Adjusting Fire, Retard CE Protecting her Power Perch

I've never posted on the Demand Media Studios forums, don't see a need to do it now. Not all posts on Demand Studios Sucks give you the image of animals eating their young.

Occasionally, their posters would focus on something constructive and legitimate... Like this piece that Devil_youknow brought over from another forum:

[quote]Nannette C
As a CE I wouldn't mind being contacted on the rare occasions when the writer doesn't quite understand what I want -- anonymously, of course. For example, sometimes I tell a writer I'm including a link I think would be helpful, then I press "Finalize Review" and realize I forgot to paste it in. I have been contacted occasionally by the HD when someone requested a rewrite clarification on one of my edits. However, it would be imperitive that there be severe consequences for anyone using it to berate the CE, as happens sometimes when writers include comments as to why they won't comply with a rewrite request.[/quote]

Really? Anonymously? But it's OK for a CE to berate a writer from behind the veil of anonymity, right?

The best working relationship I've had with a client was when I knew the client's name and contact information. This has happened in all but one occasion--when I wrote for Demand Media Studios.

The veil of anonymity is poison to the writing community. Editors are humans. Like any human, they'll watch what they say if they know that the wrong words could get them into hot water... or ruin things. It's bad enough when you have a relationship when the writer doesn't know anything about who the CE is.

Thanks to anonymity, the CE is free to mistreat and disrespect the writer... and say things that encourage confrontation rather than cooperation. Chances are that Nannette C' scenario... where a CE gets berated... wouldn't happen as much if the writer and the editor knew who they were dealing with... where the writer could contact the CE directly, and where both sides could communicate about their intentions with the article.

I've lost count of how many times a CE gave me a suggestion that I knew was going to kill an article in a reader's eyes... and kill the credibility of anybody that posts the article with the CE's suggestions and demands. Being able to communicate with the CE... like I was with my other clients... would've allowed me to work with the CE better, and let the CE know why the way I had the article was the best course of action.

Editors are seeing things that the writer doesn't see, with regards to the organization, and its intentions. Writers know their topic and audience and bring value to the article. All parties could come together to hash out an article that factors in both side's concerns.

That convenience wasn't always there with Demand Media Studios, given the middle man and time constraints with a rewrite.

I say, "wouldn't happen as much," as even in the real writing world, where editors and writers know each other's names, rudeness and disrespect could fly around. But the chances of civil exchange, and a productive working relationship, are greater if both sides know who they're talking to... and have a number or email contact to have regular communications with.

I've had email exchanges with three Demand Studios Editors. They emailed me from their official emails, I knew who they were. These editors acted like complete human beings, treated me the way most editors, marketers, and publishers treated me, and got me to where I was more than willing to work with them.