Tuesday, March 30, 2010

On Editors

I love when new links show up in my inbox because I know that there will be something useful to tuck in my mental backpack as I trek along this writing path. This morning I woke up to find that Michael Bracken had sent me a link to Jeremiah Tolbert's excellent blog and an essay about editors. http://www.jeremiahtolbert.com/2009/5-lies-writers-believe-about-editors

As writers we tend to have a love/hate relationship with editors. I was very fortunate early on to get a few hand-written notes from editors along with those stacks of clone rejection letters. They've helped me stay on the path and keep writing even through the frustrations. But like Mr. Tolbert says, that's not the editor's job. His job is to find the best stories for the readers of his periodicals not pat me on the back to make me feel better.

So, go read the 5 Lies, and be thankful that there are editors out there actually reading your stories, even if they have to pass.

4 comments:

David Cranmer said...

Mr. Tolbert has an insightful post.

Conda Douglas said...

I've always found editors to be a great and very useful group. Thanks for posting this link.

pattinase (abbott) said...

I have found that there are editors who play fair and those who don't. Those who refuse to reject stories they know they are not going to use don't play fair.

sandra seamans said...

I agree, Patti. And it does seem to be the newest thing, especially among online editors. If it's not in the issue, it's rejected. How hard is it to just send a note - thanks but no thanks?

It is a great post, David and Conda, I'm grateful that Michael sent the link. I would have hated to miss this one.