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When Your Editor Leaves
By Amel S. Abdullah
You've spent months building up a good relationship with the
editor at the magazine you write for. She gives you all the
best assignments, responds to your queries with enthusiasm,
and calls on you regularly to save the day when the other
writers fail to deliver. On your part, you could not be
happier. You're building up clips like crazy, making a decent
amount of cash, and feeling rather special.
And, then, it happens.
Suddenly, the dream-editor is gone, and you're left to deal
with her replacement, who not only has a completely different
personality and vision for the magazine, but also doesn't seem
to think you are so special, never returns your e-mails, and
acts like you do not exist.
The transition period after an editor leaves her post can be
one of the most excruciating times in a writer's career, as
one slowly comes to realize that things will probably never be
the same. But is there anything you can do to make it through
the crisis and come out on top?
Get Over It
The first step to recovery is understanding that this situation
is extremely common. Editors come and go without warning, and
no publication is immune to it. For this reason, you should
never depend on a single client for all your assignments.
Enjoy the work while it's available, but continue to research
other markets and send out queries on the side.
Stay Positive
Don't allow yourself to get depressed when your favorite
editor leaves, as this will affect both your productivity
and your sense of worth. She appreciated your professionalism,
trusted you and bought your articles for a reason, so don't
think for a minute that you can't continue to succeed as a
writer. Take the portfolio of clips you amassed and use them
to get more work elsewhere.
It's not Personal
What about the fact that the new editor doesn't seem
interested in working with you? Most likely, she is simply
swamped with work and will be too busy to make contact with
many writers for the first few months on the job. She may be
relying on previously submitted articles for content while
she gets adjusted and lays out a plan for future issues. The
good news is that she will certainly be grateful for the
presence of a competent, qualified writer once she is settled
in.
Introduce Yourself
As soon as an old editor leaves, write a letter to the new
one introducing yourself and explaining your history with the
publication. Let her know that you are looking forward to
working with her and would like to continue submitting
articles. Without becoming a pest, continue to send in queries
and check back in at regular intervals. It may take some time,
but the new editor may eventually call on you when the time
is right.
Spread your Wings
Losing a major client or freelance contract can be one of
the best things that happens to a writer. It forces you to
spread your wings and seek new challenges. Personally, I
found regular work with five new clients when the editor at
my first steady magazine gig suddenly disappeared. These are
clients I would not have otherwise acquired – simply because
I was so content at the first magazine that I was not actively
seeking new markets for my work. Now I am writing for more
varied markets and feel that my work has more balance. It
was hard to understand this at the time, but losing a client
and branching out was essential to my growth as a freelance
writer.
BIO
Amel Abdullah is a freelance writer, editor and Arabic to
English translator. She may be reached at
amel.abdullah@yahoo.com.
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