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Professional Learning

From Pitch to Published: How to Write for 麻豆传媒入口

An educator who has written for 麻豆传媒入口 several times over the years shares some tips based on her experience of the editorial process.

August 17, 2021

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Do you have a great idea to share with pre-K through 12th-grade teachers or school leaders? If so, you should consider submitting a pitch to 麻豆传媒入口. If the pitch is accepted, you鈥檒l work with an editor, and at first, the editorial process can seem intimidating, with the fear of rejection and concern about losing your voice. To help prospective writers better understand the process, here are a few ideas based on my experience working with 麻豆传媒入口 editors.

Explore Your Perception of Editing

The way you perceive editing impacts the editorial process. Take a moment to explore how you see it. How do you differentiate editing from proofreading? Would you define a successful editing experience based on the number of comments, the turnaround time, or the feedback style?聽

What editor assumptions (such as 鈥淭he best editors must鈥︹) or writer bias (such as 鈥淚 have a terminal degree鈥擨 don鈥檛 need an editor鈥) could potentially cloud your relationship? (such as rewriting or omitting components of your original idea) to address feedback?

Understand That the Process Takes Time

Be aware that the edit-to-publish process may take up to four to six weeks. First, a writer is matched with an editor. Take the time and initiative to learn about the editing process. Review websites that share tips on working with editors, such as , , and .

Next, the writer is given about two weeks to develop the first draft. Keep in mind, two or more rounds of back-and-forth draft revisions are possible. It takes time for the editor to compile the feedback and additional time for you to respond. As you revise, be sure to communicate any writing schedule considerations (such as time restrictions or any concerns with meeting the editor鈥檚 suggested deadlines).

Be mindful of heavier submission and editing workload periods (times when teachers are out聽of the classroom such as holiday breaks, spring break, or summer break). If your pitch is accepted during these times, the edit-to-publish process may require a bit more time and patience.

Learn the Communication Process

麻豆传媒入口 has a team of editors. Writers communicate primarily with one assigned editor. To build a relationship, ideally, you are given the same editor each time you participate in the editorial process. The editor offers recommendations based on their writing experience, professional experience, and knowledge of what is helpful to the anticipated audience.

Writers receive questions, comments, and a rationale for most writing adjustment suggestions (see the sections below for details). Most communication is provided via Google Docs so that draft changes are highlighted, saved, and shared easily throughout the process. Some communication is via email (notification that an updated draft has been reviewed or notification of a potential publication date).

Know the Communication Style of Editors

An editor鈥檚 goal is to help develop your post. The wish to collaborate is reflected via their communication style.

To establish a partnership, editors often use 鈥渨e鈥 when referring to revision needs (such as 鈥淲e also may want to include鈥︹). Suggestions are encouraging (such as 鈥淟et鈥檚 think of ways to鈥︹ or 鈥淚t鈥檚 OK to mention鈥︹).聽Also, questions are nonthreatening (such as 鈥淚 wonder if鈥︹ or 鈥淎re you talking about ___ or ___?鈥).聽The editor acknowledges your efforts with positive messages (such as 鈥淭his looks good鈥 or 鈥淭hanks for a great draft鈥). And editors are willing to examine a difference of opinion when a writer disagrees about a proposed change.

Be Familiar With the Types of Edits

Developmental editing:聽Editing involves shaping ideas. One focus is writing organization (considering when and how information is presented). Another focus is clarity (using active voice, simple words, and specificity).

Here are examples of editing suggestions I鈥檝e received related to organization and clarity:

  • Add short definitions to explain terminology.
  • Provide context to supply needed background information.
  • Add examples to provide detail.
  • Include one or more professional resources/links to support ideas.
  • Adjust section headings (the names or the number of headings) to be clear and actionable.

Copyediting: After the editor and writer have finalized the content, the draft is copyedited (checking facts, checking hyperlinks, examining grammar, etc.) and reviewed by 麻豆传媒入口鈥檚 executive editor.聽As this is the final step, the writer should not expect to see copyedit-related changes prior to the post鈥檚 publication on the 麻豆传媒入口 website.

Consider Helpful Resources

Here are four related resources for writing for 麻豆传媒入口 and learning how to work with an editor:

  • Your Turn: Write for Us: A series of guidelines on how to propose an idea to 麻豆传媒入口, plus examples of ideas that have been accepted.
  • :聽A podcast interview with 麻豆传媒入口鈥檚 executive editor, Tom Berger, that focuses on tips for developing ideas into action-oriented blog articles.
  • : A snapshot of specific skills that editors contribute to writing projects.
  • : A post that includes considerations for effective editor-writer communication. Although the information targets book writing, the information still applies to online publications such as 麻豆传媒入口.

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