WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't suck...

MamaLou · Mar 23, 2009

I finally got the nerve to e-mail the editor of my "rely on them for a couple well-paying articles a year" magazine with the subject line, "I'm almost afraid of the answer..." My message was along the lines of, "I know you usually have your editorial meeting in late February/early March and as I haven't heard from you yet, I was wondering if I didn't make the cut?"

I heard back immediately, along the lines of, "I'm so sorry to leave you hanging. "Political" issues are preventing us from having the meeting until next month, etc. We LOVE you, you do good work for us, hang in a little longer."

My response to her on this was, "Okay, I understand. Sorry you're going through this, blah, blah, blah, slobber, kiss her ass, etc."

The whole time I'm writing this, all I can think is: WHEW! THANK GOD I DON'T SUCK!

So now I can say I'm NOT quitting freelance, it looks like they still love me, I can go forth, again, in the world with the confidence of being a poor, but humbled, freelance writer.

CatMuse33 · Mar 23, 2009

congrats!!! See, so much better than not knowing!
Dawn

Crystal Lewis · Mar 23, 2009

I loved reading your post. I can totally relate. I had someone give one of my AC articles a huge compliment and it made me feel great. Keep up the good work! =)

Susie · Mar 23, 2009

Yay, that is better and glad you got better news! Calls for :Cake:

!

Adam · Mar 23, 2009

Yay for you!

Perks · Mar 23, 2009

That's always nice to know. Good for you!

Autodidact · Mar 23, 2009

This is so classic of the whole profession. Someone should take your post from yesterday and this post from today and make a sticky, then any time anyone gets that "I suck," feeling, just direct them to that thread.

Go Mama rock!

jeffo · Mar 23, 2009

And you know what? Even if this one particular editor doesn't like your work, that STILL doesn't mean that you suck! Heck, they may just have a new person on the board who insists on hiring their cousin to do the work, showing you the door! Never take these rejections personally, no matter how hard that might be.

AmyDoodle · Mar 23, 2009

Good for you! Although it seems that way sometimes, your worth doesn't depend on what one editor says. If that were true, we'd all be in trouble! So glad you were reaffirmed by this one. Congratulations!

Cassiopeia · Mar 23, 2009

Every single time I write something I wonder, do I suck? Then someone or two someones says, wow! loved it and I say to myself. I DON'T SUCK!

I know just how this feels. And in the famous words of the song Win by Brian McKnight:

I'll never give up
Never give in
Never let a ray of doubt slip in
And if I fall
I'll never fail
I'll just get up and try again

twnkltoz · Mar 23, 2009

Phew! Congrats on not sucking!

MamaLou · Mar 23, 2009

the last work I sent to an editor was an article about Harpers Ferry. Adter I wrote it my husband read it for me. He is my primary editor, though the first few times he did this, he thought I wanted him to RE-WRITE it... Silly man, looking to fix things... He now understands it's about punctuation, grammar and spelling...

Anyway, he is generally a man of few words and when he was done, he said, "I think this is the best writing you've ever done."

This was incredibly high praise from him!

Now if I can just capitalize on the whole Patrick Dempsey interview thing. I did a telephone interview with him last month, where he called my house, and he gave me a couple more things he'd be willing to give me exclusives on, if I can get the articles sold. He/Mazdaspeed Racing invited me to come to Monterey in May to hang out with him and his "crew" to get the interview done. I thought this would be HUGE with some magazines. From the response I'm getting, you'd think I told them I was interviewing Spanky from Our Gang... Nothing, nada, nil, zip...

Really? Not interested in Patrick Dempsey?

Nancy · Mar 24, 2009

Hey, you SO do not suck!

We writers are high on the list of professions who gauge their success on "not sucking." The only close second I can think of is artists. It's my luck to be both.

Let's hear it for some healthy self-esteem and confidence! :snoopy:

MamaLou · Mar 24, 2009

To be fair, Nancy, most days I don't think I suck. All I have to do is look at my resume (which sounds kind of snotty, sure, but it's pretty nice to see I've done what I've done so far) and know I can sell quality stuff. It's just so DAMN hard when there's nothing happening, no stories sold, getting rejections about 30 seconds after I send a pitch.

I actually got one back from Reader's Digest last week that said, "Not having read your pitch, we here at Reader's Digest don't feel your stories meet our editorial guidelines."

I sent the editor an e-mail back that said, "Not having read my pitch, I can see how you would feel that way."

I mean, GAWD, at least be honest about it instead of making ME the asshole... Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to say, "Um, we're wildly backed up and are doing blanket rejections and you fall into this mess. Sorry we're so lame we couldn't care less about writers but, well, that's how it goes in this business."

So, you see, I've had a bad few days...

Autodidact · Mar 24, 2009

MamaLou said:
the last work I sent to an editor was an article about Harpers Ferry. Adter I wrote it my husband read it for me. He is my primary editor, though the first few times he did this, he thought I wanted him to RE-WRITE it... Silly man, looking to fix things... He now understands it's about punctuation, grammar and spelling...

Anyway, he is generally a man of few words and when he was done, he said, "I think this is the best writing you've ever done."

This was incredibly high praise from him!

Now if I can just capitalize on the whole Patrick Dempsey interview thing. I did a telephone interview with him last month, where he called my house, and he gave me a couple more things he'd be willing to give me exclusives on, if I can get the articles sold. He/Mazdaspeed Racing invited me to come to Monterey in May to hang out with him and his "crew" to get the interview done. I thought this would be HUGE with some magazines. From the response I'm getting, you'd think I told them I was interviewing Spanky from Our Gang... Nothing, nada, nil, zip...

Really? Not interested in Patrick Dempsey?

I know. My weird experience in this category is a profile of Diane van Deren, world class ultra marathoner and epilepsy survivor, for Women's Running. Nothing. Bupkus. Zilch. I'm like, "Knock. Knock. Hello. Winner of the Yukon ultra marathon? Major brain surgery survivor? Profile? Anyone? Anyone?" I don't get it at all. After the query I've sent them like 5 nags since last summer, and nothing, nothing at all. I'm mystified.

MamaLou · Mar 24, 2009

My Opinion? Editors suck.

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't suck...

MamaLou

CatMuse33

Just hitting send

Crystal Lewis

Courageous Dreamer

Susie

Thanks, special friend for my avi!

Adam

Not dead.

Perks

delicate #!&@*#! flower

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

jeffo

AmyDoodle

I'm a Bajaffe!

Cassiopeia

Otherwise Occupied

twnkltoz

MamaLou

Nancy

Masquerading as normal...

MamaLou

Autodidact

...in my Maidenform Bra.

MamaLou