Wrangling chaos demons

Here’s a secret about editors…

Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash

Here’s a secret about editors…

…sometimes we just need a story.

Sometimes, we know we need a story ahead of time. Usually, we’re deep into a deadline and realize we’re a story short, or that somebody can’t deliver on time…

…and we just need a story.

We don’t have time to handhold somebody because we’re working on a hundred different things.

We’re just so tired…

…and we just need a story to fill a hole.

It doesn’t have to be the best story. It doesn’t have to light the world on fire. It just has to be good enough.

We need somebody who will deliver quickly and competently without causing a fuss. Sometimes, we need something that will run without us even looking at it.

This is where being dependable and nice comes in handy.

I can’t tell you how many times I have okayed a pitch for an anthology because I knew somebody was dependable and nice.

Maybe they weren’t a star creator, but they were pleasant, could take direction well, and would deliver on a tight deadline.