Pitching Leon at the Writers’ Journal
A: What do you like to see in the freelancers and pitches you use for Writers’ Journal?
L: Mostly, I like to see topics that we haven’t covered, or if it’s a topic that we have covered, I would like to see a different viewpoint. I look for articles that are written to the reader.
We don’t like personal essays. When somebody writes or sends an essay in, and it’s a good essay on a good topic, we’ll [tell them to] take this very same topic, but don’t write it about you, write it informing the reader. People like to be informed on something; they want to know how it can work in their personal writing.
A: So, you actually give feedback to freelancers that pitch you? I don’t hear that a lot from editors.
L: Really, I don’t have time for it, but I take the time for it. Now, I don’t do it all the time, but if I get a query or an article submission and I feel that it’s really close to an acceptable piece, I’ll get back to them and I’ll tell them how they might be able to fix it.
I think, for any magazine, it would be best if they if [the writer] put themselves in the seat of the reader of the magazine. Writers have to look at it from the perspective of the reader.
A: You’ve been with Writers’ Journal for 10 years, have you seen any changes in the writing world? Any difference in the writers you work with?
L: Not from the writers themselves. For the most part, they’ve been quite commendable. But, everybody has to start somewhere. Many times, writers will list their past publishing credits, but, personally, I’m really going to read that article for the value of the article. If you write me an article that has really good guts and meat to it, that’s what I want.
One of the good things that I believe, especially if a freelancer is trying to establish some sort of a relationship with an editor of a publication, is that you should lay the published piece next to your original piece and study how the editor has improved it. If you study that, you can use it to improve your writing so that the next article is better and better.
A: I recently read an article on the types of pitches that editors despise. Any thoughts on that?
L: I guess what really bothers me about submissions is that it may be a good topic but it’s just written poorly. I’m thinking to myself this person has the knowledge, they just can’t put it into words.
Another thing that bothers me is arrogant writers. Those are writers that will submit an article and almost insist that I publish it because they are an authority in the field.
Also, if you’re doing an electronic submission, email it to yourself through a web-based e-mail so you can see how an editor might be receiving this. I have received submissions that are all discombobulated. My biggest pet peeve with electronic submissions is that it comes across so badly that I can’t work with it.
Another pet peeve might be that I’ll receive an article that has nothing to do with our publication.
A: You accept submissions both electronically and via snail mail with a SASE, is that correct?
L: Yes, electronically and also postal mail, but the best way is probably e-mail.
A: Is a full article or query preferred? Or no preference?
L: There’s really no preference. If you feel it’s a subject that has been covered, but that you have a unique twist on it, then I would suggest a query explaining the twist instead of sending the article.
A: Are there certain sections of the magazine that are good for freelancers to break into?
L: Not really. It’s just if you have a good article on a topic that we haven’t covered in a few years.
