Recently, I ran across a blog article by William Highsmith suggesting writers stand a better chance if they pitch their story in the editor's right ear. At first, I wondered if the article was meant as a joke but as I read farther, I realize it wasn't. It went on to say that the human brain has cross-wiring. No surprise in that, as my brain always seems cross-wired ... only not in a scientific way, like the article intended.
The old adage about words going, "...in one ear and out the other," is almost true. What really happens is words that go in one ear come out on the other side of the brain. Therefore, something heard in the right ear is processed by the left side of the mind. And the left hemisphere is the logical side—the portion of the editor's brain that you want to accept your work.
I suppose the trick lies in getting the editor to turn so you're speaking in the correct ear. I'm not sure how to accomplish that. Maybe point to a good-looking chick/hunk (depending on whether your editor is male or female) to your right and comment on the lack of clothing, thus causing a head turn on the editor's part that might rival Linda Blair's in The Exorcist. I'm not certain that's the best subterfuge, but it certainly seems worth a try.
All I know is that I intend to give it a shot in the future. After all, no one can dispute that it's a good idea to pitch a story in the write ear.
2 comments:
That gives a whole new meaning to term turning a deaf ear to something. I guess if i see the editor turn his/her left ear toward me then i know i've lost the sale.
Mmm. Food for thought. Now if only I can find an editor to talk to.
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