Phone number to editors - how do you do it?

If you give them a time to call, they may or may not comply. If they're busy they may not think to see what times you're available.
Do you have caller ID, or an answering machine? Then if you're in the middle of something, you can screen your call and call them back when you're available. That also works well if you are dealing with editors in a different time zone.
I don't give the cell number - I find it difficult to get a business call when you're in the middle of the grocery store, or something like that. Home phone has always worked well for me.

I second that. You can't control when people call, all you can control is when you pick up the phone. If you don't have caller ID or voicemail, get it.

Of course, the other alternative is email, which you can read and answer when you like. I actually can't remember the last time I needed to talk to an editor by phone. But I make appointments to call sources or to have them call me at specific times all the time, and even when they have suggested the time themselves and agreed to it, half the time the phone call does not happen at the appointed time. So I don't think there's a snowball's chance in hell that most editors are going to remember that you asked to be called only during a certain time period. Life's just too complicated.

I do all my editor contact through email. I've only called editors when I'm in a panic and need help NOW. I haven't had an editor need to call me yet.

But...I give out my cell phone for professional use. Since I'm one of the older folks who hasn't grown up with a cell phone glued to my head, I don't use it too much. Plus my land line doesn't have caller ID (the cell does) and my cell phone isn't likely to be picked up by my toddler before I can get to it. My land line has a "family" message on it and my cell phone has a more professional sounding message.

If I'm out and about when the cell goes off, I can check the number before picking up. If I don't know who it is, they can leave a message and I'll back to them when I can give them my full attention.

Really, the last time I can remember talking to an editor by phone, it was that she needed my social security number and figured I wouldn't want to put it in an email.

If I got an email asking for a rewrite that was going to take more than a few hours, I'd email back acknowledging it so the editor was sure I got it and was working on it. If I had questions about the rewrite that I wasn't sure I could handle by email, I'd ask by email when was a good time to call.

Remember that if you feel interrupted by a phone call, so does your editor. Anything that isn't an immediate emergency is probably best dealt with by email unless you both decide by email that you need to talk about it by phone. And there's not that much that counts as an immediate emergency.

Editors -- like so many of us -- each have their own preferred modes of communication. I have one editor who ALWAYS calls: with assignments, questions, follow ups, sometimes "to chat." Others prefer email; you'll be able to gauge after a while who prefers what.

I prefer e-mail but with the editor who prefers phone -- well, he IS the client. I've even asked him, for factchecking (which he does a lot of) PLEASE email so I can reply to the questions and type my answers, rather than logging in while we're on the phone, finding the file, etc. This is an assistant editor so I feel more comfortable making that request. STILL he calls. LOL

I agree, word for word, with what Sam said. I use my home phone, which has a professional sounding message although people, if they think about it, probably know they are reaching a home number, and I use caller ID if I choose not to answer. My cell phone gets text notifications that i received a voice mail on my home phone, so that gives me an opportunity to call right back if I need to.

When my daughter starts walking/talking/answering the phone, we may have to spring for a dedicated business line. I don't want to 'ban' her from answering the phone as it's an important responsibility to learn and a part of growing up. But no matter how well a child answers, I feel it can still sound unprofessional.

I never call an editor to ask them something I can ask via e-mail unless it is an emergency. Asking an editor to not call during certain hours lessens your chances of being called at all. I wouldn't do it. If you are busy when they call, let them go to voicemail and return their call when you can. If you don't make it easy for them, they will typically just find someone who will.

Calling an editor is fine if you have something that can't wait, but typcially most times an e-mail will suffice.

I have editors that will call me if they want to run an idea by me or ask me to write something for them, but most often this is done by e-mail as well. Sometimes I'll have an editor call if they are interested in a query I sent. That is always nice.

Don't worry...you'll get there! We were all "newbies" once!

Andreya,
My two cents? I wouldn't recommend a live meeting in lieu of phone calls. Follow the editor's lead. If he (or she) seems exceptionally friendly in the future, perhaps suggest a face-to-face, but more under the guise of "It would be great to meet you..." (ie, a shmoozefest.)

In-person meetings tend to disrupt a workday more than a phone call... I remember from my days working in magazine offices, it was always an "occasion" if a writer came to visit. I'd have to clean my desk, wear something other than jeans and a free t-shirt from one of our advertisers, and act like a "real grown-up."

You can totally redeem yourself from the phone call debacle... When you call him back, decide which number you prefer to be called on, and tell him to feel free to call you at that number at any time, and if you don't answer, you'll return the call within a day. No explanation needed, no long apology. It happens, people often aren't around to get calls. If you're in front of your computer a lot, you may recommend he e-mail if he needs an immediate answer...

Don't worry about the costs on the call... for either of you. He runs a business, he expects phone expenses and I'm sure he doesn't worry about it. YOU run a business... pick whichever phone is least expensive to use as your primary number and view the cost of the calls as a reasonable business expense, depending on your country's tax laws it may be a deduction. I truly feel it's unprofessional to complain about phone expenses. (I mean to an editor--gripe all you want to us! LOL

I'm in front of the computer a lot, but didn't answer e-mails so promptly in the past, as I had to think things through & didn't know I was expected to answer immediately. (He didn't always answer immediately either, so I didn't know what the rules are on this.)

I don't know that there are "rules" per se, but always get back to them as soon as you can, even if it is just to ask them when they need the information by...

At least that is what I do...

Excellent! Now you are getting somewhere!

It gets easier...don't worry!

Don't know how resolved things got for you, but I figured I'd share what I do, personally:

I used to give out a pre-paid cell number that I kept on my desk for work only. I used it to call interviewees because long distance was the same price as local calling. When I got busier, I set up a cheap ($10/month) VOIP phone line with my very own work phone number and answering machine so that even if I miss a call, I have a professional inbox.

I usually google the time zone difference before I make a call (if it's not one I'm familiar with) to be sure I'm not calling at a ridiculous hour.

A lot of times, if I leave my phone number with someone and they live in a different time zone, I say, "You can reach me at 555-555-5555... I'm in the Eastern time zone." That way, they can look it up if they need to before calling back.

If I'm offering particular hours to reach me, I give it in my time zone and say, "My time" or "eastern time."

After a while, when I'm dealing with repeat clients, we come up with a standard... for instance, when I was working with a Utah company, we tended to default to Mountain time. But with a current client in California, we tend to use Eastern time. I don't know why. I follow the client's lead.

Dawn