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Working Words

Lesson Learned
by Lisa Beamer

When I first launched out on this endeavor called freelancing, I was so afraid that I would either sink because I didn't know what I was doing, or I'd float aimlessly because I wasn't doing it right. Two years later I can safely say that I've not sunk (yet!), and though I've had periods when I felt like I was going in circles, I have - for the most part - made consistent headway going in the right direction.

My progress, however, has not come without learning some lessons the hard way, but then what worthy things in our lives happen without learning?

One recent epiphany was rather humbling, and that is what I'd like to share. Though the event made me feel pretty stupid at the time, I see it now as a lesson learned that will benefit my writing career from this point forward.

In addition to the one-time writing assignments I've had for various publications in the past two years, I've been fortunate enough to write for some magazines on a regular basis, and in doing so, my own personal writing style has emerged and evolved. There's nothing wrong with that, as most writers tend to develop a method that works for them and often a style that becomes their trademark. The problem, however, was that I had unwittingly been lured into the comfort of a "one size fits all" mentality.

One of my main writing goals this year was to branch out into print publications from on-line ones. This was (and still is!) a daunting idea for me. However, I've been pushing myself outside the limits of my comfort zone and, in doing so, I have received some positive feedback from print editors.

A few months ago I queried one such editor of a glossy on a topic that I thought would be perfect for their publication. I was thrilled when I received a go ahead to write the piece on spec. Along with that tentative acceptance, the editor made a few notes as to how I might consider slanting the article a bit differently than I had proposed so that it would better suit the publication.

I had to agree that he was right, and I was quite thankful that he willingly shared that insight with me rather than wasting both my time and his letting me write an article that wouldn't have been a good match after all. He also recommended that I read past articles to get a feel for the tone of the magazine. No problem. I'd already glanced over some that they had on their web site, so I figured I was set.

Off I went, lining up interviews with the appropriate experts, gathering the facts, collecting anecdotes. I put the article together and after a few weeks and several drafts, I'd put together what I considered to be a well-written, informative yet conversational article.

I sent it off and waited for the response. Being a person who considers low expectations to be good expectations, I wasn't so full of myself that I thought he'd jump right for the article, but I was hopeful that I'd nailed the subject just the way he wanted.

Within a week I heard back from the editor. He started his message by telling me that he loved the topic (yes!), but that there were two problems he could see with the piece; one minor, one major. Uh oh.

The first was a pretty straightforward issue for which he offered his own simple solution. That was the minor problem. The second "major" problem, however, just blew me away. It had to do with the structure of my entire article. He used the words "formulaic" and "predictable." I'm sure I blushed as I read it because I felt like I was suddenly back in elementary school being reprimanded for something about which I should have known better!

In all honesty, this editor did not say these things in a mean way. He went on, encouraging me to rewrite the piece in a way that would allow my voice to shine through rather than relying on my experts and what he perceived as a rather stilted structure.

"Would you be willing to reshape it?" he asked. Well, of course. But first I had to pick my pride up off the floor and stuff it back inside me somewhere -- on a much lower shelf.

I considered all of this for a day before I went back to the article. I also went back to the Web site and reread the articles I'd quickly scanned before writing the original. What was it they had that he wanted? Then I did the hardest thing: I went to my article and stripped it clean of all that I had thought made it a good article and I rewrote it focusing on what this editor wanted to see. I sent the revision back a few days later, and shortly thereafter I received a glowing thank you and an acceptance. The editor made a point of telling me how much better the piece was now that he could hear the "real me" in it. How about that? Hmmm.

I've thought a lot about this experience since it happened, and it made me realize a couple of very important things. First, I'd gotten complacent. I was so comfortable doing what I was doing because it had been successful for me in other circumstances. That sense of comfort betrayed me as I allowed myself to lighten up on the work I should have been doing when approaching new editors.

"One size fits all" doesn't apply to the editorial world. Being acutely aware of the differences in style, tone and voice that different publications want is essential. These variations are sometimes not easy to denote, but by taking the time to do my research - thoroughly reading sample articles from the magazines, studying the guidelines - I can do a better job than if I am just flying by the seat of my pants.

Second, I learned not to hide behind my experts. Yes, their input adds credibility to my pieces, but if I rely solely on them without adding my own voice, then I lose my own credibility. In his words this editor said, "[Relying on expert quotes] undercuts your authority as the author by making you appear to be more of a compiler."

It turned out that I used none of my original expert quotes in this piece, and while that seemed drastic to me, it allowed me to get to what this editor was looking for while still keeping the piece honest. The integrity of the piece was not compromised, and that was very important to me.

Though humble pie is rarely a tasty treat, I am so thankful that I had this experience with a caring editor who was willing to work with me, to offer suggestions that have helped me to be a better writer, not just for that one article, but so that I could grow in my abilities overall. From the various books I've read on writing, it seems that these kinds of editors are rare treasures, and I feel blessed to have come upon one.

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