There are writers who editors like, and those
they’d bet their careers on. How can you be that writer who the
editor will call on every time she needs an important assignment
to be done? Are you a hot favorite or a
pass-on-for-another-freelancer who keeps querying but receives
no response? Here are the qualities that will endear you to an
editor.
1. Giving more than you promise: When an editor asks for two samples, give her three. If she
trusts you with an assignment, don’t wait for the final
deadline, but send it in a day in advance. If she’s asked you to
provide notes, make sure you give her everything she needs so
that she doesn’t have to ask for anything more. If you make an
editor’s job easier, she’ll love you for it. And she’ll be
willing to trust you again with more assignments.
2. Constantly coming up with fresh slants: There may not be too many new topics (unless you’re writing
about technology; then you just can’t complain), but there can
always be new slants. An editor likes writers who can reduce her
brainwork, and make her look good in front of her superiors by
coming up consistently with great ideas.
3. Having all the answers: It’s important to know about your subject. That’s why so many
well-paid writers advise you to specialize. So, if an editor
calls you to discuss your query, and poses follow-up questions,
you better have the answers. Because an editor’s never going to
trust you with an assignment unless she’s sure you know what
you’re doing. And not having answers to her questions is a
sure-shot sign that you don’t.
4. Coming up with clever titles, and great sidebars: The most important thing I’ve learnt so far is to visualize your
article. See how it appears on the page. Granted, it’s usually
not going to come out like you’d imagined it, but for a minute
forget that you’re a writer, and think like a designer. See the
beautiful fonts and the shaded box on the side? That’s how the
editor sees your article. Now it’s your job to bring that visual
to life with your words.
5. Understanding the core audience of the magazine: If you’re writing for a magazine for home PC users, your
editor’s not going to appreciate ideas on network security,
however wonderful they may be. Similarly, when writing for a
small business owner, you’d want to treat that person as a
little smarter, even if he might have the same knowledge base as
that of a home user. His computing decisions are more important.
That’s why you should always be familiar with the reader’s
knowledge level. That’ll help you make the distinction between
good ideas, and great ones.
6. Making boring subjects come alive: Editors love writers with a dash of style, attitude and
chutzpah. If you can give even a serious subject a touch of
humor, you’ll soon be a hot favorite. This is especially true
with technical, business and trade magazines. Their subject
matter tends to be boring. It’s your job to not only inform the
reader, but also to entertain him.
7. Having the whole package: If you can write great prose, but not meet deadlines, you’re
replaceable. If you can get great interviews and dig up
little-known statistics, but make the fact-checker’s life hell,
you might not be seen as a great catch. If you come up with the
best ideas, but can’t provide equally interesting sidebars,
there’s probably someone who can. But if you give the editor all
those things and more, she has no reason to look beyond you.
8. Knowing the magazine: I wouldn’t go as far as to say that will never sell something to
a magazine you haven’t read (I have), but I will say that you’re
not going to get rich doing it. If you don’t want to go broke
buying all the prospective magazines, get yourself a reliable
Internet connection and visit the magazine’s Website. No editor
will stand a query that looks like it’s been sent to a million
others.
Editors often like to work with a select group of freelance
writers, who’ve earned the editor’s trust over time. By
following the tips above, you’ll soon ensure an impressed editor
and many lucrative assignments as well.
