BE VERY NICE TO THE EDITOR

The editor of any publication is a total autocrat. He, and he alone, has the final decision as to which stories, articles, etc. are used and which are not. Editors need these draconian powers, partly because they are solely responsible to the publisher for the readability and reputation of the publication, and partly because they can be personally sued for expensive things like libel (see Chapter 11).

Knowing this may help to ease the frustration if, as sometimes happens, an editor doesn’t use the first couple of news stories you send him. If the editor doesn’t know you, he may want to be sure that you’re not one of those here-today-and-gone-tomorrow outfits before he puts your name in front of his readers. So he waits until he’s seen a few of your press releases coming across his desk to convince him that you’re real, interesting and here to stay. Simple, when you think about it!

To avoid incurring the imperial displeasure:

• Don’t threaten to appeal to a higher authority if the editor doesn’t use your story. There is no higher authority to appeal to.
• Don’t try to pressure an editor to use your stories on the grounds that you advertise in his magazine. Most editors have little or nothing to do with advertising, and value their independence.
• Don’t waste his time (and yours) by phoning and asking him if he’ll be using the story you’ve just sent him. Read the next issue and you’ll find out.
• Don’t suggest that an editor really must use a particular story you’ve sent him because the world has been waiting for it with bated breath, or that it’s a matter of vital public interest. The editor will be the sole judge of that, thank you – just write it well, send it in, and say your prayers.
• Don’t phone and ask an editor why he didn’t use your last story. Non-appearance may be for any one of several reasons, but he doesn’t owe you an explanation and may resent your implication that he does. So better not to ask at all, yes?

By now you may be feeling that establishing good relationships with such godlike beings is Mission Impossible. Take heart – most editors are quite human really. They actually rely on people like you to send them news stories, articles and case studies to fill their editorial pages, although it would probably be very counter-productive to remind them of this!

Try to understand the imperatives and constraints on them, fit in with their needs, treat them with friendly respect as professionals in their field, and you’ll get along just fine.