6/11/07

Dinosaur

Well, I think I'm now officially in the Old Dinosaur category....I had a short email exchange with Jane Dickerson, who is an associate editor of Step by Step Beads magazine and very politely (I thought) pointed out a really bad use of grammer. Since this was a business (not personal) email, I thought she'd want to know how unprofessional it sounded.
I suppose it will come as no surprise to you (although it did to me), that she did not take my critique well and informed me curtly that they had no further interest in my work (which she had solicited in the earlier email).
I guess that shows me...lol!

8 comments:

janet copenhaver said...

Opps! Some people just aren't so good with writing, me included. I'm surprised I still do it.

I had a friend point out to me once that I always spelled course, coarse. I will never do that again and I think of her fondly for bring it to my attention. I hate to look like a dummie, but I have so much to learn and so little time.

Darn... I wished I'd have learned something in school. lol To busy having fun I guess.

LJ said...

She should have said "thank you." Nothing looks worse - especially for a professional. HOWever, obviously you threatened her self-image as the one in charge. Too bad. For her and the magazine, I say...

Jackie (Tillie's Daughter) said...

Very little surprises me any more, Bobbi -- disappoints me, hurts me -- but surprise me, no!
Sorry you had to have that happen -- it is their loss.
Luv ya Babe

Magpie Sue said...

Sheesh! Count me as a dinosaur too in that case. (Well, I probably am... at least if you ask my kids!)

Maybe you could send her a copy of Eats Shoots and Leaves. (I forget how the title is punctuated.)

If I were the editor of that magazine I would want to know that one of my associate editors apparently doesn't have all the skills appropriate to the job.

beadbabe49 said...

thanks for all the comments! I think lj probably has it...I somehow pushed one of her "hot buttons" and she stopped hearing what I actually wrote and just went into being defensive. Once that happens, your ears are pretty much closed and there's no point in continuing.
I was trying to help and it fell flat...I won't be taking it any further (like to her editor).
I'm just going to enjoy my copy of Step by Step and figure it's their loss that my work won't be in it.
Hope that doesn't sound too conceited, but after doing this for 20 years, I think my work would be an asset to a beadwork magazine...an asset they've just lost.

Padparadscha said...

Well, Beadbabe, obviously you were right ; she is a very unprofessional (and rude) person !

ACey said...

To me, her choice of response is even more unprofessional than bad grammar impeding her writing skills.

I have dyslexia so there are often inadvertent spelling mistakes in work I presume to be polished. This has taught me to be grateful when somebody takes the time to offer correction. I don't want to look like an idiot, after all. Clearly, different people have different priorities ;)

beadbabe49 said...

I think so too, helene and acey...when I worked as a graphic designer I was always grateful for corrections because it made me look better in the end! There is nothing (to me, anyway) that's more likely to leave me feeling bad than seeing my mistakes in print!
But, as you say, she's clearly a horse of a different color...;)