Thank you for commenting. I keep forgetting about the magic of Google Alerts (though I have several set up myself).

I know that writing and editing are two different skills, but as editors, we judge writing all day long. If I wrote something terrible and then sent it off to you, you might think, “Man, he thinks this is good? How the heck does he edit a magazine??”

Yeah, I’ve noticed that professionals are more open to critiques. I think that’s part of being “professional”. You don’t have to take every suggestion, but you should give it weight. For instance, the first editor that Daniel Keyes showed “Flowers to Algernon” to said that he should give it a happy ending. He refused and trunked it, only to have another editor accept it practically as is later on.

And, no, I don’t really have time for Clarion and EDF, but luckily, I have Camille who is, in fact, superhuman. Once again, she’s covering my ass.

The question of sending a story to a fellow editor is an intimidating one, isn’t it? I’m saved from that problem somewhat by the fact that I’ve written very little since starting the magazine; I’m in fact very impressed that you’re doing the Clarion workshop.

I don’t think you (and I’ll address this to you, but consider my comments to be general) should worry about “What if it wasn’t any good?” If you like what you’ve written, then you should submit it. One’s own fiction is always harder to judge than someone else’s, so if I were to reject your story for quality (rather than for fit) that would just be an indicator that it could use improvement. Well, so what? Most submissions could use some improvement. That’s why good writers remain open to critiquing.

Speaking of which, I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but the professional writers I’ve worked with have been at least as open to critiques and editing, maybe more so, than amateurs.

With respect to “what would he think of me then?” This is an interesting question because you’re essentially asking, “What would he think of me as an editor when I submit something to him as a writer?” But editing and writing are different skills. I know that I’m a better editor than a writer. We’ve probably both worked with great writers who really need serious editing as well as people whose prose is tight but whose stories are listless. If I like EDF (and I do, conceptually and in practice) then I’d be foolish to let my admiration for you, your team, and your venture be diminished by your attempt to use a substantively different skill.

Anyway, I’m rambling, and like the old saying says, “I didn’t have time to write you a one-page letter, so I wrote you a five-page letter instead.” Good luck with your story and the rest of the workshop.