Interview: JRNY's new editor on email etiquette & what she's commissioning
Lauren Jarvis spills all about what she wants from freelancers in her new role as JRNY editor
Email etiquette is a pretty personal thing; some people prefer the more formal approach (though let’s be real, everyone deletes anything that begins with a generic “dear sirs”, right?), while others are so casual they may be blurring the line between familiar and downright weird. It’s a tricky balance, and you never know what the editor in your inbox really prefers.
This week, we’re talking to Lauren Jarvis on her preferences when it comes to email etiquette and what she’s commissioning in her new role as editor of JRNY magazine.
What’s your take on email etiquette?
I think our freelance travel community are generally super polite and understanding. I’m not easily irked, and so far so good with all the correspondence I’ve been receiving from the freelance community as an editor.
The important thing is to read the contributor guidelines on the website and to pitch us a story — not a destination. Try to be concise about the angle, include why we should feature the story now and let us know when you are hoping to travel.
If you already have a commission elsewhere, but you’re also pitching the story to us, then it’s always best to mention that upfront — we can work on a different take if it’s for a non-competitor title, but we’d always rather know in advance, rather than seeing a similar story being published elsewhere after we’ve commissioned you. If we send you on a trip specifically to write a story for us, then we have very reasonable guidelines in place about the timeframe of placing content from the trip elsewhere.
What’s is like being on the other side of the coin as a commissioning editor now?
I’ve been a freelance travel writer for more than 12 years, so I appreciate how frustrating it is not getting a personal response, but now I’m receiving pitches, I understand just how many can come through each day. We do reply to say that we will be in touch if we would like to commission a story, but that we cannot reply individually to each pitch – however, I try my best to get back to writers, as I know how disheartening it is to put so much work into a pitch and not have a personal reply. If a writer isn’t successful with their pitch, it’s very likely because we have already covered the destination, we already have a story from the region commissioned, or we have already commissioned other stories on the theme (luxury, adventure, etc).
I wish we had more issues each year, as we really do receive so many amazing pitches every week — and there are so many talented writers we would love to work with – but with three issues of JRNY and four issues of JRNY America, sadly we can’t commission them all.
Tell us about the types of content you commission for both JRNY
