Your Editor (Probably) Didn’t Steal Your Pitch. Here’s Why.

It’s every freelancer’s nightmare. You write a beautiful pitch to your favorite magazine, but even though it’s perfect, you never hear back. Then, six months later, you see your idea on the cover — with someone else’s name attached.

Was your idea stolen? Did the editor take your brilliant work and give it to her favorite staff writer, intern, or cousin? Probably not. I used to work as a full-time freelancer, and now I edit Elevation DC. Looking at the issue from both sides has given me a unique perspective on what exactly goes on when writers worry about getting ripped off.

Here’s a look behind the curtain at what likely happened when you think an editor swiped your idea.

Possibility #1: Timing

Either the publication was working on a similar story, or you were beaten in the pitching process. In print magazines, articles are usually written months in advance, so there could be a similar story already in the works when you pitch. Even at newspapers or online publications, writers regularly need long lead times for important stories.

However, if timing is an issue, good editors will typically send a short note explaining why they couldn’t accept your pitch.

Possibility #2: Relationships

If you pitch an idea at the same time as another freelancer, the writer who has a better relationship with the editor is probably going to win out. This scenario isn’t as rare as you might think, either.

The familiar writer is a known quantity, always turning in copy on time and completing revisions with a smile. If you’re not that freelancer yet, work on developing a stronger relationship with the editor by learning how to pitch what they need. And when the work comes, be respectful to the editor, especially during differences of opinion.

Possibility #3: Topics are not the same as ideas

This point is a little complicated, so bear with me. Let’s say you pitch a story about soup. But not just any soup: this is the most delicious soup in the world.

The editor is skeptical, researches the topic, and finds out the most delicious soup in the world turns anyone who tastes it into a zombie. Any editor would immediately assign a story about zombie soup, but probably not to you, because you either didn’t find or chose not to include the most important detail in the story. Intentional or not, the editor has cause to doubt your reporting and pitching skills. And most importantly, a story about zombie soup is not the same as a story about delicious soup.

In a similar but soupless vein, a topic is not a story. If you pitch a story about Bitcoin and later see a feature about Bitcoin in the same outlet, that does not mean your idea was stolen.

Possibility #4: It does (rarely) happen

I know of one freelancer who pitched an editor and got a response that read, “Thanks! This would be perfect for our regular columnist.” Yikes. But she’s the exception to the rule. Most of us editors are nice people who want to build long relationships with talented freelancers. Being a jerk and stealing ideas isn’t a good way to do that. When you weed out the duplicitous editors, there are still plenty of honest editors out there who would love to hear from you.