The Place For My Writers Notes

Original posting 8 December 2009

Writers' Digest, October 2004, pages 26 to 33, has a collection of short "nuggets of wisdom" related to getting published. Maria Schneider is the author of the compilation. Take a deep breath, and here we go:

"There's a fine line between pestering editors and letting them forget about you. You have to give them time to react to your query before you contact them. Also, be flexible. Often times people will propose something I like, but it will work better as a shorter piece or with a different focus. I like it when a writer says, 'OK, I can do that.'" John Willoughby

I used to do reviews for one of the professional journals. One of the editors commented that one of the reasons they liked working with me was that I didn't argue when they needed to cut something to make it fit the available space, and I responded quickly to requests for changes. I think part of this was my early experience working with a small community newspaper, where I learned about fitting words into the available space.

Anyway, learning to work with editors is part of the publication game. In fact, you may have more than just a single editor to work with. And in some ways, while you know your story best, the editors and others know their audience and their publication best -- so if they suggest changes, at least consider them. The key here is reaching the audience, and they may have some ideas to make that better.