"Great story...just needs a few revisions."
“I’ll have to get back to you. I’m in the middle of the rewrite from hell.”
I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard that from freelance writer friends.
Maybe we’re skipping ahead a bit here if you haven’t even sold your first story yet. But you WILL cross this bridge. You will be asked to rewrite a story. You will be asked to rewrite the rewrite. You will go through hell.
Consider it a badge of honor, a rite of passage, or whatever cliché sounds the most consoling. Consider it consoling because being asked to do a rewrite means an editor has high standards, knows what he or she wants, and believes you are capable of producing that piece. A rewrite, after all, is NOT a rejection or a kill fee. We REALLY hate those.
You want to write for publications or websites with high standards. Online article mills, for instance, will never ask you for a rewrite unless you’ve somehow violated their terms of service. You’ve probably just offended some algorithm that generated an electronic rejection based on improper use of self-serving links or some such.
You want to write for publications or websites with high standards because they will improve your writing. You’ll be keeping good company. You’ll be surrounded by good writing, stuff written by writers who themselves have been through a few rewrites from hell. And ultimately you’ll get paid.
So what’s the difference between a routine rewrite and a rewrite from hell? That’s a subject I’ll dive into another time. Short answer: An editor who doesn’t really know what he wants, or how to convey what she does want, is indeed a messenger from the underworld.
But for now, let’s leave it at this: Suck it up and do it. Ask questions. Get clarity. Then feign graciousness and turn in the best rewrite you can. You’ll get another assignment. Yeah, and maybe another rewrite.
Welcome. You’re a pro now.
