Articles - Be Prepared

[gillumhouse]

We can live (or cry) from articles. We vet the writers, looking at publications to decide to do it or not. We always try because of the "possibilities" - just be prepared to cry.
I have given free nights, dinners, whole 9 yards and geotten lovely articles and have also ended up with nothing. After months of give us this and give us that - always last minute - having been told after the initial gotta have by that we were in, I get an e-mail yesterday saying that we were on the cutting room floor with the Every Day with Rachel Ray Thanksgiving article. The last gotta have was just 2 weeks ago and they wanted photos of the rail-trail and of covered bridges (I could not find my covered bridges photos and I guess the people in the rail-trail photos were not "beautiful" enough). I had 1 day to get those. At least this one only cost me time (all together about 3 days worth) and materials - turkey, semolina, eggs, and electricity to make the soup.
Will I do it again - of course. Hope springs eternal. Will I believe it again? NO. I will say nothing in the future until I see the article in print. I will expect to hit the wastebasket as I try my best to get in because more business for me means more business for my town and a line in a paragraph in an article will get more than any advertising - and the writers know it as well as we do. We just are not fancy enough nor in a fancy area (near a metro or tourist area). It sure took the air out of the excitement of the skateboard kids success.....

 

[Morticia]

Aw, sorry K. I know how pumped up I was talking with them. Next time...

 

[gillumhouse]

Aw, sorry K. I know how pumped up I was talking with them. Next time....

I doubt it. I will not trust that magazine again nor do I expect them to ever do anything with a spit in the puddle in Podunk. I have been at it too long. I do try to encourage the newbies because they do have a chance - because they are new. I have been at it too long - why haven't you been featured sooner syndrome like the job attitude today - why have you worked for XYZ Company for 15 years - couldn't get hired elsewhere?

 

[IvyLee]

Don't feel bad. I can't even put a number on the amount of pitches I've had rejected over the years, but it has to be in the 10's of thousands, and it's just the nature of the beast really. It's especially tough when you've gone through the whole song and dance of interviews, photos etc. and then cut, but it happens.
This will make you feel better. I'm pitching a huge, huge national magazine. The journalist is someone I grew up with, so of course I take advantage of nepotism and the fact we've known each other for years. It's a cover story, with photos etc., and I get two clients in the piece. Since the writer is a friend, and I'm a nice person I also reccomend some other people who are not my clients to him because I feel that it would make the piece better. The piece comes out, the editors cut both my clients and use the other two people I reccomended. Truthfully, I must have spent no less than 50 hours getting things together for this. The media can be cruel mistress.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Sorry to hear that. Good things come unexpectedly.

 

[egoodell]

Aw, sorry K. I know how pumped up I was talking with them. Next time....

I doubt it. I will not trust that magazine again nor do I expect them to ever do anything with a spit in the puddle in Podunk. I have been at it too long. I do try to encourage the newbies because they do have a chance - because they are new. I have been at it too long - why haven't you been featured sooner syndrome like the job attitude today - why have you worked for XYZ Company for 15 years - couldn't get hired elsewhere?
.

So sorry to hear that. It is such a let down. I don't believe anyone until I see it in print, but it's hard not to get excited when they contact you!!!
Riki

 

[Copperhead]

Sorry you are experiencing this. I've been on the editing floor a couple of times myself and yes it hurts being walked on.

 

[Morticia]

Aw, sorry K. I know how pumped up I was talking with them. Next time....

I doubt it. I will not trust that magazine again nor do I expect them to ever do anything with a spit in the puddle in Podunk. I have been at it too long. I do try to encourage the newbies because they do have a chance - because they are new. I have been at it too long - why haven't you been featured sooner syndrome like the job attitude today - why have you worked for XYZ Company for 15 years - couldn't get hired elsewhere?
.

I doubt it. I will not trust that magazine again nor do I expect them to ever do anything with a spit in the puddle in Podunk. I have been at it too long. I do try to encourage the newbies because they do have a chance - because they are new. I have been at it too long - why haven't you been featured sooner syndrome like the job attitude today - why have you worked for XYZ Company for 15 years - couldn't get hired elsewhere?

Not next time with them, but with someone else. My place has been here 21 years. It's been in the local paper once that I know of before we got here. You know how to make your own publicity. It'll serve you well. With me it was pure luck (that they called here) and pure chutzpah that made me make up that special while on the phone with them. The other mag we were in was pure nepotism. The biz the article was about was asked where she would stay if she stayed in her own town and she mentioned me (her friend).

 

[gillumhouse]

Sorry you are experiencing this. I've been on the editing floor a couple of times myself and yes it hurts being walked on..

Could have taken it easily after making the darn soup and staying up til all hours doing photos. Until 2 weeks ago they were still gotta have.
Got a boatload of carrots today so will make sugar-free carrot muffins and a regular carrot muffin to sell next week at the Farmer's Market. Got to concentrate on the things worthwhile and that magazine does not even come close to these kids. I will get over it - eventually. Like next time I see the kids!