Join me Nov. 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern for a Zoom workshop on how to write pitches editors will actually read — and commission. We’ll dive deep into what makes a fantastic story pitch and how to get an editor invested in your idea. How do you structure it? What must be in it, and what should you leave out? How much pre-reporting should you do? How can you head off the follow-up questions an editor will inevitably ask? How do you even find editors to pitch or know which publication to shoot for? We’ll cover all that and much, much more. (Upgraded subscribers get 50% off registration, and all registrants will get a recording of the workshop.)
Hello friends, happy Thursday! I hope you’re having a lovely week and adjusting to DST ending. My eternally hungry kitty Meatball certainly is not, and he has been extremely confused about where his dinner is the moment the sun sets. Poor little buddy.
Today we have another edition of our ongoing series Ask an Editor, in which I pick out a reader-submitted question or two and offer my take. If you’ve got a question about freelancing or the wider world of journalism, email me at [email protected] or fill out this form with your question.
My story with a new editor didn’t go as smoothly as I’d have liked. Is there still hope?
Anonymous asks,
How can a freelancer salvage their relationship with an editor after an assignment goes not so well? I recently got an assignment from an editor at a major publication. We had some miscommunication about the direction of the story, which resulted in quite a bit of back-and-forth. The story ultimately turned out well, but it wasn't the smooth and delightful experience I strive to deliver, especially when working with a new editor! I'd really like to work with this editor and publication again, but I'm scared I blew it. Is there any way to get back in their good graces?
Okay so first: Take a beat here. Do you really need to get back in their good graces, or was this just messier than you’re used to? Did you genuinely commit some communication sin here? I’d guess probably not! And keep in mind you’re seeing only your side of this “miscommunication.” We’ll come back to that idea in a sec.
First, two things jump out to make me think this probably isn’t as bad as it is in your head: 1. The story was still published, which already means it wasn’t an all-out catastrophe. 2. The story “turned out well,” so you’re happy with it, which probably means the editor was, too. They didn’t kill the story, after all. (And even if they had, that rarely means the partnership is beyond repair. I’ve only killed a few stories in my career, but it’s never meant I wouldn’t work with that freelancer again. It happens, and editors are accustomed to dealing with that scenario.)
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