There are four kinds of responses that writers receive from magazine editors in response to a query:
1) Yes, please, send the article. This doesn’t happen every time we send a query, but often enough to keep us writing. I hope this happens to you a lot.
2)Nice turn-downs. I received a great turn-down letter from an editor at a history magazine a few days ago. He suggested some areas where I could improve my writing, commented that it could probably be sold as is, but primarily pointed out why my article wasn’t appropriate for his magazine. I hope that I am as thoughtful when I'm editor of a magazine. Somehow, his turn-down made my day. It was completely professional in every way.
3) We get ignored. This is perhaps the most common response to a query. It happens to me from time to time.
4) Mean turn-downs. This has never happened to me, but I’ve heard that some editors can be particularly cruel.
And that’s it. All replies from editors fall into one of these four categories.
Well, not exactly. I’ve learned that there is a fourth category: The bizarre.
Last week I sent a query to a magazine that I’d stumbled over. I reread my query, and it seems to be a clear, professional query letter, quite appropriate in the circumstance. I referenced several magazines that I’d written for in the same genre, and I proposed two specific articles that I would like to write for this magazine.
The editor apparently felt challenged that I would list magazines that I’d written for. He decided that he needed to show me up. I’ll hide all details about his identity and the magazine where he works, but this was his response:
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Hi Bill,
Thanks for the contact and you do have nice credentials. If I may - I was feature editor for xxxx magazine in the 19xx's when I was racing; was a sportscaster on the weekly TV show xxxxx; had a monthly column in xxxxxx News; had a monthly column in xxxx magazine; editor for xxxxx magazine, did a one year series for xxxxx magazine then another for xxxxx magazine when I was living aboard my boat in the islands; did feature articles for xxxx; am currently a features editor for xxxxxx; have xx books in print and selling well; am a monthly feature on xxxx radio and............I forget the rest.
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And he needed to share his credentials with me because why? Of course he didn't. He's the editor.
He finished by telling me that he’d consider my articles, but that he only takes articles that are given to him for free. His magazine never, ever, pays for anything.
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A special thanks to all the fine editors who take a few moments to politely help us improve our writing craft.
Best Regards,
Bill
