What to do When: Your Story Gets Killed

You got the assignment. You slaved over your piece, turned it in on time, and your editor responded with the dreaded phrase, “You’ve got a great start, but…”

So, you revised the piece to the editor’s specifications, or so you thought. But now, for reasons beyond your control, the story has been killed. What do you do?

First off, welcome to the club. I don't know of any longtime freelancer who hasn't had at least one piece killed. Sometimes the story you write isn't what the editor decides she wants--or the story her boss wants. Sometimes the editor who assigned the piece leaves the magazine, leaving the piece "orphaned." Sometimes the editor decides the piece is no longer timely, and no longer wants it. Regardless of the reason, your piece has been killed.

Years ago, I had two stories—$2,800 worth of work—killed during a regime change at a national fitness magazine. The editor who had assigned the pieces had left along with other staffers. Now the new editor-in-chief seemed determined to get rid of anything that had been assigned by her predecessor. My stories--which were already finished--got caught in the middle.

I argued that I should be paid the full fee, not the 25% kill fee the contract paid for. After all, there was nothing wrong with the stories themselves--it was simply an arbitrary decision on the part of the new EIC not to use them. But the editors at the magazine refused to pay me the full amount, opting for the kill fee provision. I was...well, way more than peeved.

After I cooled off, I thought about how to make the best of a sucky situation. I called an editor I’d worked with at another fitness magazine. I told her I had two great story ideas to pitch her, and sold both of them in five minutes. (I wish all my ideas sold so quickly.)

Did I tell her that they’d just been killed by one of her competitors? Nope. When she asked what kind of deadline I needed, did I say “Oh, about five minutes?” Absolutely not. I turned in one piece two weeks later, the next piece the week after that. My editor loved both, and accepted them. She paid me $1,750 for the stories—which, combined with the $700 kill fee, left me only $350 in the hole on the deal. (And that's not counting the reprints I made on both pieces after they first came out.) That was a much smarter decisoin than if I would have simply accepted the kill fee and let the stories languish on my hard drive.

Bottom line: a story getting killed doesn’t mean your work is substandard or that you can’t hack it as a writer. Every freelancer will face this issue at one time or another. It’s how you respond to them that matters.

For more smart advice about how to address freelancing challenges, check out Six-Figure Freelancing: The Writer's Guide to Making More Money, or Ready, Aim, Specialize! Create your own Writing Specialty and Make More Money.

The Idea in your Pocket

I'm delighted to report that this weekend I hit the three-figure mark with 100 followers on my blog. I'm planning something special this week to celebrate...stay tuned. In the meantime, my ghostwriting eclass launches today, so if you've signed up, look for your first lesson in an email from me later this morning.

Today's post is about timing--namely, the best time to pitch an editor you're written for before. Think about it for a moment before you keep reading.

Is it Monday morning? Friday afternoon? Right after lunch? The end of the day? The summer equinox? Valentine's Day?

Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope, and unless she has the most amazing guy in the world, nope.

The best time to pitch? When she emails you to tell you she's accepting your piece, or that you did a great job, or that the story looks good and she'll let you know if she has any questions about it. She'll never be more favorably disposed toward you and your work than at the moment she's telling you you she's happy with the piece (even if you had to revise it). That's why you should always have what I call an idea in your pocket--a query that's ready to go when you receive an email accepting the story. Then you can reply to her email by saying, "Good to know! So glad you're happy with the piece. In the meantime, I have a story idea I think is perfect for you." Then include your new pitch.

That's not being pushy--it's maintaining your relationship with your client, proving that you're a one-person idea factory (you don't tell her you've had this idea in the wings for a while), and helping her do her job, which is to fill her magazine with relevant, interesting content for her readers. So have a fleshed-out query ready to go after you've turned in a story to an editor. There's no better time to pitch her than the moment she accepts your earlier piece.

From Contributor to Contributing Editor: Making the Jump

If you read my blog, you already know that I'm all about relationships, especially when it comes to my clients. I've worked with most of my current clients for years, many for nearly a decade. In addition to less formal arrangements, I've been a contributing editor at a number of magazines, and am currently a CE at Complete Woman, For the Bride, and The Writer.

What about you? If you're already writing for a publication, why not take the next step and become a contributing editor, or a freelancer with a recognized ongoing relationship with a magazine?

Contributing editor relationships vary. Some CEs have an agreement to write a certain number of stories for a certain amount of money each month; some write as many pieces as the editor needs for that issue; and others receive a retainer regardless of what they produce that month.

If you’re going to approach a market about becoming a CE, you should already have a good relationship with the publication. Consider the benefits to the editor about making you a CE so that you can make a strong argument in your favor. For example, as a CE, you’ll always be available for assignments, which will save them time and the hassle of looking for other writers. If you’ll come up with ideas for the editors, show how this will benefit her as well.

Whether you receive a retainer or are paid per story, there’s another plus to becoming a contributing editor. CE gigs tend to be a little more stable than simply writing for a magazine as a freelancer. In theory at least, you're more likely to get work from an editor before another writer does.

One drawback? As a CE, the magazine you work for may ask you not to write for its competitors. That’s the possible tradeoff to the relationship, but for most writers, it’s worth it. If you want the opportunity for steady work, a higher profile, and possibly extra cash, take a closer look at the markets you write for regularly—a contributing editor gig may be waiting to be discovered.