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Writer's Real Questions
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Real writers have real questions, and when I started I found that I had no one to answer mine. If you have a real question, ask me and I'll post the answer here.
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I know there are e-mail contacts listed for publications, but isn't it more professional to use the mailing address?
How long does it take to hear about a query?
Do editors really edit and ask you to revise your work?
Can this really be my job--full time?
I just wrote a great story last night. Should I send it to a publisher?
Do I have to report income to the IRS?
I found a little publication that pays only in free copies. Should I bother?
Are there any types of notes I need to keep on my articles?
I know there are e-mail contacts listed for publications, but isn't it more professional to use the mailing address?
I used to think so. Your best bet is to do as you're told. If the submission guidelines say to contact via e-mail, do that. Once I got the hand of queries and I received responses that were personalized, I got a lot of "send any future queries via e-mail" invitations.
Once I work with an editor and we send a few e-mails back and forth, I usually query directly to him/her in the future. We've built a rapport. However, I always maintain a professional attitude. Don't send pics of your family or submit informal "how about this new idea?" type e-mails. This is your job and you're at the office when you type those e-mails (even if you're in slippers and SpongeBob pajamas; think of it as REALLY casual Friday.)
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How long does it take to hear about a query?
Does anyone ever have a good answer for this? Don't go by what the Writer's Market says; that's just an estimate.
E-mail queries are responded to quicker than snail mail--typically. I found that editors who know me respond quicker, but I usually am e-mailing them as well.
Some editors have a schedule, and you learn that after you work with them awhile. I know what months are query months, and everything else (e-mail or hardcopy) sits until those months.
I just received a rejection from a query I sent fourteen months ago. Since many editors won't respond to rejected ideas, I wrote this one off long ago. Personally, I don't like working with magazines like this. I prefer those smaller presses who know your name and aren't that bogged down; it works better with me.
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Do editors really edit and ask you to revise your work?
Some do and some don't. Most don't ask for extensive editing. I've often been asked to "provide a quote that explains this" or "do you have an example of one of these in a museum somewhere?" Don't be afraid if your answer is "no." I try to find what they ask for, but it's not always possible. If I'm asked to edit my writing, I pay close attention to their comments or changes and I try to learn from them.
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Can this really be my job--full time?
If it can, that's awesome! Personally, I still need to keep those regular teaching paychecks coming in. Writing for larger magazines pays more; being a specialist in your field and doing breakthrough research pays more; writing for the pure love of it pays less. There are MANY professional freelance writers, and that's FABULOUS. If you have a mortgage/rent, car payments, and you like to eat, keep your regular job and give this a try before jumping off the diving board into the writing pool. It's safer sitting on the edge with your feet in the water for awhile until you warm up.
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I just wrote a great story last night. Should I send it to a publisher?
Here comes the teacher in me: NO. Read it. Revise it. Read it again. Revise it again. Ask someone else to read it. Revise it some more. (If it's me, this is where I open a new document and start over fresh.) Then read some other works similar in style. Compare yours to it and be critical. Revise it. Research and recheck it. Let it sit awhile. Look it over again. See the pattern?
Your first draft is no where near ready for publication. Be as brutal as you can to your work. Truly go through each line and evaluate it. Is that sentence grammatically clear? Is it stylistically impressive? Is it overblown or abrupt? Make each word a concise choice and make it count.
Only when you feel utterly confident in your work are you ready to send it out to publishers. You'll be better prepared for the future of your manuscript, and you'll feel pride in your work.
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Do I have to report income to the IRS?
YES!!!!! Keep accurate tax records and receipts of income and deductions (mileage, supplies, research costs, postage, etc.) Have an accountant or someone who runs his/her own business help you. This is a business, and you're expected to run it as such. Most magazines will report your earnings anyway, so be sure you report the same.
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I found a little publication that pays only in free copies. Should I bother?
Answer this question first-- Does the publication interest you?
Writing is its own reward. If the article begs to be written, write it.
Usually I search for a publication that suits me once I have a topic that I love in mind. I query all the while planning the article in my mind. I have a distaste for publications that ask for the entire piece rather than a query because I write an article specifically for them that may not sell. However, I've done it simply because I wanted to.
A published clip is a published clip. My first article didn't pay anything; it still looks great in my clip file.
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Are there any types of notes I need to keep on my articles?
Yes, keep detailed notes. Create a folder for each article you're working on, and keep everything in there--the go ahead from the editor, contact info for the editor, source contact info, and your notes.
For every article create a works referenced page and set it up with appropriate MLA or APA citations. You might want to add the in-text citations to your article, and save a clean copy without them to send to the editor.
Sometimes you'll be called back to give citations, and it's aweful to have to go back to your sources to find the information and page numbers. Other times you'll be asked to expand on an idea, and you can easily go back to your notes whether they're electronic or handwritten.
For each article I've writen I have a computer file of every draft, cover letter, illustration suggestions, works referenced, and copies of e-mail interviews, plus I keep a document of all contact info for my sources so I can later mail them a copy of the article. Then, I put all my hardcopy notes and info in a manilla envelope, seal it, and file it. I've gone back to those envelopes when I'm looking for info for other articles. (Sometimes research for my budget column comes in handy for articles about the environment or college.)
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