What do you do if you're not comfortable with your clips?

[IllMil]

OK, let me preface this by saying that I understand editors are going to hack your work to pieces. But here's my problem.

As a student, I can only try to write decent clips so I have a chance to land a job. But it seems, EVERY time I turn in a story, it comes back to me with added mistakes. Being a school paper, the copy editors are frat guys working 10 hours a week for beer money. They're lazy, and they can't write.

I just want to know ... is it really bad if your clips have typos and mistakes? Or do people just want to see that you HAVE clips? Every 5-6 weeks I'll finally get one that comes out clean, but more often than not, someone adds some stupid crap to my stories. One time they actually rewrote interception to read "intereception." They constantly insert commas where they shouldn't be, insert or remove words, etc. Most recently they changed this sentence:

"Jones alertly grabbed it and launched a three in the waning seconds, but the shot rattled out, and the Cougars season was over."

to

"Jones alertly grabbed it and launched a three in the waning seconds, but the shot rattled out, ending the UM-Dinkville's season."

Really? "The UM-Dinkville?" There have been far worse examples, but that was the most recent one.

I just put my head down and do the next story, because I don't want to come off as hypersensitive. But I also don't want a hiring editor to read my stories and think I'm retarded, either.

 

[mike311gd]

This isn't an answer to your question, so forgive me. But if you've got a problem with what they're "doing" to your work, you've got to tell them. Do it now. It's good practice for when you do land that first job.

 

[Written Off]

Odds are some paper near you needs stringers. Find those papers, speak to those editors, take every assignment offered and start collecting clips.
Expecting to land a job/internship with clips full of errors just isn't smart.
No offense, but it doesn't sound like your school paper likely has prepared you for a professional career. Find professional papers, accept criticism with open arms, use it to make your writing better and get far, far away from that school paper.
Best of luck...

 

[GB-Hack]

I'd second both of these suggestions, especially sticking up for your own work.

I'd have a word with the senior editor of your student newspaper. Try to take before and after copies of your work so you have some evidence of how your copy editors are screwing up.

 

[IllMil]

This isn't an answer to your question, so forgive me. But if you've got a problem with what they're "doing" to your work, you've got to tell them. Do it now. It's good practice for when you do land that first job.

See, that's the question. Whenever I see people bitching about editors on here, they're alway told to get over it. Isn't hypersensitivity looked down upon? It seems like bitching to an editor is only going to make the relationship worse. And when YOU make a mistake, you can expect to hear about it twice as loud.

Criticism is fine. It's when they're changing things that are perfectly fine and adding mistakes that upsets me.

On the other note ... I'm really interested in working as a stringer, but I have no idea how to start. Do you advise using query letters and pitching ideas, or simply contacting editors and asking if they need any help? Thanks guys.

 

[GB-Hack]

You'll need to phrase it delicately, and that's why I'd say make sure you take before and after's of your work. They'll make your point better than just saying they're killing your work.

In the past, I've cold-called editors looking to see if they've needed help with an out-of-state game for college sports, and know people call us locally looking to hook on as a prep correspondent.

 

[Stitch]

Don't be afraid to ask about stringing. It won't get easier finding a job down the line so learn to talk to editors now.

 

[Rex Harrison]

**** the college paper. From all the people I've talked to and known, not many are run well enough to help you learn. String for a professional publication. Of course, if the quality isn't much better there, you're just ****ed.

But you should care about mistakes being inserted into your clips and speak up in a respectful manner. Your clips, your career.

 

[IllMil]

I must say this isn't what I expected. I thought you were all going to tell me to quit crying about it. I'm glad you're supportive of my frustration, because I'm going to bring it up. I just don't see it going over too well.

I would like to **** the college paper. But my options are limited, and if I stick around a little longer, I will be in charge of it, and at the very least I can be responsible for my own damn mistakes.

You talk about stringing like it's so simple. I'd like to do it, I just don't know how to go about it. My college isn't very large. The surrounding papers usually send their own people to my events.

 

[the_lorax]

Sounds like you've got some frat boys to go grab by the balls.

 

[Rex Harrison]

Many papers will keep a healthy stringer budget because it means they don't have to hire regular staff members. It allows them to staff events for cheap.

 

[mdpoppy]

I'm not intending to sound mean, but I wouldn't feel comfortable if my only clips were from the student paper anyway. For the most part, editors don't care. A clip from a Podunk high school gamer went much further for me than all the hard work I poured into my student paper.

If I could do it over again, I'd start as a part-timer at the local paper my freshman year and pick up any stories for the student paper in my free time. Though, a student paper is nice to be able to go in, make your mistakes and learn from them without much pressure.

 

[forever_town]

See, that's the question. Whenever I see people bitching about editors on here, they're alway told to get over it. Isn't hypersensitivity looked down upon?

There's a HUGE difference between hypersensitivity and standing up for your work. I was guilty of the former at my community college rag and I needed a severe wake up call to get out of that.

Telling someone, "look, you inserted something wrong into the story" is vastly different from having a conniption because an editor tightened up your work. Expressing concerns because someone hacked out the main point of your story is vastly different from getting pissy because someone lopped off one word.

I'd also echo the advice to go to a different paper that isn't this student newspaper to get the preparation you want. Clips with errors in them reflect badly on you. Granted, some of the mistakes may be because the desk put them in, but it's still your name on the byline.

 

[forever_town]

You talk about stringing like it's so simple. I'd like to do it, I just don't know how to go about it. My college isn't very large. The surrounding papers usually send their own people to my events.

Forgive me for the double post, but I just saw this post after writing my last one. I can't speak to what the papers in your area have or do, but have you tried calling or e-mailing an editor for a local paper? It doesn't have to be the big local daily. It can be a weekly paper. Small papers are often crying out for help. If all you're looking for is clips and an opportunity to write, local papers can give you that opportunity.

When I first got to my current gig, most undergrad students went to the Big Student Daily to get clips. Some of them went to the niche pubs on campus. My shop would usually get grad students. Since then, my paper has gotten a lot of undergrad students as well. In fact, the editor of the Big Student Daily (obviously not its real name) even joked that my paper was stealing writers from them.

There usually are other options besides just the student newspaper for getting clips and experience. Try to explore those options. If you do, you can have a well-rounded batch of clips that will look good for when you do present them to a prospective employer.

 

[Ace]

I must say this isn't what I expected. I thought you were all going to tell me to quit crying about it. I'm glad you're supportive of my frustration, because I'm going to bring it up. I just don't see it going over too well.

I would like to **** the college paper. But my options are limited, and if I stick around a little longer, I will be in charge of it, and at the very least I can be responsible for my own damn mistakes.

You talk about stringing like it's so simple. I'd like to do it, I just don't know how to go about it. My college isn't very large. The surrounding papers usually send their own people to my events.

One of the reasons I went to the desk was because the copy editors kept screwing up my stories. This was at a large Metro paper.

So maybe you should be a copy editor.

 

[Stitch]

Just make a call to local SE's. The worst they can say is they can't use you right now. That doesn't mean they won't need help in the future.

 

[IllMil]

Long story short, I got a gig this weekend. One question though; the editor wants 10-12 inches. I'm only familiar with word counts. How many words is that?

 

[captzulu]

Depending on the system they use, one inch usually equals 35-40 words. Just ask them how many words one column inch translates to at their paper.

 

[joe_schmoe]

Asking isn't a bad idea. Cuz here 45 words is about 2 inches.
I usually go about 300 words for 10-12 inches.

Just don't go extremely long or extremely short. Err on the side of a little too much and be prepared for them to chop it some.

 

[IllMil]

I asked and he said the way papers are shrinking he's not even sure of the translation. He told me 10-12 paragraphs, basically enough to highlight key moments, quotes, etc. So I'm thinking 400 range.