A world of differences between editors and freelancers

Editors and freelancers can have very different perspectives. Recently there were a number of responses to the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers list about the way editors treat writers. Here's some of what was said by some freelancers and some editors:

• I know every editor is overworked, but why isn’t it a high priority to deal in a timely fashion with queries – from the people who fill your publication with its valuable content? If an editor receives an obviously unpromising query, why can’t a boilerplate “Thank you for thinking of us but your idea doesn’t meet our editorial needs at this time” be a keystroke away? (a freelance writer)
  

• There’s also the issue of how to politely turn down the terrible writer who queries every week with a completely useless idea. Sometimes you get query fatigue and hope the person will take the hint and just go away (not the most common scenario, but it does happen). (an editor)

• If, ... after two attempts, I haven't heard anything, I'll send an e-mail including the line, "If I haven't heard from you in the next week, I'll assume you're not interested and I will market the story elsewhere." This isn't meant as an ultimatium but rather a heads up that I am running a business as well and need to keep pursuing a buyer for the story. (a freelance writer)

• If the query could be a good idea but the writer hasn't clearly stated the thesis (our editor likes us to complete the statement "This story will show that..." ) and if they haven't said where precisely they see the piece running in the magazine (i.e., they don't read the magazine), or if they haven't backed up their idea with any research, or if I don't know what else they've written, then that means I have to do a lot of work to answer those questions or get the writer to do that before I can present the idea to my editor. I feel justified in moving those incomplete queries to my "queries to work on" folder, dutifully recording date received in my editorial database system (yes, we do track them all), and coming back to them when I have a bit of time. (an editor)

• Once an editor even contacted me with a potential story that was *her* idea, asked me to research it further, and then didn't follow up to say if she wanted it or not. I still can't decide if she was disorganized or just rude. (a freelance writer)
  

This conversation is interesting in light of a piece published very recently in Media Bistro. Colman Andrews, a freelancer, turned editor-in-chief (he was co-founder of Saveur and EIC from 2002 to 2006), turned freelancer, provides the benefit of his bifurcated experience.

One thing that dawned on me long ago in my two-sided career was that every time I worked as an editor, I learned a little more about how to be a successful freelancer. Here are seven things I've learned. If you think that all or most of these suggestions are obvious -- things that working writers already know -- I can tell you that, from the editor's side of the desk, they sure don't seem to be.