Summary

Sherry McGuinn, a seasoned writer and editor, emphasizes the importance of gratitude from writers when editors elevate their work through meticulous editing and enhancements, despite the often thankless nature of the task.

Abstract

Sherry McGuinn reflects on the underappreciated role of editors, particularly on platforms like Medium, where their work is voluntary and yet critical to the success of a publication. She highlights the challenges of sifting through numerous submissions to find quality content and the extra mile editors go to polish pieces that show potential. McGuinn stresses that while editors do not expect praise for performing their duties, a simple acknowledgment of their efforts in improving a writer's work is both respectful and motivating. She contrasts the positive experience of receiving constructive feedback and assistance from another editor, Terry Trueman, with the lack of appreciation she has sometimes encountered. McGuinn advocates for common courtesy and professional respect, suggesting that a writer's gratitude can significantly impact an editor's willingness to continue supporting their work.

Opinions

Editing is often an unrecognized task that deserves more appreciation, especially when done without financial reward.
Editors invest considerable time and effort to refine and enhance the quality of submissions, sometimes going unacknowledged for their contributions.
Despite the challenges, editors are driven by a commitment to the craft and the desire to elevate "middling" stories to a higher standard.
McGuinn believes that writers should express gratitude when editors make significant improvements to their work, such as rewriting titles, adding subtitles, or selecting more engaging images.
Rejection is part of the writing process, and editors like McGuinn encourage resilience and further submissions, understanding that everyone has off days.
McGuinn values the impact of thoughtful editing, as demonstrated by her appreciation for Terry Trueman's efforts to format her work according to the publication's preferences.
She emphasizes the importance of common courtesy and respect in the writer-editor relationship, which can be as simple as thanking someone for their assistance.
McGuinn's experience and expertise as a writer and editor should be acknowledged, and she expects a basic level of professionalism and gratitude from writers whose work she enhances.

When I Elevate Your “Middling” Story to a New Level, I Expect a Response

How about “thank you?”

Editing is a thankless task. If there’s an editor on this platform who disagrees with me, please, speak up.

As a publication editor, you have to sift through piles of crap in the hope of finding that one gem. You see a lot of bad punctuation, sucky spelling, clumsy sentence structure, and a HELL of a lot of chest-thumping.

Also, your work suffers when you’re busy juggling and fixing, the stories of others.

And, your reward is bubkis. Nada. You’re working for free. But you do it anyway because you’ve made a commitment, to yourself and your fellow writers.

Nobody forces us to launch a pub. We do it because we have an “idea” that we believe readers will vibe to and we also do it out of ego. I admit it.

Because we’re all time-crunched, sometimes a stinker gets by but I do my best to try to ensure that this doesn’t happen. I don’t want nor need a rep as a shit-peddler.

Thankfully, I’ve worked with many wonderful writers, newbies, included. And, if I think a writer has that spark I’m looking for, I’ll go the extra mile to help them. And I have.

But, conversely, I’ve had to reject countless stories from writers who just “don’t have it,” in my humble opinion.

Read that again. In my humble opinion.

And, as the owner of three pubs, one of which is dormant, that’s the only opinion that counts.

Yet, I realize that everybody has bad days so I encourage writers to submit to me, again. That’s what I do when I’m rejected! I’ve probably experienced more creative rejection, than a good portion of this community. So when I take on a new writer, I’m diligent about letting them know that I reserve the right to reject a piece if I think it doesn’t work. Again, that is my task.

If you’re rejected by me or anyone else, suck it up. It hurts, but if you don’t, you won’t last in this crazy game.

Normally, when I publish a story, I neither expect nor need, acknowledgment for doing what I’m supposed to.

An excellent story is all the thanks I need. Along with respect for the submission process and a thorough understanding of the type of stories I publish.

I don’t need you to kiss my ass or fawn or pander, or any of that shit. BUT, and here it comes…if I take your submission, and, even though it has a sophomoric bent and incorrect formatting (“hello sub-title”), yet something inside tells me that it could work with a few tweaks, and I make said tweaks and publish…you’d better have the class to acknowledge my unpaid efforts on your behalf.

If I rewrite your title, add a sub-title and swap out your tired image for something that will grab readers by the balls and reel them in, along with fixing your typos, you’d better have something to say to me.

Let me give you an example as lots of folks seem to need these. Today, for the first time, I submitted a story to The Haven. I don’t know whats taken me so long as I enjoy what they put out. Smart, funny, original stories from writers I admire.

It was published and I was thrilled. An editor of the pub, Terry Trueman, left a private note on the story letting me know that he made some “tweaks” so that the formatting was more to The Haven’s preferences. If he hadn’t done this, I wouldn’t have known. He told me that he hated doing this and I could change it back if I wanted.

Are you kidding? I was delighted that he went the extra mile for me and told him so! He didn’t have to do squat. But he did. He performed his job and made my story look great on the page. As an editor myself, I understand the impact that can make.

So, thanks again, Terry.

Here’s another example. When I contact Medium support for help with an issue, I never fail to thank them. It’s called “common courtesy.” For those of you who’ve never tried it, you should. You won’t believe how little it takes to make someone’s day.

In my two and a half years on Medium, I’ve met some wonderful people. Smart, kind, funny, and they “get it.” For those people, I will be happy to assist them in any way I can. My thirty-five-plus years as a writer should count for something. They should mean something. Even though these days, all of my experience amounts to about sixty bucks and change.

If you’re a writer for one of my publications and you do your best to give me your best, thank you.

Thank you.

On the other hand, if you’re someone who thinks I’m going to put forth considerable time and effort to polish your turd, without so much as a, “Hey, I appreciate the work, thanks,” then you can tell your story walkin.’

Sherry McGuinn is a slightly-twisted, longtime Chicago-area writer and award-winning screenwriter. Her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, and numerous other publications. Sherry’s soon-to-be-ex-manager is currently NOT pitching her newest screenplay, a drama with dark, comedic overtones and inspired by a true story.

Thanks for reading, guys. If you enjoyed this, I’d love for you to check out the following, as well as my newsletter, Sherry Raw.

When I Elevate Your “Middling” Story to a New Level, I Expect a Response

How about “thank you?”

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