10 Ways to Annoy Your Editor
Created for the Forge Writing Workshop to help writers who want to build good relationships with the people who edit their work. Based on my 15 years of experience as an editor and writer.
Created for the Forge Writing Workshop to help writers who want to build good relationships with the people who edit their work. Based on my 15 years of experience as an editor and 20 years as a very annoying writer. Special thanks to Lara Witt, Editor in Chief of Prism, and Laura Ablast, Senior Editor at Palestine Square, for their input.
Ignoring Edits - If your editor makes a direct change, don’t just ignore it. Sometimes, an editor may indicate when something is more of a suggestion than a necessary change, so you may have some wiggle room. Regardless, if you disagree with an editor’s decision or suggestion, explain why. They may be receptive! But in general, trust your editor, especially on punctuation preferences.
Ignoring Word Limits - It is okay to go a little over, but submitting 2,000 words when the limit is 1,500 is going too far. This creates a lot of work for the editor or might lead to an outright rejection.
Not Doing Your Own Editing - While editors are here to give you feedback and help you sharpen your work, you should also be doing that on your own. At worst, you should proofread and catch basic mistakes or have someone else read it first. Using an app that reads your article aloud is a good way to overcome some of the stress of reading your work. Hearing a weird robotic voice can help you catch mistakes you may otherwise miss.
Not Providing Sources - Unless you’re writing a piece solely based on your personal experience, you should be providing sources for your big claims or facts that may not be common knowledge. Check to see if the publication prefers links or a works cited section. A good editing process involves fact-checking, and this makes the process easier. Even personal stories should include sources if you’re referring to events like unionization victories or passing legislation. Lean into providing sources, not away from it.
Sending a Reminder Too Quickly - Don’t bug your editor and bump an email about your pitch within 24 hours of sending it. You should send a reminder based on the urgency of the article (if the publication doesn’t publish frequently, you may want to wait for up to a month and a half). Editors are, for the most part, humans and may lose track of things or be overwhelmed. Be patient and know they are likely getting back to you as soon as they can based on their capacity and the priorities of the publication (they may temporarily be prioritizing articles about a specific topic, for example).
Making Things Up - Should be obvious, but like the other entries, it wouldn’t be here if it didn’t come up regularly. Don’t make up fake quotes, and don’t reference events that didn’t happen. Lastly, make sure that your sources actually say what you’re claiming they say!
Take it Personally - Don’t take edits personally; they almost always aren’t. Editors are trying to make your piece worthy of you and their audience. Trust them, and if you need to push back, do so gently and with an open mind.
Pitch Many Publications at Once - Some publications may not mind, but many editors will be frustrated to pick up an article by you just to find out that another publication has already accepted it. I would recommend pitching one publication at a time.
Threaten to Take Your Article Back - It is okay to let an editor know when a pitch is so time-sensitive that you may have to send it to others within a time limit. But threatening to take back an article or pitch because of a disagreement with an editor or a delay in publishing, especially if they’ve done work on the article to improve it, is the nuclear option. It risks burning the bridge with the editor and the publication. Articles are a team project, and editors become collaborators once your pitch is accepted. If your piece is being distorted too far from its initial aims, then it's worth letting them know and discussing moving on elsewhere.
Be Rude - Be gentle and respectful; you’ll likely get it back. Don’t be condescending because you have more degrees than your editor or feel like you must have some higher command of the language because they are an immigrant or a person of color or didn’t go to a fancy school. Be confident in your writing but humble in the feedback process.
Along with the advice here, you should always read the submissions pages of the publication before pitching–and ideally read articles that they’ve published that are similar to the one you’re pitching. Some publications only accept pitches and dislike receiving already finished pieces.
Send your pitches and believe in yourself!