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Here's A Tip:
Be Someone We Want To Work With

Posted by Camille Gooderham Campbell in Advice For Writers.
Original article on Copyeditproof.com.

I'm not going to review the obvious here - reading guidelines, polishing and proofreading your work, etc. - on the assumption that you've already got it covered. This is about how to be someone an editor wants to work with.

Let's start by assuming that you're a good (or at least competent) writer, able to produce work at a level suitable for the magazine or publishing house you want to build a relationship with. No amount of schmoozing or game-playing is going to get you there if you're not up to standard; there's no secret way around that. And, fortunately or unfortunately, you still need to get noticed by the editors (whether with an acceptance, a revision request, or an "encouraging" rejection that indicates interest in seeing more of your work) on the strength of your writing. But from there, you can become a writer editors see as a pleasure to work with, or a kind of neutral entity who doesn't trigger any thoughts one way or another, or a writer at whose name editors roll their eyes and shudder.

It's not so much of an issue if you're a brilliant master of the craft and rolling in awards and praise in all directions - editors will put up with a lot (though not everything or indefinitely) for the reward of genius-level work to publish (and hopefully profits to go with that, if we're talking actual books for sale or paid subscriptions). It's also true that nothing will save you if you can't write.

But when you're at a  journeyman level, working your way up from more-than-competent to potential-star-on-the-rise, you're most likely submitting work to places that get more acceptable-quality submissions than they have publication spots. So it stands to reason that you want to have every possible advantage on your side. You want editors to see your name and smile, to think, "Oh, yes, I like working with that one."

How to make editors smile

Now, I'm in no way suggesting that writers need to be all sweet and agreeable and self-effacing to be liked -"pleasant" basically means that we don't walk away from a conversation with you thinking ugh, that was a bad scene. Editors aren't infallible and good ones should be reasonable; if you don't want to make changes to accommodate an editor's opinion, you can be firm (and if publication is contingent on you making particular changes, you can always respectfully decline and take the piece elsewhere, with no harm done). The point is not to argue with your editor, but to explain your concerns and see if there's a solution that will satisfy everyone.

A writing career is a long-term thing, and nothing is gained from short-term "victories" if you're the only one feeling good about them.

How to make editors shudder

In terms of public persona, there are several successful writer-bloggers who take strong stances about various things and aren't known for pulling their punches, and usually editors want to work with writers who are passionate, who are willing to stand up for issues that matter to them, who enjoy engaging with the wider community and aren't afraid of a spicy debate. The thing is, spicy debate is elite-level stuff - if you're still trying to work out where the line is between wit and vitriol, if you're wondering why your public persona shouldn't necessarily extend to your business communication, or if you're not sure what makes a comment "inappropriate" or "offensive" instead of "daring" or "edgy," you're not there yet.

Finally, as to being sane� I believe it was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said good writers are "a whole lot of people trying so hard to be one person" (in The Love of the Last Tycoon), so I totally get that "sane" might be a negotiable term at times. But you know, quirky is just fine. Eccentric is fine. Tortured and melancholic are unfortunate for you but fine for us. Just... don't be a psychopath, okay? You know what chaotic evil is? Don't be that. Then we're good.

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updated 6/28/2018