Another Worry of New Freelancers: Do Editors Steal Ideas? (and How to Prevent it!)

I'm revisiting some classic freelancing topics over the next few weeks. Every time I speak about freelancing, I hear from at least one writer who is afraid to pitch an idea to a magazine--because the editor will steal his or her idea. 

Here's the thing. It happens less than you might think. Magazines tend to run the same types of stories over and over. Parenting publications run stories on discipline, sleep, and children's health, for example while fitness magazines run workout and diet stories every month. So just because you pitched a piece about ways to work out on the beach to a magazine like Fitness and the editor rejects your query (or you never hear from her) and then you see a beach workout a few months later, that doesn't mean she stole your idea. (Now, if you had pitched a piece on a new cutting-edge workout that no one has heard of, and the same thing occurred, then maybe, yeah, she took your idea.) 

Here's what I mean. Early in my freelance career, I was pitching dozens of different markets. I was thrilled when one editor took the time to call me and ask for story ideas. I spent a lot time coming up with a specific idea, researched it, and mailed the query. I didn't hear anything from her, so I followed up on the query. Still, no response. Still, I sent her another idea...and then months later, I saw “my” idea in the magazine, right down to the specific sidebar I’d suggested. A little strange, huh? 

Wondering how I handled this? I stewed about it for a while, then decided to send her a new query. I opened with language like "I was delighted to see you included a piece on aquatic fitness in the August issue, an idea I'd pitched you back in January. This lets me know I'm on the right track, and I have another idea for you to consider." She never responded. Here's the thing. I'm 99 percent sure she stole my idea. Remember this was an editor who contacted me personally, asking for ideas...and then never responded to me. I didn't even want to write for her at this point or accuse her of anything, but I did want to let her know that I knew  what had happened. And no, I never heard from her. (Footnote--the magazine folded a year or so later.) 

So, how do you prevent an editor from taking your idea and assigning it to another writer? YOu write the best query you can--it's your only opportunity to make a first impression. Your query should demonstrate that you’re already researched the story idea. If you’ve already spoken to possible expert sources, quote them in the query. Cite statistics or recent studies if relevant. If you're pitching a profile and you’re received the subject’s permission to write about him, include that information. And highlight your unique qualifications in your ISG. Your goal is to convince the editor to let you write the story. A detailed, professional query that demonstrates why you’re uniquely qualified to do so is the most effective weapon you have as a new writer.

Readers, what about you? Has an editor ever "stolen" your idea? How did you handle it? 

***Are you a new freelancer who stumbled onto my blog? Welcome. If you want to make the jump from unpublished to published (and it's a big one), check out my new ebook, Dollars and Deadlines Guide to: Selling your First Article. You'll find everything you need to know to get to published and paid! :)     

Do Editors "Steal" Ideas? And How to Prevent Idea Theft

Every time I teach a magazine writing class or speak at a writers' conference on magazine freelancing, at least one person asks the big question: do editors steal ideas from writers?

But the real question, at least to me, is how do you prevent it from happening to you?

Do editors "steal" ideas? Well, yes--but not as often as you probably think. Magazines tend to run the same types of evergreen stories again and again. Just because a parenting magazine rejected your pitch about fun family summertime activities but ran a similar piece doesn’t mean the editor stole your idea. She may have already assigned the idea to another writer or had a similar piece in inventory.

Editors, especially those at national magazines, are inundated with hundreds of queries about popular topics like health, fitness, diet/nutrition, parenting, technology, and business. Chances are slim that you’re the only writer who has ever pitched a story like “Ten Easy Ways to Lose Weight" to a fitness or women's magazine, for example.

On the other hand, I once pitched a very specific fitness idea to an editor who had called me personally, asking for story ideas. I followed up on the query but she never responded. Six months later, I saw “my” idea in the magazine, complete with the sidebar I’d suggested. Did she "steal" my idea? I can’t say for sure, but I never queried her again. (The fact that she'd asked me for ideas, then blew me off after I pitched her, sunk her in my eyes.)

So, how do you prevent an editor from taking your idea and assigning it to another writer?

First, show that you’ve done your homework. Your query should reflect that you’re already spent time researching and exploring the story idea. If you’ve already spoken to possible expert sources, mention that. If the piece is a profile and you’re received the subject’s permission to write about him, let the editor know. Highlight your relevant background or experience with the subject matter, especially if you're a new writer.

Your goal is to convince the editor to let you write the story. A detailed, professional query that demonstrates why you’re uniquely qualified to do so is the most effective weapon you have against idea theft.

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.

One idea=one story? Wrong!

As a freelancer, you have a limited number of hours to dedicate to earning money from your work, whether you’re writing part- or full-time. That’s why I make the most of mine by squeezing as much as I can out of my research—by selling “reslants” to other markets. I never write about an idea only once. I'm always looking to cover it again for another magazine.

Reslanting is writing about the same topic more than once, with a different angle, for a new market. And it’s a way to work much more efficiently, boosting your hourly rate.

It took me several years to grasp this fact, though. When I first launched my career, I dug for story ideas, looked for appropriate markets, and queried magazines. When I got an assignment, I wrote the article. Then it was on to the next idea, the next market, the next story.

I wrote about topics ranging from how avoiding employment discrimination claims to memory improvement techniques to animal dissection alternatives to religious weight loss programs. Each story took a considerable amount of time to research, but once I was finished with it, I never revisited the topic. Not smart.

Does that sound like how you work? Then break yourself of the one idea=one story habit right now. Instead, start thinking about the different ways you can reslant material to different markets. That lets you take advantage of the information that’s already in your head, in your interview transcripts, and on your hard drive, reducing the amount of time you spend researching and writing your next piece. Sure, you may do additional interviews, but the lion’s share of the work (wrapping your brain around a new subject) has already been completed.

Not sure how to do it? Put your brainstorming hat on. You pitched a specific angle on a particular topic to one market. You wrote the piece--or you're writing it now. Don't stop there. Think about the different angles you can take with the subject, and which markets might be interested in them.

For example, last year I was assigned a piece on the health benefits of gratitude for a custom magazine. (I'd never written about gratitude before, though I am the mistress of thank-you notes.) Using the same basic research and one additional interview, I wrote a piece on helping your kids become more grateful for a major newspaper. Then I wrote a piece on surprising ways to be happy (including becoming more grateful) for a woman’s magazine. Get the idea? The idea—gratitude is good for you—was the same, but by coming up with different slants and markets, I sold three stories based on the idea. And I’m still pitching related stories now.

So break free from the concept that one idea=one story for one market. Instead, think one idea=multiple angles, multiple stories, multiple markets, multiple checks. Reslanting lets you cover a subject more than once, and each subsequent story takes less time to research and write than a wholly original idea. Bottom line is that you're making making more money…in less time.