New paradigm: editors don't really want what they ask for.

[Robb]

Arrrgggh. :eyes:

Just needing to vent slightly. Finished an annoying piece on an annoying business for an annoying tourist mag, sent it in, but apparently the uber-editor wants something completely different from what the editor I got the assignment from wanted.

Imagine a whole article on Topic A, as assigned. Then imagine being told to "trim down the parts on Topic A", and write it actually focusing on Heretofore Unmentioned Topic B. Of course Topic B will require many phone calls which may or may not be returned on a holiday weekend, and naturally the thing's got to be in by Tuesday. Oh, and new twist: subjects now need to sign off on the piece. To further the madness, original piece will run "in the online edition" (at whatever the hell rate that pays), as will new revised piece. So "trimming it down" won't actually work, since they'll be sitting there next to each other.

I think the writing thing needs to be ashcanned. I just wanna be a waiter. :eyes:

[wryter2000]

1. Don't get me started

I write romance. I can't tell you how many editors I've heard say, "Write the best book you can, and we'll publish it." Then, you submit it and they say, "Oh, well...we can't sell France. Do you have Regency England?"

[Ivan Sputnik]

2. Essentially,

you're being asked to write TWO articles. Hope you're getting paid for two. . . . Sounds like there's chaos at the top at this publication and they're "outsourcing" their problems to you. Good luck.