Over There in the Corner

Blah. That roughly sums up my week. It’s one of those times when you just keep your head down and somehow keep going until the tide passes. I’ll just be here in my corner if you need me.

How’ve you been doing?

One Down, How Many More to Go?

An interview at 3 a.m. that went on for a quarter of an hour. Another interview at 9 a.m. that went on for about as long. In between, there was transcription, research, frantic writing, filling in the blanks, checking to see the publication’s style guide, procrastinating on Facebook and posting on Twitter.

I filed at 10.04 a.m.

Off to bed now. G’nite people.

(I’m way, way behind on my e-mails. If you’ve e-mailed and haven’t received a response, I’m going to get through the whole lot by the end of the week, I promise.)

Buried in Deadlines

Oh boy. I think I may have gotten a bit too ambitious with my pitches this month and now I’m paying for it by being totally overworked.

What I hadn’t anticipated and what is increasingly becoming likely is that I’ll be taking time off over the holidays, which means I now have to finish those four assignments that were due by the end of the year, by the end of … well, this week. Thankfully, I gave up my tea addiction and replaced it with a coffee addiction last month, so at least I’m well-equipped to handle the pressure.

I don’t mean to complain, I’m very grateful for all this work. But after I’m done with this? I think I need a long break.

Analyzing the Queries

I was going to forgo the analysis and let you make of the queries what you will, but I think for the new writers among us, it might be beneficial to take a look at some of the things that made them work. Your opinions are very welcome, of course. If you disagree with something I say or have more to add, please do post your thoughts in the comments.

1. You’ll note, first and foremost, that there is no pattern to my querying. I write keeping in mind the needs of the story and my relationship with the editor. If it needs some explanation, like with the Gay Pride Parade, I let the editor know what I plan to do, and if not, I let the story tell itself, as in the c-sections piece.

2. I don’t always wait for the first piece to be published before pitching again. In fact, in one of the instances, I didn’t even wait for my first piece to be submitted. There is no rule for or against this. You have to feel out the editor and play it by ear. I should caution though, that this can be a fantastic way to get conned, if the publication fails to pay up. You don’t want to submit multiple pieces to an editor who doesn’t pay up (or on time), so do this sparingly and only with publications you’ve heard good things about.

3. In some of the queries, there are typos and (I cringe as I read) imperfect grammar. But I’ve left them in so that you can see that a couple of typos won’t make or break you if you’re only making them once in a while. Too many writers sit on pitches for days or weeks trying to perfect them, but it’s more important to get them out on time.

4. All these queries got assigned, not because the editors knew me or had to assign me something, but because they’re great ideas and/or I’m the only writer for them. The coffins story had to be assigned to me because of my location (it’s also a great offbeat story with a spiritual angle that worked perfectly for this publication), I had already covered the Gay Pride Parade (and taken a photographer with me, not leaving headache of finding pictures to supplement the story to the editor), the c-section story hadn’t been covered by international media before, and the lack of sex education story worked because I knew that this publication receives a lot of rural stories and rarely any urban ones (I checked out the archives) and I clearly knew what I was talking about.

Anything else I’ve missed? If you have any questions about any of the queries or the stories that followed, post them below.

Query: Spirituality & Health

I sent this query when I was in Ghana and finishing up my first assignment for this editor. I typically would have waited to write and submit the first piece before pitching the second, but I knew this one would be right up his alley and didn’t want to waste any time because I was leaving the country soon.

**

Dear X,

Hope this finds you well. I’m putting the finishing touches on the (previous) piece and should have it to you within the next couple of days.

In the meantime, I came across a very fascinating concept here in Ghana, and since I’m only here until [date of my departure], I thought I’d run it by you in case you’re interested.

Here’s a brief:

A large fish. An over-sized Coca-Cola bottle. A hammer. Even a mobile phone.

They could be art exhibits in a gallery in Paris. Instead, they’re coffins. Handmade, very detailed, and created to carry a deceased Ghanaian to his afterlife.

In the West African country of Ghana, funerals are as much a time of mourning as they are of celebration. The significance of symbols is strong, and hence a person, in the event of his death, is placed in a coffin that symbolizes his life. So a farmer may bid farewell in a cocoa bean coffin, a pilot in an airplane, and a cell phone salesman in, what else, a Nokia cell phone.

Death is taken very seriously, and the body of the deceased may have to be preserved for months while the coffin is carved out. The coffins themselves cost about $400 and up, in a country where a majority live on less than $2 a day. A death ceremony can send families into several years of debt-paying. All so that their loved ones can leave in style and find peace in the other world.

Near Accra, the capital of the country, skilled craftsmen have their stores and are open to the public to come view them at work.

I think the concept is fascinating on many levels, and the primary appeal I see for Spirituality & Health’s readers lies in the concept of celebrating death. Seeing the positive in what appears to be a negative. Finding joy in moments of pain. A sad event, a death is a colorful celebration, so much so that coffin-makers are a tourist attraction. And a minutely-carved piece of art is buried making it special and impermanent, just like the body that lies inside it.

What do you think? Let me know if you like the idea, and I’ll hop on over and get my research, interviews and photography done.

Thanks X. I look forward to hearing from you.

Warm Regards,
Mridu

**

The published piece: Going Boldly Into That Good Night

Query: GlobalPost

While this was an editor I had only worked with once before, we’d hit it off immediately, and had discussed everything from my crazy work-all-night schedule to the birth of his children. The editor had loved what I had done for them before and received fantastic feedback on it from his staff, so we were quite comfortable with each other. Because of that, even though he was still editing my earlier piece, you’ll notice that my query is laidback and doesn’t try too hard. I don’t need to mention credits or bio because he’s already aware of what I bring to the table.

**

Hi X,

Hope you’re well. I know you’re still looking at the [earlier] piece, but I came across this timely story that I thought I’d send your way. Let me know if you find it interesting.

When’s the baby due? Ask your astrologer

As the concern over the rising rates of caesarean sections grows around the world, in India, the opposite is happening: couples are increasingly opting for them. In consultation with their astrologers.

Middle-class Indians today, with access to some of the best healthcare in the world, are opting for premeditated caesarian sections in order to perfectly time the birth of their babies. In this practice that is both dangerous and controversial (but increasingly popular), couples consult with their astrologers to make sure that their child is born at an “auspicious time” of their choosing, at great risk to both mother and baby. No doubt astrologers– and doctors– are profiting. Some hospitals now even boast of astrology departments.

The story hasn’t been picked up yet by any international media, and I’d love to report on it for you. Let me know if you can use it.

Thanks so much, X. I look forward to the edits and hearing what you think of this story idea.

Best,
Mridu

**

The published piece: In India, C-Sections are in the Stars