor is not picking on the writer, nor are they undervaluing their creative genius or trying to sabotage the copy. Their main motivation in asking for a change, edit, addition, etc, is to improve the story.
It may be that the editor needs additional elements to make a topic clearer or more relevant to the readership, or that a few edits will help the flow of the piece, or that the changes will make the article more exciting, intriguing, informative or interesting.
The editor knows the publication and the dynamics of the readership better than the freelancer. Therefore, they know what stories sell better and what is needed to make them work.
The bottom line is that the editor is the boss and, yes, there is a darn good chance the story can be improved with their advice and guidance.
In short, freelancers should avoid being too precious when it comes to changing a word, adding a quote or finessing a sentence, because precious freelancers are simply too much trouble to bother with.
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For more information about Pamela Wilson or WriteSmart, log on to http://www.writesmart.com.au/