They can go. Mmmm, four written in pencil, one with an ink smudge, and two from the same guy, both addressed to an editor for another magazine. As the day wears on, others are discarded because they are typed with a pale ribbon, written in longhand or typed in script. All of this may seem arbitrary, and a lot of good story ideas surely get shuffled off to an assistant who stuffs a form letter into an envelope and sends it down the chute. But the fact is, the slushpile is a well that never runs dry, and even great story ideas will only bob to the surface when properly presented.
Editors work with professionals every day.
Though no two professional writers do things alike, and some of the more famous probably get away with murder, the overwhelming majority follow a simple set of rules out of long-bred habit. If, in the slushpile, an editor comes across a query or a manuscript that reflects a professional style, it is usually the exception, not the rule. If it happens to be yours, you are ten steps ahead of your sloppy, would-be peers. Inc. - All Rights Reserved Never criticize an editor until you've walked a mile in her shoes.