Dear Readers:Several posts ago, I was lamenting (I felt sad, too) at the number of cynical, highly negative responses which I had received resulting from what I had thought was an innocent post on Linked In regarding persons interested in writing for TNNW. The respondents (all rise!) were professional writers (from an official WRITERS & EDITORS GROUP who were insulted by what they perceived was my "asking them to write for free." They had obviously been victims of earlier abuse and were more than a tad hypervigilant in their screams.
Ironically:
1. TNNW might well have paid for a certain specialty writer;
2. Not a single one of these individuals asked for clarification as to precisely what I was asking for in my letter -- they immediately condemned without facts;
3. Most of the letters were very sarcastic or downright cruel in their tone -- apparently not one of these Professional Writers gave any thought to the opportunity cost associated with burning bridges. One of these Major Talents actually said to her colleagues, "Let's definitiely throw this guy in the trash."
4. Not one of the responses was free of errors in grammar, punctuation or syntax -- a very poor showing for such a highbrow group of wordsmiths;
5. How is it that these writers had so much time to write these poison pen letters to yours truly (or to each other about yours truly) if they were being paid, keeping busy and worrying about deadlines?
They certainly put me in my place.
Having said all of this, one member of that group (a true maverick, and perhaps a genuinely principled human being) actually posted a response on Linked In granting me clemency and complementing me on my courage in posing my proposition to their group.
Please download this professional writer's response. It is a study in diplomacy, maturity and the fine art of building bridges instead of burning them. You'll find it in a link further down this post.
There's a lesson here: Whatever you say, you are on record. If you burn too many bridges, you'll eventually wind up stranded on one side of the river. Compliments and kindness can be much more compelling than useless venting and careless insult.
Here is my grant of clemency: http://www.mediafire.com/?mfqthmykjmd . Click on it to either read it or to download it, and have some more laughs at my expense.
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Faithfully,
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Douglas Castle,
Director of Really Important Stuff,
PRESS OUR BUTTONS!
