Aliya S. King

Editors actually do read their email.

All of them.

Every single one.

Maybe not on the very day it comes into their mailbox. But they do read it.

I think one of the biggest strengths I can bring to you, my dear readers, is that I play both sides of the fence. I write. And I edit. I send out pitches. I accept pitches.

I’m a switch hitter. A bi-writer.

So I know what editors want.

And I know how they treat the communications we send them.

It starts with a subject heading.
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So, I lost my phone the other day. (So long Blackberry! Hello i-phone!)

I know I lost my phone near the Urban Outfitters in Montclair, New Jersey. (I was on my way to buy another headband. It’s a long story. Right Lil Miss Brown?)

Anyway. So I lost my phone somewhere near Urban Outfitters. I came home and Googled the store to get the number.

I ended up on a site called Yelp, a pseudo social networking site where users post reviews on restaurants, clothing stores and anything and everything else in their area.

And that’s how I discovered Sadia B.

This is Sadia B. Stolen from her Yelp page. Sorry Sadia. I only mean the very best!

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I am a mid-career journalist. I was a teacher for several years before I jumped ship and tried to craft a career as a writer.

Because I did not have a journalism degree or many contacts in the field, I felt like I was starting at the bottom of a ladder with missing rungs and splintering wood.

I harassed everyone I knew for help. Tips. Phone numbers. Email addresses.

I hand wrote notes to writers I admired. I left voice mails after hours for editors I hoped to write for one day. (Too afraid to call during the day when they might actually pick up).

Getting on is a hustle.

Now, I’ve made my way a bit. And surprisingly, I’ve become one of those people that new writers want to know.

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