www.inkthinkerblog.com — Warning: The following is a bit of a rant.
I’ve been going back and forth with the editor of a small newsletter for writers about an article they need for an area in which I have a fair amount of expertise. The publication asked for a full article to be written on spec before acceptance, and I politely explained that I don’t write on spec for low-paying markets ($10 for 500-1000 words) but that I had several instances of advice that I had shared with other writers over the last two years concerning this very topic and pasted those into a detailed outline (and when I say “detailed outline,” I’m talking 675 words written in complete sentences following the path of the article) of the article, including a “model” fill-in-the-blank as part of the how-to aspect of the article.
The response? “I can’t accept an article without seeing the complete article first.” The explanation? “I don’t know of too many editors that will offer to pay for an article that they have not read yet, and there’s many reasons behind it.”
Um, hi, that’s what a query letter is for. In fact, although I didn’t write any original material, I compiled more than 500 words of coherent, unpublished material into a draft of the complete article–far beyond what a query letter would include. Should I have not said that it was a paste-up of how I planned to write the article? Should I have just said that that was the article? Would the editor have even noticed if I hadn’t pointed it out?
I feel that a response is in order, but I am literally at a loss for words. I’m not going for angry, particularly since the editor was very polite and had an appropriate tone throughout our communication, but indignant might not be out of the question. I haven’t decided yet.
Suggestions welcome!
UPDATE, 11:53 a.m., Wednesday, July 26
Here’s my response:
I understand that you as an individual want to see an entire article before acceptance, but I’m very surprised by your comment that most editors don’t accept articles without seeing the whole thing. My experience as both a writer and an editor is that the purpose of a query letter (which, for comparison, would provide considerably less information about the article’s content and angle and the writer’s style than my 675-word paste-up draft) is to avoid writing without guarantee of compensation, and that the vast majority of articles are assigned on the basis of a query, not a complete article written on spec. Has your experience been very different from that? Are you writing in a specialty area that has different expectations from mainstream freelancing? I’d be really interested to hear more about your experience in that area if you have the time and inclination to share.
UPDATE: 2:08 p.m., Wednesday, July 26
The editor responded promptly, politely, and informatively. You can pick up on the main points of the editor’s response from my reply:
It sounds like your experience has been different from mine in some ways. Whereas you’ve shared that queries have yielded requests for articles on spec without guarantee of publication or compensation, I’ve gotten assignments for complete articles with specific compensation and deadline information provided. Other freelancers with whom I’ve discussed this over the years have shared experiences similar to mine as the majority of their query results. Occasionally an editor will ask for an article on spec, but I’ve never experienced or heard of that being the norm. I wonder why it’s been so different for us.
At any rate, thanks for taking the time to discuss with me. I appreciate it!
Curiouser and curiouser. It’s been a pleasant, however baffling, exchange. What has your experience been with queries and assignments versus queries and requests for articles on spec?
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Finalist in 2006 Writer’s Digest Best Writer’s Website Contest
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My gut response is “move on.” Surely the editor of a writing newsletter knows that freelance writing “assignments”–which magazines and other publications often rely on–are basically accepted before they are published? I would be at a loss for words, too. You say your 500 words of outline is basically a draft of the finished article–since you’ve already written the article, in effect, can the draft stand as your submission, for her to accept or reject on its own terms? You might offer that, say you understand her position, and say that you plan on submitting the article to other markets if she’s not interested, so could she give you a definite answer in a week or two. My two cents. Joanne
well, I’ve written on spec, but for higher paying markets… frankly, for $10 I’d probably drop the whole thing unless there’s some other reason you want to be published there.
Anne Wayman
http://www.aboutfreelancewriting.com
Very good response, Kristen. The only thing I would add in the the sentence about the purpose of the query is to change it to “without guarantee of compensation for the writer and to minimize the time spent by the editor on a query that doesn’t fit the publication’s needs.”
In my experience, the majority of articles are queried first, to save both sides of the table time and money, other than essays and fillers. Essays and fillers are usually sent as complete manuscripts.
But that is a different genre than a query.
Agree with Devon…good response. And yes, essays and fillers are a different genre, with different expectations.
I’ve freelanced for eight years, for both small and large publications, and I’ve yet to run into an editor that wants to see the entire article before accepting it. You’re absolutely right – that’s why query letters were invented!
I’d tell the editor that you’re prepared to take your idea and notes elsewhere; if they still resist, I’d let it go. I personally think that they’re being a bit ridiculous.
Good luck!
Dana
I’ve written on spec once – for Highlights for Children. Unless it’s a market that’s well-known, why on earth would anyone bother? Good response to her, Kristen. Not much more you can do but wish her well and move on. Classy!