A Freelance Writing Debacle -- Your opinions please.

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Right, so, I'm trying to expand my cache of clips (a long overdue task, but one that has taken on a new sense of urgency in my greater campaign to sercure a new job). In any case, in order to better facilitate a new job (preferably as a full-time writer), it seems I need to demonstrate my arguable abilities via a wider selection of clips (right now, the only clips I really send out are from my gig at The New Yorker, wriring for the "Goings On About Town" section).

A certain senior music editor of a certain magazine over here at the vast communications conglomerate for whom I currently toil is a woman I briefly-albeit-tempestuously dated about ten years ago (had I only known she would rise to the rank of senior music editor -- oh, to turn back the clock!) While perfectly civil, relations between she and I have been -- for the most part -- a bit chilly over the past few years. Up until now, I've decided that it would be just too awkward to approach her about possibly doing some writing for her magazine (and, I presume, it would be she that would be both commissioning my work and editing whatever pieces I submitted). But, y'know, my request is a perfectly valid one. I don't want to put her on the spot, but I feel that I have nothing to lose. What's the worst thing that could happen? She tells me to fuck off and die? (this is entirely possible).

Should I leave it alone and look elsewhere? Or should I stop being such a wimp and run the idea by her? What say you?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:38 (twenty years ago)

Just do it. If she says no, you're no worse off.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Plus, it'll give you a chance to seethe with fury into this thread, which should be entertaining for us all!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

Might as well ask. It could be that an objective request/task/project like this could thaw the chill somewhat. A concrete new beginning to a warmer relationship rather than the murky intangibles of a past dating history. Or not.

― WhyNot, Monday, 14 March 2005 17:44 (twenty years ago)

I don't think I'd seethe with fury so much as mawkishly lament my idiotic feats of careless bridge-burning.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

She might be completely professional and deal with you an appropriate way.

You'll never know unless you try.

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:49 (twenty years ago)

deal with you an appropriate way.

To her mind, that "appropriate way" might include gunplay. Hahahaha.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

Wear a bullet-proof vest to be on the safe side!

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:52 (twenty years ago)

Include pictures of yr daughter when you send her pitches. No one could resist!

― Huk-L, Monday, 14 March 2005 17:53 (twenty years ago)

Tip of the day!

― Penelope_111 (Penelope_111), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

She might give you extra consideration to make sure she doesn't appear to snub you for personal reasons.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:02 (twenty years ago)

Include pictures of yr daughter when you send her pitches. No one could resist!

This, I'd imagine, would backfire on scale comparable to Mount Saint Helens.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

**She tells me to fuck off and die? (this is entirely possible **

As long you're prepared for the above, why not. The fact that you're happily married and a father may well have softened her view (and hell yes sending those pix would be suicide no matter what her marital status is now).

But I had a recent chance encounter with somebody who played a similar role in my life, got totally snubbed and felt guilty all over again so I don't know, it's tricky. The professional context and passage of time should work in your favor. Go for it!

― lovebug starski (lovebug starski), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

did you "ruin" her or something?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, the baby pictures sound like a bad idea. Otherwise, I would say it's worth a try. You really don't have much to lose.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

If she does snub you, you might have a profitable lawsuit in the making.

― andy --, Monday, 14 March 2005 18:09 (twenty years ago)

did you "ruin" her or something?

this could mean so many things.

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

"Why yes, I sexed her so vigorously that her vagina fell out; how did you know?"

― The Ghost of Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 14 March 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

I hate myself now for thinking "Honour the cockfire!".

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Monday, 14 March 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

did you "ruin" her or something?

No, we just broke up rather messily -- I mean, I called it off, but we kept on getting back together (we worked together at the time....ALWAYS a bad idea), and each time, we'd have to re-break up. It was slow and awkward and painful and could've been handled in a much more graceful, mature, reasonable manner. But hey, it was the 90's. Angst was king and all that.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

how about that a very prominent magazine just ran an article i wrote for them without crediting me? instead it reads as if the piece was written by one of their staff writers. i emailed the magazine -- who owes me money, by the way -- and an editor responded by saying "i didn't create the problem so i can't remedy it." if i don't get a satisfactory response from the mag within the next two weeks, an account of the whole affair goes up on the blog, names included.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:44 (twenty years ago)

alex, did you give her a card that said "welcome to dumpsville, population: you"?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

That's fucked up. If it makes you feel any better, a review of mine ran in another very prominent magazine back in January -- and i didn't get paid either.

alex, did you give her a card that said "welcome to dumpsville, population: you"?

Not quite. Not far from, alas, but not quite.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:46 (twenty years ago)

napkin?

― mark p (Mark P), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

did it say "spinsterville"?

(xp)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:48 (twenty years ago)

The worst that could happen is "no. no you can't."

Nothing ventured...

That being said, this is the sort of thing that could take me months to work up the nuts for.

― giboyeux (skowly), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:49 (twenty years ago)

"work up the nuts," what an unpleasant phrase

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

penthouse was looking for a new music editor last month. you should apply!

― phil-two (phil-two), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

Alex, is this a magazine you're interested in writing for because you like the mag a lot, or is it more of an expediency thing (they're part of the conglom, why not)? becuse if it's the latter, maybe it's not as worth it as if it were the former. obv. I'm not trying to tell you how to conduct your freelance biz or anything (and believe me, I understand either way) but if you're worried about potential backfiring, that might be something to take into account.

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Monday, 14 March 2005 20:52 (twenty years ago)

Alex, is this a magazine you're interested in writing for because you like the mag a lot, or is it more of an expediency thing

Well, it's not a magazine I'd take a bullet for, but....ummmmm...it's certainly a magazine I'd be happy to have on my resume as far as periodicals I've contributed to, given its size and scope. Were it a magazine I truly admired, I probably wouldn't be hesistating as much. I don't even think she thinks the magazine and her position there are so hot, but whatever...

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 14 March 2005 21:04 (twenty years ago)

three months pass...

Incidentally, i finally bit the bullet and fired off an e-mail to her last week. I have not, as yet, heard back. Shocker.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

Maybe she's on vacation and hasn't seen your message yet?

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

It's possible.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:19 (twenty years ago)

don't editors check their e-mail all the time, regardless of whether they're in the office or not?

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:25 (twenty years ago)

sadly i have learned that this is not the case.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:26 (twenty years ago)

Her job *should* require that somebody checks her email while she's on vacation and keeps an eye out for urgent matters. If so, the person checking probably didn't recognize your name and figured that a response could wait until the editor got back.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:33 (twenty years ago)

just walk into her office and whip it out right onto her desk!

― ornette coleman, Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:41 (twenty years ago)

Well even if she says "yes", she's got to have the satisfaction of making you sweat it out, goofy relationship ten years ago or not.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Saturday, 9 July 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

sadly i have learned that this is not the case.

OTM, from second-hand experience (my girlfriend's). Editors are apparently no more responsible about this than any other working person. And depending on the publication, they can be particularly forgetful about writing checks as well. Washington Post: golden. New City Chicago: never paid.

― Paunchy Stratego (kenan), Saturday, 9 July 2005 05:05 (twenty years ago)

like an obnoxious cheerleader, my advice is: be aggressive, be be aggressive
emails don't work these days. only phones.
and i can't believe you considered NOT using a connection like this! are you really in the media? use and abuse every connection is the name of the game!
(good luck)

― dahlin (dahlin), Saturday, 9 July 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, well, being aggressive in the professional capacity -- especially around this place -- has never been my strongest suit. I think the message I sent her, in retrospect, was a little stiff and antiseptic. Her failure to even respond or acknowledge the message isn't necessarily surprising.

Moreover, mixing personal and professional dealings is just a messy, ill-advised business, and it was one that complicated both of our lives (albeit now a decade ago). Re-opening that wound, I think, was something worthy of being wary about. That said, given my current level of....well, let's face it...desperation to change my situation, I figured it was worth a try. Something still might happen, though, I suppose.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 10:01 (twenty years ago)

yes.
i'm not aggressive or ruthless enough either, which is why i've moved mostly to the other side. ha!
well good luck anyway. a lot of it is about luck. and new yorker stints are nothing to balk at. well done you!

― dahlin (dahlin), Saturday, 9 July 2005 10:55 (twenty years ago)

Alex did you do a read receipt on the mail? just to see if she read it at all?

― Porkpie (porkpie), Saturday, 9 July 2005 10:59 (twenty years ago)

responding to freelance queries isn't the most urgent of editors' duties so don't give up hope. seems to me those New Yorker blurbs would be an impeccable calling card for writing reviews in any general-interest publication but patience may be required. At this point the personal stuff shouldn't re-surface, erring in favor of "stiff and antiseptic" surely was the way to move past that.

I need to do this too but the longer you wait the harder it gets! thanks for the nudge and good luck.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 9 July 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

eems to me those New Yorker blurbs would be an impeccable calling card for writing reviews in any general-interest publication but patience may be required.

You'd think so, right? Thus far, they haven't gotten me so much as a second glance.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 9 July 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

This just in.....

....got an e-mail back from the editor in question.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:15 (twenty years ago)

and???

― dahlin (dahlin), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

Woo! Make a recording of yourself reading the email aloud and post the mp3 here!

― Rock Hardy (Rock Hardy), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:19 (twenty years ago)

Best of luck, Alex.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:21 (twenty years ago)

Well, a tenuous offer to do some stringing. We'll see.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:27 (twenty years ago)

woo hoo! well done

― dahlin (dahlin), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:33 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

What came of this, Yancey!

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 00:24 (seventeen years ago)

Using the lawyer add-in is more effective than just blogging about your 'I wuz robbed' pain.

― Aimless, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 01:57 (seventeen years ago)

"her and me" not "she and I"

(i posted to your thread but contributed nothing to the discourse)

― Jesse, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 02:41 (seventeen years ago)

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