How Not to Network
A while back, I wrote a post on LinkedIn about income freelance editors could expect to make, and a bunch of editors responded, and one lone writer asked me to look at his book because he was sure I would love it.
I haven’t been in book acquisitions for ten years, and even if I were still an acquisitions editor, this would not be the way to get my interest.
It’s okay not to know things, for example that I am not an acquisitions editor, but it’s not okay to intrude and waste people’s time and goodwill.
A tiny glance at my LI profile would have shown that I’m not an appropriate person to pitch a book idea to in the hopes of getting a publishing deal. It would have taken literally ten seconds, less time than it took to write the pitch.
How to Network Effectively
What does this have to do with freelance editors, beyond serving as a warning that you, too, will encounter this kind of cluelessness?
It’s an example of how common missteps can hurt you at the beginning of your career. The editor equivalent of “please publish my book” guy is “please send me any overflow projects you have” gal.
Now, it’s important to have colleagues in this business, so you should reach out to other editors. And it’s true that editors send referrals to each other all the time. If an editor can’t take on a project because they’re already booked or it’s not the type of project they edit, they’ll often send the client names of other editors to try.
But the referring editor has to know you first. And not just that: they have to know your work. This only happens over a period of time, maybe after taking a class together or attending a presentation you give.
I have never, not once, made a referral to an unknown-to-me editor who just popped up in my social media or email and asked for it. Yet I have made hundreds of referrals over the years. Like the “publish my book guy” who couldn’t be bothered to spend ten seconds finding out that I’m not an AE, editors who ask me for referrals without making any attempt to get to know me (and equally important, letting me get to know them), are making a mistake that wastes time and goodwill.
Yes, getting to know other editors takes time and effort, but consider it an investment in your career.
