From Kate Shellnutt: In this section of the newsletter, we usually share something about a story we published this week. What you don’t hear about is the stories we didn’t publish. During any given month, there are pitches that don’t result in story drafts, drafts that get spun into other topics, and sometimes even full pieces that we are not able to run at all. 

Perhaps a writer couldn’t complete an article—something came up in their schedules or the reporting didn’t turn up what they needed to put a draft together. On the editing side, an editor could decide that a piece needs significant changes, but the topic is time-sensitive and there’s no time for revisions. Or maybe it’s been through a few rounds of edits but still isn’t close to where it needs to be. 

It’s rare for us to decide we are unable to publish a piece we have assigned and edited, but it happens occasionally. In journalism terms, this is (rather harshly) called “killing” a piece. 

As someone who’s been on both sides, I can say it’s a real letdown to kill pieces or to have my pieces killed. Even if it’s just circumstances to blame. But the best way to recover from the disappointment is to start on another pitch and hope for it to work out.