Feature: The Internet and Writers

by April Aragam

With the arrival of the internet, writers have gained many benefits such as ways to save money and more access to publications we might not have otherwise known about. Unfortunately, the internet has also caused some of us to pick up some bad habits that could ultimately hurt us.

1. Being too casual with editors
The internet has allowed people to connect more often and in a more casual way. The problem comes when we get too comfortable with people that we are working with. Being able to communicate with editors via email is convenient, but you’ve got to be careful. It’s important that you remain professional with editors. When you first contact an editor, refer to them by their surname (i.e. Ms. Smith) and not by their first name. If an editor replies to you using your first name as well as their own, it is safe to assume you can do the same. Never assume you can be casual with an editor right off the bat, even if you’ve heard from friends that Ms. Smith insists everyone call her Mary. Let her tell you personally.

2. Impatience
One of the biggest issues when it comes to email is people’s impatience about receiving responses. If you are choosing to submit or query via email because you assume that you’ll get a quicker response than if you submitted via snail mail, you’re doing it for the wrong reason. Although you may hear from some editors quickly, it’s nothing you should expect from all editors. In fact, sometimes it might take even longer to hear from editors because submitting via email takes such little effort they receive a large number of emails on a daily basis and must sift through them all. Though submitting via email is convenient and cheaper, it’s not reasonable to expect a response in an unreasonable time. Remember that you’re not the only one contacting editors and be patient.

3. Not studying markets
With the internet it is far easier (and less expensive) to study the markets you’re interested in writing for. There is no excuse for not finding out who you are pitching an article to. Even if the publication doesn’t have an online presence and you cannot afford to buy half a dozen back copies to study, you can still go to the library or ask fellow writers to send you a couple copies. It doesn’t make you look good to an editor to have a query given the go-ahead only to discover that you don’t know the magazine’s style.

The internet can be a great tool for writers if used properly. Treat the things you do online the same as you would if you were doing the same tasks in the offline version and you will enjoy a great success rate.