Frequently Asked Questions About Publishing 

Disclaimer: The staff and members of ERWA make no claims as to the accuracy of statements included here. To the best of our knowledge, these answers are valid, but please read responsibly. Be your own fact-checker. Judge what's right for you. And remember, many questions have more than one right answer. Best of luck in your writing adventures! 

QUESTIONS:

• What are First North American Serial Rights, Reprint Rights, Anthology Rights, etc.?
• How do I copyright my work? How do I protect myself from online pirates?
• What does "No Simultaneous Submissions" mean
• What is Work For Hire rights?
• What is considered Fair Use?
• How should my bio read?
• Is it ok to send more than one story in a single submission?
• How much of a stickler are publications on word count?
• Why is an invoice important, and how do I write one up?
• Should I submit a full novel, or sample chapters?
• What does "pay upon publication" mean?
• What is the proper format for submitting stories
• What is the proper format for submitting stories electronically?
• What kind of cover letter does a short story need?
• How do I submit and get paid under my pen name?
• What is a "detailed" synopsis?
• How do literary agents work?
• How do I get an agent?
• How do I copyright my work?
• What does "published" mean to an editor?
• Should I let an editor change my work?

Q: What are 'rights'? In contracts various types of rights are mentioned; i.e. First North American Serial Rights, Reprint Rights, Anthology Rights, etc.. What are the definitions of these rights?

A:  Rights relate to copyrights. When a publication buys your story, they are actually buying certain rights to your story. This is very important stuff every author must know. Learn all about rights from Marge Gilk's excellent article Rights: What They Mean and Why They're Important.

Q:  Is there a process for copyright or can I just put a copyright date on it? How do I protect myself from online pirates?

A:  From Emma Holly
According to the US Copyright Office, "Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work." This means your work is protected from the moment the words leave your pen and hit the paper. Including a notice serves as a heads up to others that you know your rights and expect people to respect them. Notice can be as simple as "Copyright 1998 by Alice Author."

For a more detailed explanation, try reading "Copyright Basics" at the US Copyright Office website. It's boring, but straight from the horse's mouth.

None of the professionals I know say you need to register a copyright until the work is published. Usually, your publisher will do it on your behalf. If not, you can call the Register of Copyrights at (202) 707-9100, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They'll send you a form to fill out and you'll send one copy of your work plus $20. I did this for an e-published book because the publisher couldn't afford to, but my copyright existed regardless of whether it was registered.

For more in-depth information about copyrights read Hazel's Copyrights: Basic Information and Resources,

From Tru
I had called the copyright office once inquiring about copyrights. They suggested that since it is very spendy to copyright...that writers of stories, poetry, music...whatever. Print a single copy of your story/stories, place said story in a large manila envelope, seal it, then seal it again with labels which have its contents printed on it, take it to the post office and mail it back to yourself. 

When you get it back, file it as is. This way, it is postmarked with the date that you mailed it to you. Any story that is in there, in fact has to have been written prior to mailing, in effect it is almost the same as having copy written because should the need ever arise, you can take the sealed envelope into court to prove the story/poem/song is yours. I have never had the need to break out any of my envelopes as yet, but like knowing that they are there if the need should arise.

[Please Note: this is not the same as registering a copyright, and does not afford the same benefits in litigation.]

For information about copyright infringement, read How to Deal With Online Media Pirates, by Alicia Karen Elkins.

Q: Does "No Simultaneous Submissions" mean no pieces submitted at the same time to other publications for consideration?

A: From Erina Lee
'No Simultaneous Submissions' means a magazine prefers you not send your story to their competition before they have decided whether to accept your work or not.

However, if you have a story that would fit the guidelines for competing magazines, send them each a copy... if an editor writes to you that he/she is interested, merely call the others and withdraw the piece, [you need not say why]... offering another story to take its place. Only in the writing world is it expected that a writer be willing to wait MONTHS to hear about their work.

Just think of your submission as a resume. Would you send only one resume out to merely one company and then wait MONTHS for them to reply before sending it to another company?  In any case, always be courteous and professional with editors and their staff.

Q: In some call for submissions there is a note saying they require work-for-hire rights... what does that mean?

A: In a nutshell, it means the publishers own all rights for ever and ever amen. You will never get them back. In the case of fiction, the publisher owns the characters too.

It's not always a good deal for authors, but if it's good money sometimes it's worth it. Just make sure you realize all you are giving up.

From Rosemary Laurey, author of Rapture in Moonlight

Q: What is considered Fair Use?  If I'd like to use a snippet ( a snippet in this case is a line ) from an old song lyric that is probably very well-known, do I need to obtain permission to use it in a story?

A: One or two lines will keep you out of trouble. Any more than that you are supposed to pay for rights in advance. if you don't, you can be sued. if you are, the publisher will not take the responsibility for it.

In my latest book I began every chapter with a song quote of four lines; I thought that was fair use. The publisher had me cut them to one or two lines to be safe. Rights don't cost that much, like $50 but they are a hassle.

From Marcy Sheiner, a writer, editor and teacher. To find out more, please visit Marcy's website: 

Q:  How should my bio read? Just seems like everything I've done is irrelevant to writing.

A:  I beg to disagree. Everything you experience can influence your writing. And if you still feel all abashed about your life -- hell, just lie!  Write a fictional bio, but make it funny so people know you're kidding. - Vol

A:  Bios range in length, function and content, depending on the publication that requires it. Its practical purpose is to let the readers know more about the author (keyword here is relevant information). It helps a lot to keep to the bio specs given by the publisher. Personally, I'd include something witty and original within those specs if possible, but perhaps not if the tone of the publication doesn't fit it. - Cynthia

Q:  Say I find a publication and I have more than one story which fits their guidelines, is it ok to send more than one story in a single submission, or should each be sent separately?

A:  If they say to send no more than X numbers of submissions, follow their guidelines and stick to that number. And in that instance, they'll be expecting to see the stories together -- especially for anthos that don't want to pub more than one piece by any author.  (Check other anthos by the same editors and see what their policies seem to be. That's one that usually won't be stated.)  Otherwise, it's okay to send two-to-three stories in an envelope.  (Most I've ever sent is four -- they bought three.)  Some editors are looking to do bulk buys, especially if their venue turns over quickly. Usually, though, three seems to be as many as an editor wants to see at a time.  (Think about how many of *anybody's* stories you'd want to read at one sitting. <gg>)  But it's also best to avoid the appearance of dumping on a venue. Keep them hungry for more, not feeling too full. <gg>

I see what JT is saying about an editor maybe not reading a second story if s/he didn't like the first, but I don't think that happens often in print media (unless the first story is total garbage, which, from what I've seen, ain't something the folks on ERA have to worry about <gg>). Granted, editors can (and sometimes do) make up their minds after reading the first couple of paragraphs. But, from what I've seen, they'll usually give each piece that much. On one project, one of my all time favorite editors to work with *hated* the first story I sent, but loved the second.  (Yes, Adrienne, I rewrote it -- again! <lol> -- before I sent it elsewhere.   Thanks for always being so politely forthright. <gg>)

Sooo, the bottom line for the mailing question can be, how much do you want to spend on postage?  <gg>  For myownself, if it's for an antho with only one editor, I only send one SASE -- less for him/her to keep track of, and from what I've seen, they usually send all the rejections out at once. If it's for a mag, I always send separately, at least a month apart, to avoid the appearance of dumping. But that's just me. <gg>

From Dominic Santi: Read Doimic's  work in Friction 3, edited by Jesse Grant and Austin Foxxe (Alyson, 1999).

Q: I come across a potential market, everything in the listing fits, until I get to the manuscript word length. Often I find that the maximum length is listed at 5,000 words and the story that fits is 5279 words. My question is...how much of a stickler are publications on word count?  I can understand if they ask for 5,000 and get things at 6,000 and up. But would the extra 279 words mean that I have to forget that market totally, or do they make exceptions?

A:  From J.T. "Jack" Benjamin:
Generally, a word limit is etched in stone unless your name happens to be Stephen King or Anne Rice or some other writer with tons of pull. It's not just a matter of having nice round numbers, every inch of printable space needs to be used as efficiently as possible. Going over the limit for one writer means cutting another writer off, and it's tough to manage.

Anyway, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - J. T. "Jack" Benjamin

From Dominic Santi
Depends on the market, the number of submissions they've already received, when you send in your story, whether the editor(s) like your topic, how strongly you feel about keeping those extra 279 words, and likely the phase of the moon. :)

How strongly to you feel about the "over" words?  If you honest-to-gawd feel they need to be there, send the story as-is. Most they can do it say "no."  If you think the words can be cut, then get out the hatchet -- if you think they can go, an editor will likely agree. <gg>  Beyond that, how would you feel if the story was accepted, then an editor chopped out 279 words of his/her choosing?  Or if (as is most often the case with anthos) they printed the story as-is, but you only got paid for the max number of words? 

If you've worked with the editor(s) before and they like your work, they may be more inclined to take a few words over. Or they may send a tentative acceptance and ask you to cut the "extra."  Use that judiciously, though, and keeping in mind that a story that doesn't need tweaking may bump yours. Thinking of it from the editor's perspective, how often would you work with someone who made your job more difficult? <gg>

Or they may just say "no," with no explanation, and leave you wondering if you just might have made the sale if you'd cut the word count. In my experience, the biggest thing is "how good is the STORY?"  Editors want good stories. Their jobs depend on getting them. The closer you get to giving them what they want, and the easier you make their jobs, the better the chances you have to make the sale. Word count is only one of the parts of the equation. Granted, it's one of the easier to control (IOW, it's easier to give an editor exactly 3,000 words than it is to give him/her exactly what s/he wants in a storyline).

Anthos seem to have more leeway on word count than mags. Mags *have* to leave room for the advertising. However, if an editor wants to buy 1st North American Serial Rights for a piece, then cut a scene, do you care?  I mean, if you resell to an antho (which will stay on bookshelves for years, as opposed to the short life of a mag), you can always use the longer version. Or not. <gg>

Contests seem to have the least amount of wiggle room. There are litigious nuts out there who will sue because their 3,000 word story didn't win when a 3,005 story word did (of course, never dreaming that maybe the 3K-exactly word story wasn't of winning quality to begin with). And some places say "if your story is longer than this, DON'T SEND IT."  Ya might wanna save yerself the postage in that instance. <gg>

Beyond that, though, it can be a crap shoot. If you really want to be pubbed some place, send the best piece you have, and see what happens. The most they can do is say "NO!!!!" :-)

And then ya try for next time. ;-)

Q: Why is an invoice important, and how do I write one up?

A:  I've been having a discussion regarding invoices. Since I compiled the info, I figured I'd pass it along for anyone else who might be interested. An invoice is simply a bill stating what you're selling (your work), what rights your selling (i.e. one time use in North American), and for how much. A specific invoice will mention the specific rights being sold and will make resales much easier. An invoice is invaluable if any problems arise between you and the publisher, as it is a specific bill for a specific sale.

The following are samples of invoices I use for publishers. Feel free to copy/modify them as suits your needs.

SAMPLE 1 [from Penthouse Variations]

[print on your business letterhead -- if you're like me, this is just a macro header you pull in for cover sheets and such]

[centered, bold, upper case] INVOICE

Date:  Month date, year [provide full text, ie, September 1, 1999]

To:  Publisher
Street Address
City, State Zip

For:       Category:  Story Title

Amount Due:  $xxx

Please remit to:

Your Full Legal Name [as it appears on your taxes]
Street Address
City, State Zip

SS# xxx-xx-xxxx

Thank You

[your signature]

-----

SAMPLE 2 [my modification of one magazine's sample invoice]

[on letterhead paper]

[centered, bold, upper case] INVOICE

Date:  Month date, year [provide full text, ie, September 1, 1999]

To:  Publisher
Street Address
City, State Zip

From:  Your Name
Your Street Address
City, State Zip

For:  Title of Story [as you submitted it -- include the title they'll be using if known]
Rights Being Given [First North American Serial Rights or whatever]
Magazine/Anthology Name
Their Invoice # [or contract or agreement #, or reference the date of the acceptance letter]

Total:   $xxx

Publication Date:  Month date, year [provide full text, ie, September 1, 1999]

Payment Terms:  Payment on Publication [or whatever]

Thank You

[your signature]

Social Security # xxx-xx-xxxx

From Dominic Santi: Watch for Doimic's  latest works in the anthologies Casting Couch Confessions (Companion Press) and Frisky Business (Prowler Press).

Q:  My question is should I write a full novel, then submit it to the publishers or should I work up a synopsis and a few sample chapters, then wait until they (the publishers) accept the novel before I finish it?

A: You probably should write the whole novel before submitting, especially if

a) you've never completed a piece of book length fiction before, or
b) you've never sold a piece of book length fiction before

a) is because you don't want to start something you can't finish, have to return your advance and get a black mark next to your name.

b) is because if you are an unproven author, many publishers will want to know you've finished the book before taking a chance on you (or won't want to wait an eon to get the complete manuscript if they request it).

There are exceptions. For instance, Black Lace never asked if my first book was finished, nor did they read the complete manuscript before they made an offer for it. As it happened, the book was finished except for the final edit and I was a lot less anxious because of that. If you have a few sales under your belt, it makes more strategic sense *not* to finish the book before submitting - to avoid investing too much time in something you're not sure you can sell. Both these decisions are personal, however, and there's no hard and fast right answer.

From Emma Holly, Black Lace and Romance author. The curious may visit The Erotic Mind of Emma Holly

Q: What does "pay upon publication mean"? Can anyone explain the ins and outs of "pays upon publication"? Obviously, they don't give you any money until they print your work in their publication.

A:  There are a couple standard pay options: upon signing the contract, upon acceptance of the completed manuscript, upon publication, or a combination of the above.  "Upon publication" means your check is cut when the work is officially published. For books this means the official pre-set release date. Just to make things confusing, books are usually on the shelves a month before their official release date.

Q:  What rights do publishers have to your work between the time they accept it, and the time they print it? Conceivably, they could hang on to it for years without publishing.

A:  The time the publisher has to hang onto rights without publishing your work should be spelled out in the contract. If they don't spell it out, request that they do. Generally, a time limit is set of X months after acceptance of the manuscript, barring Acts of God or like events which mess up your publisher's good faith effort to get your work into print. After that time limit, rights revert back to you. You may resell them or agree to give your publisher more time.

My favorite resource for a lucid, clause-by-clause explanation of contracts is How To Be Your Own Literary Agent by Richard Curtis, ISBN 0-395-71819-8, $13.95 and worth every penny.

From Emma Holly, author of The Top of Her Game, ISBN 0352333375 (Black Lace, April 99)

Q:  What's the proper format for submitting stories?

A:  From Pat
From what I've read, editors really don't like people to be creative or different with their manuscripts. In general:

-- Use a plain font like Times or Courier
-- Leave wide margins - 1" is good
-- double space your text
-- Italics should be underlined, not italicized.
-- Put your name, the name of the work and the page number at the top right corner of every page (ie: Author Name / Story Name / Pg#)
-- Include a cover sheet with your name, address, phone and the name of the piece
-- If the manuscript is thick, send it unbound in a manuscript box. If it's short, send it flat in a large  envelope.
-- If you want your manuscript back, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope (SASE).   International submissions should use International Reply Coupons, available at the post office.

You can also do a Google search for "Manuscript Guidelines." It gives you quite a few results - mostly for individual publisher's pages.  - P@

From Emma Holly
Paper: Plain white, not too flimsy
--Justification: ragged right with no hyphenation
--Margins: 1 inch is the most common, but I've seen 1 1/4 recommended, too.
--Fonts: 12 point Courier or 12 point Times New Roman (and avoid dot matrix printers, if possible).
--Headers: Suppress the header on the first page. Acceptable headers contain at least the title, your last name and the page number. I don't think it really matters how you arrange these.
--The first page of your short story should go as follows:
--Top left corner: Author name, address and phone and/or email
--Top right corner: approximate word count

Now turn on double spacing. Return 3 times. Center the title of your story. Return. Center by Author name. Return 2 times. The first paragraph should probably not have an indent. All others should be indented one tab space (.5 inches). The first line of a new section can also be flush left.

Only return once between paragraphs.

You can separate sections (for example, where you change POV or time) with two returns, or a centered # sign, or a couple of asterisks centered. You might want to stick with the centered symbols in case a break comes at the end of the page.

Once you've done all that, you'll want a cover letter.

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for their response or for the return of the whole manuscript.  (Note: some editors say they won't return the manuscript, so a big envelope might be a waste. If you don't need the copy back, tell them to recycle it.)

Never mail your story folded. Use manila envelopes if your story is light, or Tyvek if you need something sturdier. Don't use fancy wrapping. It will just make editors curse when they try to open it.

Q: What is the proper form for submitting electronically? When you submits electronically, is the manuscript formatting any different?  Or is it the standard--double space indented paragraphs, 1 margins all around, courier font etc..etc..etc...

A: Just like any other submissions, the most important thing to do is read the guidelines. Most likely the guides will state how to submit your manuscript electronically.

-- As a general rule, and unless stated otherwise, avoid sending your work in the body of an email (often spacing gets trashed within the body of an email), or as Word or WordPerfect document attachments. It's a mistake to assume everyone has Word or whatever.

-- If no specific instructions are given, then send your work in ASCII or straight text (.txt) attachment. Keep in mind all formatting will be gone, no underlines, italics bolds etc. If italics or special spacing is vital to your work, then send it as rich text format (.rtf), that'll hold basic formatting.

A few things to consider are

-- Is your manuscript destined for print publication or for e-publication?  If it's for print, then be sure to send your mss in the standard format, double space, indented paragraphs, 1" margins, courier font ect. In this case, and unless stated otherwise in the guides, you'll want to be sure you send your mss as .rtf attachment.

--- However, if your mss is destined for e-publishing, then go with flush left, single space with double space between paragraphs.

--  For either print or e-publishing, never send fancy fonts, (always stick with simple fonts like courier), and unless absolutely necessary, eliminate bolds, underlines, centerings etc. All that neat stuff just gets in the way and almost always has to be removed. And that is damn annoying.

As for bios and cover letters, just include them in the body of your email. It's a good idea to include a very short paragraph indicating what the story is about. And follow that up with a bio.

This may sound obvious,, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't indicate what they're submitting their story for. So be sure to start out with something like; I'm submitting my story "Sting" for consideration in OUCH..... or something like that.

Q: What kind of cover letter does a short story need?

A:  Cover letters for short stories are generally very brief. Definitely under a page and possibly just a few lines. They should include the title and word-count of the story you're submitting, and the name of the collection/publisher you're submitting it to. You can include a wee bit about your writing/publishing experience. If you have relevant life or job experiences you can mention that, but don't babble. Maybe you'd mention the theme of the story if you think that's a sales point.

Finally, you thank the editors for their time and say you look forward to hearing from them.

From Emma Holly, author of Cooking Up A Storm
http://www.wavetech.net/~emmah/eroticmind

Q:  If I were going to submit something for publishing and don't want my real name published, how does that work?  Do I Submit and get paid under my pen-name?  Do I have to do something to make this legal or binding?  Or do I submit under my real name telling them that I want them to use my pen-name in print?  Can I trust them to not give my real name out to anyone or on any lists?

A:  Here's the easiest way. Your contract information (address, etc.) will list your real name, but you submit the story as "A Wonderful Tale by Madame K."  When you get to the contract stage, you explain that you want only your pseudonym to appear in the magazine or book. In anthologies, the copyright sometimes appears with the editor's name next to it, in which case you don't have to worry. If you go this route, you do have to trust the editor not to "blow your cover." You get paid under your real name.

If you or your editor fill out copyright forms in your name, the name section should read: "Jane Doe writing as Madame K."

From Emma Holly, 
http://www.wavetech.net/~emmah/eroticmind

Q: What is a "detailed" synopsis?

A:  Different publishers/agents want different formats & lengths for synopses. If you haven't got guidelines, your best bet is to call. The receptionist may be able to answer your question but, if not, this is a legitimate use of the editor or agent's time. Be polite and they won't be annoyed.

From Emma Holly, author of Cooking Up A Storm 
http://www.wavetech.net/~emmah/eroticmind

Q: How do Literary agents work? If they agree to rep your manuscript to publishers, do you pay them a retainer for the repping process? Or, does the agent only get paid a percentage if they sell your book?

A:  A reputable agent will take a 10-15% cut (usu. 15) of whatever you earn on the books they represent (i.e., sell/negotiate) for you. Many reputable agents also charge for copying, long distance calls, or postage - all of which should be agreed to before anyone signs anything.

An agent who charges a retainer or who asks a reading fee should be viewed with suspicion. Even if this person is not a scam artist, he/she obviously does not expect to make a living actually selling writers' work. Agents who refer you to commercial editorial/rewrite services should probably also be avoided.

The Association of Authors Representatives (AAR) can give you a list of agents who have agreed to be bound by their code of ethics, which are discussed in the 1998 GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS. This guide (or one like it) is probably a must read for anyone considering hiring an agent. Another very informative read is HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT by Richard Curtis.

From Emma Holly, author of Ménage,
http://www.wavetech.net/~emmah/eroticmind

Q:  How do I get an agent?

A:  First, invest in a copy of a current GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS, or prepare to spend a lot of time in the library. Read through the guide to determine who might be interested in what you're writing. In most cases, the best way to begin is by querying the agent.

You send a brief, one-page letter, pitching a particular project you would like that agent to represent, i.e. market to publishers for you. If you are unpublished, I would advise that whatever you pitch be finished and polished. It should probably be novel length. An agent might agree to represent a collection of short stories, but not individual ones. There's simply too much work and not enough money in that for them to bother, though Anne Rice's agent may well market hers as a courtesy. The GUIDE TO LITERARY AGENTS should also tell you if they want an outline and a few chapters in addition to the query. While you're waiting for them to respond, try reading HOW TO BE YOUR OWN LITERARY AGENT: The Business of Getting a Book Published by Richard Curtis. That way, if you do get an agent, you'll understand what they're supposed to do for you. And if you don't, well, you won't be helpless.

From Emma Holly, author of Cooking Up A Storm
http://www.wavetech.net/~emmah/eroticmind

Q:  If a publisher says don't send us poetry or previously published work, would posting on a listserve count? How about on a homepage? Where does this line get drawn?

A:  Posting on a listserve or email group like ERWA doesn't count because it is a closed list; i.e., limited access, unlike sharing your work with newsgroups. When editors or publishers stress not to send previously published work they mean work that you've been paid for, and has been published in an anthology, magazine, ebook, etc.

As for websites, there isn't a cut and dried answer. I would venture to say a limited time on a single website is fine, especially a free site which (at the moment, and for some publishers) isn't considered publishing. However, if you get paid for your work and it is on a high profile site, that is the same as published (for a great many publishers).

It is important for authors to be cautious of where they are putting their work: if you plan on never submitting a work for print, then it doesn't matter what you do. However, if you have even a tiny thought of submitting it for print, you should be aware of where it's going on the Net. Be sure you find out if your work will be removed within 24 hours of your request to have it removed.

Q:  I recently submitted a story to a publication, and they emailed me back saying, "we read your story and liked it. Would you be open to having it edited?"  This makes me nervous. If you liked a story, why in the world would you want to edit it?  Should I be amenable to this?  I'm rather partial to the story and would not like to see it changed.

A:  From Cynthia Boris: author of TV Toys and The Shows That Inspired Them at Krause.com, and staff writer at the Official Buffy the Vampire Slayer Magazine.

In my experience this is a little odd. Generally, selling your story gives them the right to edit as they please. I use to cry over editing, then I decided: hey, if they want to pay me to change my words, go right ahead.

The short story Variations bought from me was a good example. They kept most of it intact, just put in a few 'harsher' words to make it sound more urgent. They certainly didn't ask my permission.

I once had an editor who changed my copy to things that were wrong and I never would have said (that was a killer). Once when I did an interview, the editor changed about thirty lines of an article to make it sound more flattering to the actor. In the first case, I asked him to stop doing that without my permission. In the second place, I closed my eyes and said, "print it."

IMHO you should never be that attached to your own words. If you are, you will likely be the only person reading your stuff.

From Emma Holly
This response would make me nervous, too, though it's not unusual to like a story very much and still think it needs a little editing. Before you make up your mind, you probably need to find out what they mean, i.e. do they want to change things however they like without your approval?

If you could get them to let you fix the things they think need fixing, you might be happier. At the very least, try to get them to spell out what they intend to change. Then you can decide what to do with your eyes open.

From Lisa Stirling
If they want YOU to pay for the editing—which is a scam being run by some unscrupulous agents and editors—grab your manuscript and run don't walk to the nearest exit.

Find out what they want done and why. It's usually easier for you, the writer, to use a delicate scalpel to sacrifice words—to reach a specific word count for instance—than to see someone else do a hatchet job.

Congratulations on getting a "we like your work...but" response. That's one step closer to the coveted "we LOVE your work...do you have anything else we might be interested in?"

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