The Successful Writer’s 10-Step Guide to Making Editors Happy

How do you feel about editors?

Many writers I know fear or even hate them.

To new writers, editors can seem like mysterious beings who dwell in a far-off land…and you can’t figure out how you might get them to notice you.

Or simply an annoying obstacle standing between you and the writing career you want.

But here’s the magic: With the right approach, you can connect with a brand-new editor who doesn’t know you — even one at a great-paying, high-profile publication — and start getting gigs.

You don’t need connections.

You don’t need a lot of published articles under your belt.

What you do need is to know how to build great relationships with editors.

I’ve broken in cold at quite a few publications, and gotten to know a lot of editors.

These days, I also sit on the other side of the desk, as editor for guest posts on my own writers’ blog.

Here’s my guide to not just breaking in but becoming the “go-to” writer for your editors:

1. Consider their POV

Writers rarely stop to consider what editors’ lives are like and the volume of work they have to do. I once asked one of my national magazine editors how many query letters and pitches from PR people she got a week, and the answer was more than 100.

Every single week. Think on that a moment.

Meanwhile, that editor needs to do a few other things this week besides read query letters. These tasks probably include:

• Put out the upcoming issue
• Read assigned articles that have come in
• Attend planning meetings about upcoming issues
• Develop ideas for future theme sections
• Edit the work of staff writers
• Take vacations or go to medical appointments
• Sleep, eat, commute to work

To sum up, they’ve got a lot on their plate. Keep that in mind, and you’ll win friends in the editorial suite.

2. Follow Directions

It sounds obvious, but one of the big complaints I hear from editors is about writers who don’t do what they’re asked.

My personal pet peeve? Writers send me a vague, rambling, unformed idea for a blog post instead of a headline and outline, as I’ve requested.

Writers email queries over when the publication’s guidelines ask that they be snail-mailed.

Writers send three story ideas when the guidelines say to please send your best one only.

They blow their deadlines.

My personal pet peeve? Writers send me a vague, rambling, unformed idea for a blog post instead of a headline and outline, as I’ve requested.

When you’re dealing with editors, you want to follow the rules. You may think it doesn’t matter, but editors tend to be sticklers for this sort of stuff. You can win brownie points just for submitting an idea the way the editor requests.

3. Don’t Be a Pest

It’s a classic move by new writers that after you send a query, then you start emailing. “Did you get my query? Did you like it?”

You start calling. You start freaking out. You’ve just got to get this assignment!

The problem here is, you’re driving that editor nuts. Now, they’re probably not going to want to work with you.

Personally, I never follow up on queries I send. I figure, if they’re interested, they’ll call me.

But if you’re the type who wants to follow up, keep it to once. And if they say allow 6-8 weeks for a response then yes,  you will have to wait until that time is up to bug them.

4. Be Helpful

If you must follow up, send one quick email perhaps a few weeks after you sent the original. To make it easy for the editor, include your whole pitch in the followup email, so they don’t have to hunt for it.

When you’re turning in an assignment, include all the pieces that were needed. Don’t make the editor have to call you to say, “Where’s the sidebar?” Or the source list. Or the photo. Or the link. Or whatever.

Be the writer whose stuff comes in ready to go, and you’ll be the one the editor calls more often when she’s got assignments to hand out.

5. Don’t Be Bossy

I’ve been reviewing a lot of query letters for magazines lately, and here’s one thing I keep seeing: Some writers pitch as if they think they know more than the editor about the publication.

The editor knows everything about their reader — their income, where they live, their age, whether they’re married.

Trust me, you don’t.

The editor knows everything about their reader — their income, where they live, their age, whether they’re married.

The other thing endlessly on their mind is the publication. How much editorial space must they fill this month? And how much room is there in each department? They know this down to the word.

Given that, don’t write in a query, “I propose a 1,500-word article.”

You’re telling the editor their business.

Your dream of writing a big feature article aside, the editor knows how much space they’ve got.

Do you want to lose this assignment because the editor only has room for 750 words?

No.

So just make your pitch. Let the editor figure out how to fit it in the magazine, and how much space your topic needs.

6. Don’t Be Lazy

Lots of writers I meet don’t want to take the time to fully research their query letters before they send them in. After all, maybe you won’t get an assignment here, so why spend the time?

The problem is, without showing you’ve gathered enough expert info to prove your story angle is real, the editor will be hesitant to give you an assignment.

You seem lazy, and uninformed. You’re guessing at a topic instead of going out and finding a real piece of news or new insight on a topic.

Best course of action here? Choose a topic you know you can pitch to many publications. Then do an interview or two to make sure you’ve got the story straight.

Now, you can write a much stronger query that’s more likely to get you a gig — one that opens with a snappy quote from an expert or includes their insight. If the first editor doesn’t like it, you’ve got plenty of other possible markets to try, and better odds of making a sale.

7. Have Loads of Ideas

Do you know what editors really love? Writers who have tons of article ideas.

I know many writers who tell me they just don’t have many ideas.

If this is you, realize that ideas are the coin of the realm in article writing.

They are your ticket to paying gigs.

Sure, you might luck into a situation where the editor has a lot of ideas they want to assign. But that’s not the normal deal. Generally, without a lot of ideas up your sleeve, it’s hard to get assignments.

So develop the habit of collecting story ideas. A few quick techniques for accumulating more story ideas:

• Read widely — then, ask yourself what’s missing from those stories, or what will happen next.
• Talk to experts and everyday people about the issues on their minds.
• Scan news headlines and ‘collect string’ – save interesting links until you see patterns or questions that could form the basis of a new article.
• Remember that what’s happening in your own life is also fodder for ideas.

The worst thing that can happen to a writer is to pitch an editor and have them respond with, “We’ve already got something in the works like this…do you have any other ideas?” And you’ve got nothing.

So become an idea collector, and be ready whenever a pitching opportunity comes up.

You’ll develop closer relationships with editors and become their “go-to” writer when they realize you have boatloads of ideas on tap at all times.

8. Anticipate Needs

Most publications have an editorial calendar. It’s usually readily available online.

Want to seem like a genius to your editors? Read it.

Then, start making your pitches line up with the topics you know they need stories about in the coming issues.

Be sure to allow enough time for this strategy to work — most national magazines assign close to six months before the publication date.

I once blew an editor’s mind when she called me to say, “We need a tax story for April…do you have any ideas?” And I had three possibilities ready to go.

This is how you start to become an editor’s best writer friend.

9. Don’t Surprise Them

It’s something that happens even to experienced writers: You get an assignment, but as you start talking to experts, you discover the story is a little different than you first thought.

What you don’t want to do here is simply go off on a new tangent and turn in a story that’s not a match to the assignment you were given.

It’s going in a different direction.

What you don’t want to do here is simply go off on a new tangent and turn in a story that’s not a match to the assignment you were given.

Now, you’ve given the editor an unpleasant surprise. The editor may or may not like this new slant. If she doesn’t, she’s got a disaster — the terrifying possibility that the publication might run with white space on a page.

Don’t ever, ever do that to an editor.

If you’re story starts going off in a new direction, call and tell your editor right away. Make your case that the new slant is a better one.

Then, let them decide which way to go. Whatever the editor decides, stick to their instructions on what the piece should be about.

When you turn it in, the editor shouldn’t get a lurching feeling in their stomach as they discover it’s not what they were expecting.

10. Become Friends

You know what? Editors are people, too.

You can become friends with them. Really. And friends give friends more assignments.

How? Here are two ideas:

Make a personal connection. Maybe your editor is a new mom just like you, or telecommutes, or you both do yoga. Check them out on LinkedIn, read their personal blog, or just try to chat them up a bit. Find out what makes them tick, and what you have in common that might cement the relationship and make your interactions more warm and personal.

Help their career. During the downturn, many of my editors got laid off. So I sent them job leads whenever I saw ads for editor positions.

I don’t believe that ever paid off for any of them, but the effort made a big impression. It was a great way to keep in touch — and several of those editors hired me back and assigned me a ton when they got their next editor job.

How have you built editor relationships? Leave a comment and share your tips.