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Maintaining Excellent Writer-Editor Relationships (Or How to Get Repeat Assignments) 1. Remember that editors are not authoritarian figures, your Mom, your Dad, or your boss you never got along with. Treat them as partners in making the article the best it can be. 2. MEET OR BEAT ALL DEADLINES. Editors plan on your submission and won't soon forget if you leave them with a hole to fill at the last minute. Do assignments when you receive them instead of waiting for the deadline. Editors appreciate early delivery, your time is free if there is a rush of assignments, and your stress level will drop. If this sounds boring, and you need the adrenaline rush, play a game with yourself to see how many days you can beat the deadline by. 3. AVOID EVER SURPRISING an editor - if something is not going well in a story, the story is shaping up differently than expected, you would benefit from guidance, or a deadline cannot be met for a good reason, COMMUNICATE as soon as possible. 4. Keep as close as possible to the assigned word count (use the word count function in your word processing program as you write, so you know you are on target). If you find key new information that will make the story go longer, communicate with the editor about it. If he or she agrees to the longer word count, make sure you ask to be paid for it. 5. Fact-check and be accurate in your content, especially with numbers. 6. If the publication has a style guide or uses the Associated Press Stylebook, etc., make sure you follow it. 7. Use professional tools and methods: computer, email, anti-virus software, high quality printer, fax machine, 35 mm or digital camera, tape recorder, Dictaphone, dictionary, thesaurus, etc. Maintain paper/spreadsheet/database records to track the progress of your queries and articles. Be accessible: have high quality telephones (listed phone number), headset, and professional voice mail. 8. Turn in clean, neat copy with no spelling or grammar errors. Follow the submission guidelines from the editor (examples: email; attached Word document; particular font, etc.). 9. Request (nicely insist) to see stories after editing and before publication so you can support the editor in ensuring that all the facts are straight and the story still aligns with your interviews and research (thereby saving the editor from complaints from sources after publication). 10. Give the editor a compliment when he/she edits your story well. 11. Don't argue with the editor or criticize the editing, but respectfully raise questions if you have a concern. 12. Go out of your way to make the editor's job easier. 13. Provide suggestions and/or contacts for photos/artwork. 14. Send occasional presents (must cost less than $25 per IRS). 15. Give editors quality story ideas that fit their publications and have not yet been covered in them. 16. Solve problems for your editors; don't make them. 17. Learn, learn, learn. Take the editor's coaching/feedback and use it. Look at your submitted copy and the edited copy and see where you can improve your writing the next time. Ask the editor where you can improve. ©Susanne M. Alexander, Western Reserve Writer's Mini-Conference, March 23, 2002 [an error occurred while processing this directive] |