5 Ways to Keep Editors Coming Back for More
By Sue Campbell
The sad truth is nobody pays you to send out queries. While good query skills are a must for any freelancer, constantly crafting new queries for new markets can negatively impact your bottom line.
The best way to keep query writing to a minimum (and keep the money rolling in) is to make editors love you. Do that and pretty soon you can get away with writing much shorter queries. Maybe you even get emails from your editors simply offering you assignments.
How do you make editors love you? Sadly, sucking up doesn’t work. Being helpful and professional does.
Here are some great ways of getting — and staying — in good with your highest paying editors.
1. Style match. Have you ever excitedly looked at a recently printed article of yours only to get annoyed that the editor changed your lede or messed with your perfect close? Stop complaining and learn from it.
Take a half an hour to check your manuscript against what actually gets printed and study the stylistic changes that were made. Next time you write for that magazine, you can save that editor some work by more closely matching that magazine’s tone of voice.
2. Over deliver. As an example, your contract didn’t ask for a sidebar. But you realize that all the material you cut to make your word count hangs together nicely. If it’s your first time working for this editor, throw it in for free and mention, “You didn’t ask for it, but I included a sidebar related to blah blah just in case you can use it.”
A little extra work goes a long way toward proving you’re great to work with and are looking for ways to be helpful. One note of caution, don’t over deliver on a specified word count! Saying, “Hey, you asked for 1200 words and I gave you 1800!” is not going to win the hearts of editors.
3. Give ideas for other writers. It sounds crazy to send ideas for stories you know an editor won’t assign to you. But when you get to know a publication, you know which of their sections are written by which staff.
One magazine I write for has a restaurant review column that is always written by the managing editor — the same one who assigns me work. I found a new restaurant just a bit off the beaten path and thought it might be a great fit for the column, so I shot her a quick email letting her know about it. I had nothing to gain from it — except a great working relationship.
4. Respond quickly, but not too quickly. Editors love knowing you’ll get back to them on a question right away. But sometimes rushing to respond doesn’t give you time to present your best self.
Recently I sent in a query and got a response from an editor saying she wanted a slightly different slant and asking if was I still interested. It was a yes or no question, but rushing to send back a “yes!” wasn’t adding any value, not to mention it would have sounded a bit desperate. So, I gave myself an extra twenty minutes and crafted a response that showed I understood the direction she wanted to go and gave an example that assured her I could go there. I still got back to her in under two hours and I got the assignment. Give yourself time to send the most helpful response possible.
5. Recruit your own copy editor. If you’re right up against a deadline and you’ve read your manuscript a dozen times in the last three hours, chances are your brain is filling in details about how it should read and you’re missing some typos. Ideally, you want a manuscript to sit for a few days so fresh eyes can pick out the mistakes. If this isn’t possible, or you know proofreading isn’t your strong suit, you need help.
Pick your most literate and detail oriented friend to copy edit for you. Bribe them with chocolate, booze, eggs from your chickens, anything that will work. My personal copy editor is my mother-in-law. She has sharp eyes, and one published book under her belt. It’s also a good idea to have that person review the details you were given for the assignment against your piece, so you can get feedback on whether or not you’ve fulfilled your duties.
You may have noticed the common theme running through these tips: writers who make an editor’s life easier get repeat assignments. Do you have any surefire tips to win the hearts of editors? Please share them in the comments below.
Sue Campbell is a freelance writer, journalist and blogger in Portland, Oregon. She avoids query writing whenever possible and raises chickens so she can use eggs as bribes. You can contact her at http://suecampbellpdx.com.
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Sep 17, 2012 Advice, Editors, Freelance writers, Freelance Writing, Writers, Writing
Really good advice in here. I also don’t think it’s sad that “sucking up” doesn’t work. Why would anyone want to work for someone who WAS impressed by sucking up?
Good point. Now you’re making me want to edit that line! (A writer’s work is never considered done.)
Eggs as bribes are awesome.
I think one thing that goes with over-deliver is under-promise. It’s like Henry IV part 1.
I agree Annabelle. Under-promising has also saved my butt when something unexpected comes up and I can’t do everything I planned.
This is all very good advice, thank you. I’m a big believer in over-delivering. For example, when asked for a sidebar, and these are usually very easy to pull together from interviews, I may send an “A” version and a “B” version. Editors like that I offer a choice and am not so rigid and cheap about only delivering what the contract specified. The “A” version may be a paragraph or two on a subject, and the “B” version might be a round up of quotes from sources on a pertinent question. Editors tend to favor a writer who isn’t stingy and by the book. I’ve also emailed editors to say I’d like to do maybe 200 words over count — is that ok? Usually, they will say yes and thank you. I’ve gotten more repeat assignments by being very “in touch” with editors. They like that I’m willing to write more if necessary without asking for more money per contract. My reward is that, yes, I have to work a bit harder. But I get assignments and don’t have to pitch. So it’s cost effective to me as a writer. Pitching time is money and getting an assignment every month without having to pitch saves me labor.
Editors also seem to respond very well to writers who offer choices in headlines and subs. Typically, I’ll read through a pub and see headline style and then either go for a hard business type of headline with an action verb, or a soft slug. It depends on what I see they do. Mirroring a publication’s style is hugely important. A few editors I’ve worked with have thanked me profusely for offering a few different headline options so they don’t have to sit there and make one up if one of my headlines doesn’t work for them. With budget cuts, layoffs, ad sales down, this recession is still bad for magazines. Editors have the weight of the world on their shoulders and love a writer who helps ease their burden.
Lastly, another thing I’ve learned that editors like (a lot!!!) is statistics. Trade mags typically give writers assignment letters with suggested sources, and these are usually because these sources are sponsoring the article, are big advertisers or have something new on the market or about to hit the market. A writer who covers those bases, yet also goes the extra mile to get stats to back everything up win big thumbs up–and more assignments. Editors are always grateful when a writer gives them a trend report in terms of actual figures. These are easy to get, but a lot of writers are either afraid–or too lazy–to get them. Also, writers should get good high-res images and submit with their stories. These are easy to get as most people want public relations. Just be sure they are the types of photos you see published in the magazine (i.e., product shots vs. lifestyle shots. Know what the mag wants.)
Lastly, my other tip is that writers should Google their sources, even after asking them to spell their names and cite their title at point of interview. Sometimes sources get promoted or females get married and change their names by the time the story goes to press. Sometimes the geographical base moves from one locale to another in that span of time between interview and publication. Google them to make sure everything is up to the minute. I’ve emailed editors when they are down to the wire with these kind of changes so they can hurry and incorporate them so everything is timely and sources are charmed by this type of attention to detail. Editors LOVE this. Especially these days when the recession has meant cut backs in staff, including fact checkers. Be a good fact checker so your editor can feel confident that you took this extra step to insure that the magazine doesn’t get emails from sources ticked that they weren’t cited properly.
And always, always, thank your editor for the assignment. I’ve been working for two publications for the past three years. Every month they give me at least two stories to write. I always thank them. I never take these assignments for granted. In turn, my busy, overworked editors feel appreciated. As they should. I think this has contributed greatly to a respectful, professional relationship.
Fantastic tips, Trish!
Trish, thanks for your helpful comment — my readers can learn a lot from this!
Most of these tips were all knew to me, which great. I especially like the one about not responding to emails too quickly with a simple yes or no answer, but spending a little more time to compose an email that presents your best professional self. I can take that idea and apply it immediately.
Best
All great tips, but in my opinion over delivering beyond what you promised will always have them coming back. Because they know that when you write and promise, you’ll always deliver more. Just my 2 cents
Just as writers share information about editors and publications, editors do the same with each other. They let each other know about a great new talent they see. Or, about the person who responded rudely to a rejection. So the key is to be wise while responding.