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Editors Only Q & A Sample Topics from past issues: When Should You Pay Freelancers? Getting a New Editor Up to Speed Where Should I Draw the Line with Advertising? How Can You Keep Your Freelancers Truly Yours? Editorial Responsibilities -- Who Does What? ...... When Should You Pay Freelancers? Q. What's the consensus? When should you pay for a freelance article? Is it upon receipt of the copy or on publication? I'm currently paying upon receipt. But I understand there are still quite a lot of publications out there that pay only upon publication. A. According to an Editors Only study (a few years back), between 40 to 50 percent of the publications surveyed pay upon acceptance. Association publications had the highest percentage: 50% of them pay on acceptance. Trade magazines were least likely to pay on acceptance (about 40% do). And consumer magazines were right in the middle at about 45%. The balance either pay on publication -- or have a changeable policy, depending upon circumstances. What kind of circumstances? Those identified include: scheduling, the demands of the particular freelancer, whether the article was solicited or not, and on the quality of the article. You mention paying upon receipt. I'd like to point out there's a big difference between paying upon receipt vs. upon acceptance. You may receive an article, even one that you've solicited, and later find it to be unacceptable. It seems more prudent to hold off payment until the article has had a thorough evaluation and is deemed acceptable for publication. The American Society of Journalists and Authors has a position on this matter. It is, "The writer is entitled to payment for an accepted article within ten days of delivery. No article payment should ever be subject to publication." Why, then, do some publishers pay only on publication? That practice has some obvious disadvantages to the freelancer. It means that the writer may have to wait several months before being compensated for the work. It also leaves uncertain whether he or she will ever be paid for the article. That's because the publisher may accept it only to later decide not to use it. The freelancer is thus prevented from marketing it elsewhere in the meantime, too. On the other hand, the advantages to the publisher are: deferral of an expense, and protection from paying for an article which may be never published. So, which policy is best? On acceptance or on publication? Perhaps it comes down to whether you are in a buyer's market or in a seller's market. If you have plenty of good articles coming in and experience no resistance from freelancers to waiting for payment, a payment-on-publication policy may work for you. However, if searching for good articles isn't so easy or if you compete with other publications for the best writers, it may be wise to offer your freelancers the advantages of payment on acceptance. Getting a New Editor Up to Speed Q. It seems like it takes years for new editorial staffers to learn the ropes around here. Either they're not turning in copy by deadline or their work doesn't meet our editorial standards, or they're looking for perks which aren't consistent with our policies. I try carefully to explain our policies to new editors. And I expect them to observe how we do things and to follow suit. But whenever I have to confront them with what our policies are, they act as if they're being treated unfairly. How can I get new employees to catch on faster? A. The training of a new editor usually has two sides. You're glad to have the job filled. On the other hand, you may feel some frustration as your new hire grapples with the rules and procedures which facilitate an efficient editorial operation. A big part of the problem is usually in the communication and understanding of expectancies. What you say and what the new editor hears may be two different things. It may seem like the new person is trying to confound the system. Chances are, though, that you each just have a different set of expectations. How can such miscommunication be minimized? There are three aids you can use to facilitate the acculturation of a new editor: a job description, an editorial guide or plan, and an employee handbook. They won't substitute for managerial leadership -- but they can be a big help in clarifying your expectations. Here are some of the things they should contain: Job description: --what is the overall job function? --to whom does the editor report? --what are the specific responsibilities? --what authority does the editor have in order to carry out the responsibilities? --what quantitative and qualitative results are expected if the job is performed satisfactorily? Editorial plan: --what are the editorial objectives --what is the editorial decision making process? --what is the established work-flow procedure? --who is responsible for things each step along the way? --what are the publication's deadlines? --how do you define "deadline" and what are the consequences of missing one? --whose approval is needed for what? --what are the publication's editorial practices (style, text to illustration ratio, etc.)? Employee handbook: --what special rules apply to new employees (probationary period, etc.)? --what are the basic responsibilities of all employees? --what are the policies for holidays, vacations, illness or disability? --how is performance appraised? --how are raises and bonuses dispensed? --what are the office rules? --what are the procedures for disciplinary action, termination or layoff? --is there a complaint procedure? Where Should I Draw the Line with Advertising? Q. My ongoing fight with the advertising director is really heating up. She wants to sell advertisers based on specifics of what's in a future issue, and wants to assure them there'll be nothing to which they might object. I'm not talking about sharing the editorial calendar. That's okay, of course. But this person wants to send out copies of articles and the table of contents. I say that's off limits. This advertising person says I'm living in an ivory tower and don't understand where my paycheck is coming from. I want to hold firm. Am I nuts, or what? A. Certainly, it is good editorial policy to maintain a reasonable separation between editorial and advertising. Indeed, having a clear demarcation is in everyone's best interest. Just where to draw the line is always controversial. But on this issue, you are not alone. The American Society of Magazine Editors and the Magazine Publishers of America have issued a statement on the matter: "As editors and publishers, we strongly believe that editorial integrity and credibility are the magazine industry's most important assets. As a result, we believe that magazines should not submit a table of contents, text or photos from upcoming issues to advertisers for prior review." One advertiser's attempt to peek into editorial matters has become legend. The Chrysler Corporation had a policy of requiring publications in which they advertised to alert them in advance to certain kinds of coverage. On one occasion, Esquire pulled a story to which Chrysler had objected. When that came to light, it attracted considerable negative publicity -- and Chrysler withdrew the policy, and no longer requires prenotification. How Can You Keep Your Freelancers Truly Yours? Q. I have a problem with our writers' bylines appearing in our biggest competitors' pages! It seems like once we find a new writer and spend time breaking them in -- a competitor tries to snatch them up. This has been going on for a long time, even before I was hired. Now, when a writer asks me whether I mind if they write for the competition, I have to be honest. I tell them I'd prefer they didn't. But it doesn't seem fair to discourage new authors like this when some of our freelancers just go ahead and do it anyway. I realize they're trying to make a living and they need to write for any publication that accepts their work. Nonetheless, it also doesn't seem fair that these authors do just go ahead and do it. What's an editor to do? Indeed, what is proper to do? It is hard to find new writers; it takes time to develop good ones; and, I hate to loose them. What am I justified in doing about this? Should I stop using those writers whose names also appear in the competing magazines? A. Well, you've outlined some dilemmas that many other editors face too, when dealing with outside writers. What are the rules regarding exclusivity? There are no hard and fast rules. In fact, it makes good sense to approach the various circumstances in ways appropriate to each case or category. For instance, if you were to be offered a really great article by, say, President Bush, you wouldn't ask that he agree not to write for any other magazines, would you? Of course not. Exclusivity certainly can be desirable. But there are times when either the stature of the writer, or the uniqueness of the content, outweighs exclusivity. That's not to say you would want the same article to appear in a competing publication. But this comes down to the question of what rights are you buying from the writer. This should all be spelled out in your written agreement with the writer. Requiring an exclusive in your field for a particular article is certainly a reasonable position -- even if you're negotiating with the President! But, I think you're most concerned over a different circumstance. That is when you find a diamond-in-the-rough writer. Maybe he or she is a reader of your publication who has some excellent information to share with other readers -- but lacks the experience with which to produce excellence in his or her journalistic approach. So you heavily edit the article, maybe even rewrite parts of it. And voila, the article becomes a smashing success. The new writer learns from your editorial handling of his or her copy, and writes additional pieces for you, each becoming more and more refined. Soon your diamond-in- the-rough writer is looking like a polished gem -- an obvious target for an author-recruiting competitor. Whether it's a case like this, or just an established writer you'd prefer to have on an exclusive basis, here are three approaches you might try: 1. Offer the writer more money. Explain that you value his or her association with your magazine, and that to assure it on an exclusive basis in the field in which you publish, you wish to offer and additional $x per article. 2. Offer the writer a contract as a regular contributor. Put his or her name on the masthead. Agree to a specified number of articles per year. Make exclusivity a part of the deal. 3. Recognize that man (or woman) does not live by bread alone. Encourage a cordial and friendly relationship with the writer. Be sure to show your genuine appreciation for the work he or she does. Be open to article ideas from the writer, and follow them whenever it makes sense to do so, even if they wander slightly from your personal preferences from time to time. If the writer feels that he or she enjoys a special relationship with your publication, one that adds enjoyment to the work, your request for exclusivity may cost nothing more. Editorial Responsibilities -- Who Does What? Q. As our editorial department is undergoing a restructuring, we are finding a need for clarification. The lines between the various editorial positions have become blurred. Are there any guidelines regarding the responsibilities of those who work in an editorial department? A. On some publications, the managing editor is the top spot. On others, the person with that title is responsible only for laying out the articles. It's safe to say that there are no rigid guidelines. In the book The Magazine by Leonard Mogel, however, a few exemplary descriptions are offered. They are: Editorial Management. A manager (editor and publisher, editor-in-chief, editorial director) sets editorial policy. He or she may hold other titles and may be in charge of other products and departments in addition to editorial ones. The editor reports to this individual. Editor. The editor is responsible for editorial direction and editorial content, including both art and text, as well as cover of the magazine. The Managing Editor. This editor coordinates the editorial and art and production departments to ensure that the magazine is put out on time and in acceptable form. He or she oversees the copy editing and proofreading staff to make sure the magazine is factually and grammatically correct. Senior Editor. This editor heads the editorial feature department. This person plans and writes features in specialty areas. He or she is responsible for all editorial work in that subject area and may oversee associate editors, freelance writers, and designers Click here to subscribe to Editors Only at a discount! |
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