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A Friday-morning editor 
, with my apologies.
A lot of writers ask me questions about reaching out to an editor for the first time, pitching, etc. Of course that stuff is important — you can't get anywhere without a foot in the door.
, with my apologies.A lot of writers ask me questions about reaching out to an editor for the first time, pitching, etc. Of course that stuff is important — you can't get anywhere without a foot in the door.
But I wish (some!) folks would spend more effort on establishing a good ongoing relationship with an editor. Repeat assignments! Referrals! Goodwill! Fun ongoing collaboration and even friendship! A few tips in this area.
(If some of these sound dumb and obvious, I KNOW, but you'd be surprised how many people don't do these things.)
First, make sure you understand the assignment before you start reporting. Yes, length, format, etc., but also: What are the biggest questions the editor hopes your piece will answer? Who reads the publication and what concerns/POV of theirs should you keep in mind?
What has the publication already done on this topic and how can you ensure your story is bringing something new to their coverage? Get all of this in writing, even if you're working it out over the phone (which btw is recommended!).
To turn in a story the editor is actually happy with (and that makes them want to work with you again), you'll need to go back and reference this information. A LOT.
Be a curious and thorough reporter. We can tell if you're phoning it in. If you didn't learn at least one thing in your reporting that surprised or struck you in some way, there's a good chance you haven't pushed hard enough and your story is kind of, uh, boring.
Here's a not-that-secret secret: To most of us, for many non-timely stories, deadlines are sort of arbitrary. We know they're helpful to you, and they help us with planning, but if they need to move, it's ok. Meet them — but if you won't be able to, PLEASE TELL US.
Once we've confirmed a deadline with you, it's pretty inconsiderate of you to miss it without communicating in advance that you need more time. Basically just don't ghost us, please 
Don't be a lazy reviser. I appreciate a quick turnaround but seriously: I can tell if you are phoning it in responding to my queries. Read through the revise memo and all notes and really think about the feedback you've received before diving in.
Also OMG don't ignore notes / delete them without responding to them. It's ok if you think the question is off base in some way but I find it so infuriating when people ignore my notes without at least explaining why. (YES people do this and YES I keep track of who you are.)
Finally I will just say this: There's a lot of subtweeting going on out there (I suppose you could call this thread one big subtweet, oops), and I get calling people out for their bullshit and I know plenty of editors engage in plenty of bad behavior.
But I have to admit that when writers subtweet editors a lot, I feel really cagey about working with them. I do my best to be a great colleague to writers but missteps happen and I'll just say it: I'm scared of your subtweets!
What did I miss? Any questions? I love building positive, productive editor-writer relationships and helping others do the same so lemme know! 
