Well…I don’t know how soon it will be before we get one of those, but, day-to-day appreciation should already be here.

The other day, I received an unexpected email from an editor of mine - I’ve been writing for her since around the end of February and in my opinion, we have the ideal writer/editor relatioship. I understand the importance of doing the work, doing it on time, and being honest with her about any questions I have. She always answers me kindly, and doesn’t seem to get aggravated with me when I goof (which I admit I did in the beginning, and still do from time to time).

Anyway, the email - I checked my inbox one night to find that she had gone out of her way to send me an email letting me know that she liked the way my work had improved over the past few months, and appreciated my dedication to the project.

I smiled for hours. I swear.

There are two other editors I work for on a slightly less regular basis than the one mentioned above, who regularly show their appreciation, as well as let me know when I need to change/adjust something.

Compensation doesn’t just come in the form of paychecks - and this is true for all jobs, not just freelancing. Sometimes a person doesn’t realize what a simple “thank you” from a boss will do for his/her confidence and even his/her job performance. The bosses don’t always understand this, either. This appreciation is also very important when it comes to us freelancers who make time for nonprofit assignments that we are interested in and know will help us build our experience.

Yes, I’m a lucky girl when it comes to my editors; however, not all freelancers are as lucky as I. There was a conversation going on over at one of the writer forums to which I belong around the same time I received the smile-inducing email from my editor. A freelancer, after her hard work and efforts had been repeatedly ignored, finally quit her writing gig. Not only did her work go unnoticed (well, if it was noticed she was never told about it!), she says her editor MAY have corresponded with her once or twice since October.

That is ridiculous.

I have two pieces of advice today - one for the freelancers, and one for the editors.

Freelancers - You, and your work, deserve to be appreciated. Keep in mind that editors are often terribly busy souls, but if you find that you are working for someone who hasn’t made any contact with you in six months, much less thrown the occassional “thank you” your way, it’s time to buck up and let them know how you feel, get out, or get over it. (I don’t recommend the latter as it will most likely only cause anger and resentment to build inside you, thus making the situation much worse than it is.)

Editors - Freelancers understand how hectic and busy your schedules are, but without them, you technically wouldn’t have a reason to be an editor! You found the time to hire them, so, find the time to appreciate them. They’re not asking for you to swoon over every piece of work they submit, but the occassional email or phone call, or even a quick “thank you” attached to their paycheck or PayPal notice is more important than some of you realize.

Have any suggestions? Your own story to tell? Leave ‘em in the comments!