Readers!
Mailbag time!
A reader writes: “An editor I’ve worked with a few times offered me an assignment, but it’s not a great premise. I like working with him, but the idea of this story makes me feel kind of gross. How do I say no without burning that bridge?”
Oh reader, I have been there before — with editors I’ve liked working with, with editors I didn’t really care for, even with editors I have never worked for who tried to browbeat me into doing a story that also gave me the ick. I have a few ideas on how to handle something like this.
1. Talk with the editor about changing the angle. A few years ago, I writing a running guide for women, and a top editor insisted that I add a section about how to stay safe. Well, the way women can stay safe while running is for men to stop attacking us, and I refused to write anything that placed the blame on gendered violence on women. So me and my direct editor came up with a solution: we put in a section about safety but stressed that these were tips for all runners (because men shouldn’t be running while their headphones blast music either). It ended up being a few lines vs. the proposed section. Whether or not you can do this, of course, depends on your relationship with the editor. I saw one piece recently in a place I sometimes write that was unbelievably infantilizing towards women. I thought about how I could have approached the topic to make the story interesting without insulting half of the world’s population, but then realized who the editor on the piece most likely was, and how difficult that person is to work with. If it were me, I’d have turned down the assignment (and if the writer pitched it, well, I hope they learned something about the process, and the feedback).
2. Pass, but pitch something else. Maybe the editor is not so wed to the idea, or wants to work with you on SOMETHING, so tossed the first thing they had your way. You can reply with something like “I don’t think one is quite for me but…” and then pitch your idea. You’re saying no to that assignment, but not the editor. This is assuming of course you want to work with this person — which you may not!
3. Pass, but don’t say why. Writers can’t take on assignments for a lot of reasons, so if you fib a little and say that you’re booked up right now, or taking a few days off, or will be out of the office during the assignment period — whatever. It’s not my preferred tactic, but I know a lot of writers don’t want to rock the boat. It’s no big sin to shade the truth when it comes to dealing with editors. God knows they do it all the time.
4. Pass, and let them know why. Oh boy I have done this. Once was when an essay I pitched was forwarded onto an editor who is on my no fly list. He insulted my query, and then suggested a reported story on the topic that would make it acceptable *to him.* I said no, I was standing by my essay, then sold it for a lot more money to someone else (and yes he still did assign someone the idea he got from reading my pitch, and I heard through the grapevine that she had a terrible time with it and him). I didn’t care about upsetting him because I knew I’d never work with him anyway. The second time was with an editor I had an OK relationship with. She wanted me to write about dieting, which is on my no list. I passed, saying that it’s not a topic I write about, but please keep me in mind for future stories. I pitched her a few things since, but she’s rejected every one. I have a feeling this all has more to do with her than me, and yeah it kind of sucks that I lost an occasional client, but I didn’t want my name on a story that could possibly do more harm than good — to readers and my reputation.
5. Ignore. This has happened only a few times in my career, but still! I’ve had editors I don’t know from publications I’ve never heard of contact me about writing stories on topics I would never touch with a 10-ft. pole. I usually give a polite no. If they keep going after that, I ignore them. They are strangers, offering me crappy work. I don’t need to waste any more time on them.
I realize I’m coming at this from a different position than someone who is starting out, or struggling for work, or trying to get their first big name clips. But if the story an editor wants you to write makes you feel gross, it might be worth sidestepping it for the next opportunity.
I have started doing my first consult and coaching calls and wow, you guys are great! I’m having fun helping people, and it seems, so far, that the people I’m working with feel pretty good about things too (two even went from a consult to a full coaching client after our first call, which is pretty neat, if I do say so myself). If you’re also interested in this more tailored kind of approach, details are here.
What I’m Reading
- The Life Impossible by Matt Haig. The premise of this book could turn into a light and fluffy rom com: an aging widow is willed a house in Ibiza by a woman she barely knew a few decades before. She decides to check out the place and, of course, changes her life. But this is a Matt Haig book, which means that there’s going to be another layer to it — in this case, sci fi. I had a funny reaction to it. I was at times overwhelmed by the story (positive), but it still felt uneven (negative), like he stretched a too far moments. Still, worth read. This part in particular stood out: “Being open to the possibility is being open to pain, failure, disappointment, so the temptation is to curl ourselves up like armadillos…if you really want to make wonderful discoveries, as any good armadillo knows, you eventually have to remove your head from your bottom and look out at the bright, confusing day.” What a passage to read at a time when you are considering radically changing your life!
What I’m Watching
- Scamanda. What kind of awful person lies about having cancer? Amanda Riley, for one. This documentary series looks at a woman who appears to have been a lifetime liar who thought she hit the big time when she landed on the cancer scam — and keeps it going even after she’s caught. The series talked to the people she hurt the most. What a mess.
- Midsomer Murders (season 1). Yes, I’m also surprised giving how much UK mystery series I consume, that I never watched the arguable king of them all. The first season is WILD, with plots that quickly go off the rails multiple times per episode (also in classic UK tradition, it’s a five-episode season but each episode is 1.5 hours long). I’ve been cutting back on streaming services, but this one is free on Hooopla via my library.
Nail Polish of the Week
After School Boy Blazer by Essie. Is it a dark navy, or a black with navy undertones? Hard to say. But it’s certainly a deep color.
Until next time!
Jen A. Miller (she/her)
Notes from a Hired Pen ebook series
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