Forum: Editors/Reviewers Hangout

For example you have 50% of you stories showing I & I (which I believe is what CW was trying to "tactfully" impart.) " Incomplete and Inactive"-s seriously piss off editors who volunteer a lot of free time and effort and are pretty much a slap in the chops as thanks.

With luck, editors may be able to help you with whatever issues (besides boredom) keep you from completing your stories. In not, you may want to consider Content Editors. They're rarer, but they'll quickly identify any outstanding story issues likely to bite you in the ass later. However, they'll typically ride you hard, refusing to back down on any outstanding issues (which is why they're so valuable).

you may want to consider Content Editors. They're rarer, but they'll quickly identify any outstanding story issues likely to bite you in the ass later. However, they'll typically ride you hard, refusing to back down on any outstanding issues (which is why they're so valuable).

I have one of these and he is invaluable. Some of his suggestions are over-the-top, but I've learned to discern when he's yanking my chain or making a real 'suggestion'. :-)

My basic rule is when an editor marks something with a change or needing looking at I give it a damn good look. Often I'll accept their change or re-write the section with either a different word choice or different word order to clarify what i want to say. It's very rare anything and editor marks is ignored and left as I had it, very rare, but does happen. Often it's due to the specific wording has a specific purpose for later, thus I don't want it clarified yet.

I agree. If an editor marks something as an issue, I take it seriously. If I choose to ignore it, and they come back again, arguing the case, then I consider revising the passage to either eliminate the problematic wording, or address the issues.

If I don't make any changes, I'll tell the editor why I chose to keep it, so they can then counter argue if I haven't understood their objection by presenting further information I wasn't initially aware of.

Editors sometimes end up feeling like they're in a no-win situation. They want the final to be as good as possible but have no authority to insist on anything.

Good points, but ...

There also comes a time when an editor insists that they way a particular author chooses to do something is just flat out wrong, keeps providing examples and explanations for why it won't work, but the author refuses to budge.

That's often when the editor steps back, says 'I don't want my name on this product, as it'll make me look like I don't know what I'm doing' and drops out of the project.

Sadly, that happens fairly often, over a wide range of issues. Not all authors and editors match up and see eye to eye, and it's good to recognize that a clash of wills and/or personalities is largely inevitable. Bottom line, the author follows what he things best speaks for the story, while the editors rests his reputation on the works that his name is associated with.