One of the things I enjoyed most about my job as editing and writing for the mag I left in March this year was reading submissions and deciding whether they were good enough writers to contribute. I was pretty selective but managed to spot a few good ones. Some have stayed in contact and send me their writing from time to time and I do the same when I need feedback. I've been asked to contribute to different projects some of them are involved with and that's as satisfying as anything can be. Just the other day a guy in Queensland wrote to say that he would like three of us who have been in contact over the last couple of years to contribute some leftfield stuff to his new mag. I like the mag, I am happy that he included me, and I'm happy to write for free even though I said that had to stop. There's just a kind of mutual respect at work, and that warms the cockles.
On the flipside, what is up with editors who can't be bothered even acknowleding receipt of queries? Like, I know how busy it can get when working on a weekly magazine, but there's always time to reply. I don't care - have a draft letter ready and just insert my name and hit send to let me know you're not interested. Even when I knocked people back I took the time (frequently too much time) to do it properly. Fuck it - hit reply, type thanks but no thanks. Delegate. Get the mail boy to tell me to stop pestering you. Wankers.
Just looking at a couple of queries sent recently and seeing that they can't be bothered replying, I just feel like saying (again) fuck it, I can't be bothered with this.
But it will pass. I have to focus instead on things like the fact that an editor of a mag keeps asking for my monthly humorous column and bothers to give feedback every time (he loves it), and that I have got work coming in, poorly paying as it is, and that writing is a thing I love, and that out there in the sea of wankers there are a few good people. And yes, it's not much money, but I have a couple of stories to work on today and a play to see tonight for review, and my mini play to re-write and send in in the next four days (eek), and it's all pretty good really. Guess I'm just temporarily fed up with dicking about and would like a proper, solid, actual bona fide Big Break. Ooh, poor me.
Came across this site the other day. Hilarious and quite surreal that a muppet like this is in such a position of power. What is going on? http://www.slate.com/id/76886/
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2 comments:
It's a busy world out there, Quick, and editors are too busy to reply to us non-people.
Huh. I don't buy it. I agree with you, they should just hit reply or something.
Gee, what does it take for people to be decent to each other today?
Dunno, GG. Maybe it's to test how persistent we are or something. sometimes it just makes me tired.
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