3. If you're getting more than one bad review.

It's understandable if you're disappointed. It's expected, but do not allow yourself to become discouraged. If you've published an e-book and can easily edit your work, bad reviews can actually help your writing. Now don't go crazy and change everything! But if reviews are constantly pin pointing on one certain area, review your work and see if and how you could improve it. I know reviewing repeatedly can be hurtful but if it can help your e-book, isn't it worth considering? Also, don't start picking apart reviews right away, give yourself time to go over them. Picking apart your reviews moment you receive them could prove fatal to your self esteem.

Not Responding They’d love to, you know. But there’s only so much they can do. And while each e-mail you send will determine where your next paycheck comes from, an editor will get paid regardless of number of queries rejected. Their job is putting together quality content. No one’s going to promote them for being nice to freelancers. It’s a simple matter of priorities. And when choice is between finishing up issue and answering yet another freelancer’s query, get real—the editor will finish up and go home.

Killing Articles We tossed a coin. The losing editor would have to tell freelance writer that his article had been killed. That too after we asked him to send us a dozen writing samples, come up with a dozen off-beat ideas, get a feel of our style and send us a 600-word piece. We’d even negotiated price. It would have taken him at least a day’s work, if not more. We felt cruel, but decided that guy had potential for future assignments.

I lost toss and sat down to draft e-mail. I explained at length how our policies had changed, told him that we’d be willing to give more assignments and even added a touch of humor. But writer was obviously blinded. He thought of me as devil. And by doing so, he’d just lost a perfectly good opportunity for more assignments.

Editors aren’t out to take advantage of freelancers or make their lives miserable. In fact, if you get to know them a little, you’ll find that they’re often a very friendly bunch. Stop looking at your editor as enemy, and you might just find a friend.