The Writing Faux Pas: Part Deux

Well, first of all just to bring you up to speed, I got yet another sassy email back from said grouchy Indianapolis editor. This one clarified to me that he was neither joking, nor grown-up. It stuns me sometimes to think that people can get to such high places with such crummy attitudes. But then, I guess that "dog eat dog" business mantality is sometimes what takes people to the top.

Upon further reflection, I feel totally in the right for the way I responded. Which was to let him know that I wouldn't be pitching to him again and that he would be deleted from my writing contacts list, so as to not be further inconvenienced. All without a single curse word, mind you. I assumed that was the end of things, until he emailed me yet again. A single word. "nice." Just like that, not capitalized but punctuated. For emphasis, I guess. Professionalism at it's finest. It's not even that his particular initial email response was that bad, either. It was just rude, and I've had it with rude in our industry. I know that's how life is these days, and I'm not surprised, and I don't expect change on the horizon. But man...it gets OLD.

I don't really feel bad about losing him as a contact either. Because I think if I can stand with integrity now...if I can say, "Hey! You aren't allowed to talk to me that way.", even when I'm not wealthy and super succesful, I think that means nobody will ever be able to push me around as a writer. And believe me, I know you have to choose your battles. And today, I didn't exactly battle. But I did draw a line in the sand. I will gladly take a "No." I will gleefully accept a "No thank you." But I will not pitch to publications or editors who think it's okay to be rude to a freelance writer simply because they can.

And also, just to clarify, he set me up with the other contact that I accidentally put on the email. So even though it was definitely not the best move professionally, it wasn't as if I had put up a rival contact on the email. In fact, the publication is an offshoot of their own and one that he has frequently referred me to in the past. So perhaps he just didn't take the time to pay attention to the name, either way...