Ghosted by... a prestigious periodical?
August 16, 2023 7:41 AM Subscribe
I'm an academic with a moderate amount of distinction in my niche academic field. About a year ago, on the basis of some academic writing I did on a popular topic, an editor from a very prestigious lay periodical (you've heard of it) approached me asking if I would be interested in writing a piece for them. It was all going great until... it wasn't.
I love writing and have always had an idle fantasy of becoming a beloved public intellectual as well as a scholar (think Tressie McMillan Cottom or Atul Gawande), but never seriously pursued lay writing because it seemed like a lot of work for low chances of any kind of reward. I was thrilled to be solicited by this prestigious outlet! After submitting a draft of the piece we discussed, the editor wrote back with a series of thoughtful edits, and I responded quickly with extensive revisions. They replied promptly to confirm their receipt of my new draft.
And since then... nothing. It's been months. I sent a polite follow up just to check in, and received no reply. I've checked my spam folder. I checked that the editor is still alive and employed there. The people I've dealt with are real and I am not being catfished.
So, my questions are severalfold:
1. Is this typical behavior in this sphere of the literary world? I'm frankly shocked. Even in academia one eventually gets some kind of courtesy rejection.
2. Am I misunderstanding some norms here? Should I be pushing harder for a response? If you are someone who works in this sector of the industry frequently, how would you handle this? Would it be appropriate to reach out again asking them to at least formally reject the piece so I could pursue publishing it elsewhere?
3. Is there something I should have done differently when I was first approached to protect against this outcome? I was so flattered to be solicited that I didn't think it appropriate to "negotiate," but perhaps that was naive.
I love writing and have always had an idle fantasy of becoming a beloved public intellectual as well as a scholar (think Tressie McMillan Cottom or Atul Gawande), but never seriously pursued lay writing because it seemed like a lot of work for low chances of any kind of reward. I was thrilled to be solicited by this prestigious outlet! After submitting a draft of the piece we discussed, the editor wrote back with a series of thoughtful edits, and I responded quickly with extensive revisions. They replied promptly to confirm their receipt of my new draft.
And since then... nothing. It's been months. I sent a polite follow up just to check in, and received no reply. I've checked my spam folder. I checked that the editor is still alive and employed there. The people I've dealt with are real and I am not being catfished.
So, my questions are severalfold:
1. Is this typical behavior in this sphere of the literary world? I'm frankly shocked. Even in academia one eventually gets some kind of courtesy rejection.
2. Am I misunderstanding some norms here? Should I be pushing harder for a response? If you are someone who works in this sector of the industry frequently, how would you handle this? Would it be appropriate to reach out again asking them to at least formally reject the piece so I could pursue publishing it elsewhere?
3. Is there something I should have done differently when I was first approached to protect against this outcome? I was so flattered to be solicited that I didn't think it appropriate to "negotiate," but perhaps that was naive.
You didn't do anything wrong, and this isn't especially out of the ordinary, even though it sucks. Media is increasingly chaotic and often the more prestigious publications are the ones that feel the least responsibility to their writers.
Does your contract say anything about a kill fee? If you wrote the piece, let alone turning around edits, a publication with any conscience should be giving you money, but I think a lot of places don't set their contracts up that way anymore (because of aforementioned chaos/increasing writer-unfriendliness). If it doesn't, I guess technically that's a thing you could have done differently to protect against this outcome but it's not a thing most people would know to do.
I would write back one more time, saying that if they don't respond by x date you will be taking it elsewhere. (Make sure your contract allows for this.) I would not say "please send me a formal rejection so I can take it elsewhere" without a date attached. After months of silence, it is ultimatum time. If you are due a kill fee you can also invoice for that. If you want to memail I might be able to offer a little more concrete advice.
posted by babelfish at 7:53 AM on August 16, 2023
Does your contract say anything about a kill fee? If you wrote the piece, let alone turning around edits, a publication with any conscience should be giving you money, but I think a lot of places don't set their contracts up that way anymore (because of aforementioned chaos/increasing writer-unfriendliness). If it doesn't, I guess technically that's a thing you could have done differently to protect against this outcome but it's not a thing most people would know to do.
I would write back one more time, saying that if they don't respond by x date you will be taking it elsewhere. (Make sure your contract allows for this.) I would not say "please send me a formal rejection so I can take it elsewhere" without a date attached. After months of silence, it is ultimatum time. If you are due a kill fee you can also invoice for that. If you want to memail I might be able to offer a little more concrete advice.
posted by babelfish at 7:53 AM on August 16, 2023
I am an academic and I write frequently for these kinds of publications. This does happen. In particular there is one editor I will not work with again although they're a huge fan of my work and commission me regularly, because several times I have sent them drafts to which they never responded. This is a form of conflict avoidance--they don't want to disappoint anyone by telling them they don't like something--but it is also massively disrespectful. The good news is that this is not a reflection on the overall quality of your work and you may well be able to pitch it successfully elsewhere, even somewhere more prestigious. I would send an ultimatum (if you don't let me know by X date I am considering this piece killed and am taking it elsewhere) and then make a note not to work with that person again.
posted by derrinyet at 9:01 AM on August 16, 2023 [8 favorites]
posted by derrinyet at 9:01 AM on August 16, 2023 [8 favorites]
Did you have a contract or formal agreement with the publication?
In freelance writing it's not uncommon for pitches to not work out, and it's also not that uncommon for folks to get ghosted or stiffed on payment even if they do have a contract in place.
Another consideration is that academic publishing tends to be on much, much slower timelines compared to popular publishing. This means that a story that was super relevant one week may become a lower priority or get scrapped the next.
Typically with freelance writing you will want to have a contract in place or else it's really not guaranteed that you'll get paid or the piece will be published. Even prestige publications stiff freelancers, delay payment, or stop responding all the time. Your contract should include a "kill fee" that would cover your time even if the article ends up not being published or accepted. The contract should also include language about pitching other publications if the piece is not published. The good news is that even if this editor never gets back in touch with you, you should be able pitch the piece to other publications.
Here's a few resources I have found helpful for understanding the etiquette of how to deal with editors and pitching:
Reader question: Why won't an editor reply to my pitch? (National Association of Science Writers)
Making first contact with editors (The Open Notebook)
Freelance Writing Contracts: Tips for Protecting Yourself and Your Work (The Write Life)
Pitch Database (The Open Notebook)
Where to Pitch (has a nice list of various freelance writing resources)
Who Pays Writers (another database of pay rates for freelance writing)
posted by forkisbetter at 9:31 AM on August 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
In freelance writing it's not uncommon for pitches to not work out, and it's also not that uncommon for folks to get ghosted or stiffed on payment even if they do have a contract in place.
Another consideration is that academic publishing tends to be on much, much slower timelines compared to popular publishing. This means that a story that was super relevant one week may become a lower priority or get scrapped the next.
Typically with freelance writing you will want to have a contract in place or else it's really not guaranteed that you'll get paid or the piece will be published. Even prestige publications stiff freelancers, delay payment, or stop responding all the time. Your contract should include a "kill fee" that would cover your time even if the article ends up not being published or accepted. The contract should also include language about pitching other publications if the piece is not published. The good news is that even if this editor never gets back in touch with you, you should be able pitch the piece to other publications.
Here's a few resources I have found helpful for understanding the etiquette of how to deal with editors and pitching:
Reader question: Why won't an editor reply to my pitch? (National Association of Science Writers)
Making first contact with editors (The Open Notebook)
Freelance Writing Contracts: Tips for Protecting Yourself and Your Work (The Write Life)
Pitch Database (The Open Notebook)
Where to Pitch (has a nice list of various freelance writing resources)
Who Pays Writers (another database of pay rates for freelance writing)
posted by forkisbetter at 9:31 AM on August 16, 2023 [5 favorites]
You did nothing wrong, this editor sucks, and always negotiate. I am so sorry you have been treated this way. As a professional writer, I am not going to pretend this is unusual but it appalling.
posted by Bella Donna at 12:35 PM on August 16, 2023
posted by Bella Donna at 12:35 PM on August 16, 2023
1. Yes, all the time, unfortunately. Sometimes I've gone as far as contacting another editor at the same pub, asking them to check in with the ghoster, see if everything is ok. YMMV.
Have you checked if this person still actually works at the publication? Sometimes people move on without letting all "their" writers know.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:53 AM on August 17, 2023
Have you checked if this person still actually works at the publication? Sometimes people move on without letting all "their" writers know.
posted by gottabefunky at 10:53 AM on August 17, 2023
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I know a lot of writers, and they in turn know a lot of editors at publications. And I know some editors myself. If you'd like to contact me privately, I could inquire (without using your name) as to whether this publication or editor commonly does this sort of thing.
posted by martin q blank at 7:50 AM on August 16, 2023 [1 favorite]