The Freelance Writing Faux Pas

This morning, I got a snarky little email from a prominent Indianpolis editor.

I have worked with him once before, and he and I have always had a good repoir. We've joked via email, stayed in touch, and he has always encouraged me to keep pitching. And the truth is, I haven't been writing that long. I only had my first article picked up and bought last January, and that didn't even end up getting published. I didn't seriously touch my freelance writing again until August of this past year, just for the sake of time. But I am trying to build my resume and gain a lot of experience, and stay warm with sites like Associated Content and EHow.com, in the midst of other creative writing endeavors.

But now I just feel like tattling.

So, I really got a fairly big break with an amazing article that involves the film industry. I don't want to say what it is, because I'll have quite the egg on my face if it doesn't pan out. But as writers, we know to jump on something when it comes along, right? So I started looking for interested publications. The story is in regards to a very succesful actor from Indiana, who it looks like I might be able to score an interview with. Film is my "thing" anyway, so I am really excited about this.

So I make the mistake of accidentally attaching another publication's email to my email to this prominenet Indianapolis editor. But it's not too big of a deal, because us freelance writers...well, we have to pitch to 50 people sometimes to get a bite. And as the head editor of the biggest local mag in Indy, surely he knows this, right? To top it off, the email address that was attached is a very small artsy indie paper, nothing that would threaten his giant glossy mag.

So I get this in my inbox from him this morning, "You pitch to other publications? No thanks, then." And that's all.

What. A. Jerk.