APW: Editors – Friend or Foe?

Sunday morning, I put this on the Internet:
“AUTHORS: Blog post research – your feelings when you saw your first pub’s redline edits? STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL. reply to: JulieCJ@aol.com“

What happened next blew me away.  I apparently hit a nerve. Emails flooded my inbox.  I’d figured I’d be lucky to get any responses at all!

I added their information feelings and comments to a Table, disregarding names, email addresses, titles, and any other identifying information – I then permanently deleted the emails.  I’m humbled that so many people trusted me – or maybe it’s a reflection on their frustration.

This is a highly unscientific survey, needless to say.  There are so many variables and uncontrollable aspects that it renders the information useless except as anecdotal information.  However, to say I was surprised at the depth of the comments is an understatement.  Of course, the number of responses amounted to less than 0.3% of the authors on my Twitter page – without even considering Facebook or LinkedIn.

Of the thirty-eight authors who responded, about half praised their editor to varying degrees.  The rest had problems ranging from a vague ‘unhappy’ to a rather specific (I think) ‘&#%@$ EDITOR!’  Several asked for – and got – a second editing, either from the publisher or from an outside source – one of them called the editor a ‘prude.’  Three pulled their manuscript – one of them scrapped the edits, and went the self-pub route with some success.  The other two didn’t say what they did after they pulled their ms.  Several responders lamented that they felt the book was no longer theirs.  How sad after all that work …

Editors and authors: see the raw material I collected (PDF).  Data

My thanks to all who participated in this impromptu survey.

 ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Please check this out! 
Sal Buttacii is my friend and fellow All Things That Matter Press author.

Master of the Flash is back! In his new collection of 200 short-short stories, Salvatore Buttaci introduces us to characters hard to forget. In less than 1,000 words they tell stories of humor, hidden emotions, love, nostalgia, violence, time and space travel, and downright horror. The author’s flashes appeal to all readers in search of a good read worth the purchase price. It won’t be so easy putting this book down.

Salvatore Buttaci is a retired English teacher who has been writing since childhood. His first published work, an essay entitled “Presidential Timber,” appeared in the Sunday New York News when he was sixteen. Since then his poems, letters, short stories, and articles have been widely published in The New York Times, Newsday, U.S.A. Today, The Writer, Cats Magazine, and elsewhere in America and overseas. In 2001, Pudding House Publications included his work in the Greatest Hits Series with his chapbook, Greatest Hits: 1970-2000. He was also the 2007 recipient of the $500.00 Cyber-wit Poetry Award.

Happy Writing!

Julie

PS: Please take a few minutes to read the Wedding Chapter – Edited from my soon-to-be-published book (2012) ‘Janelle’s Time.’ You’ll meet Richard and Janelle Grayson, the newlyweds, AND, meet Duke Logan Conor (he crashes the wedding) from my upcoming book, ‘Logan’s Time.’

The TIME Series – by Dayna Leigh Cheser
Janelle’s Time – Release: March 2012
Moria’s Time – WIP – NaNoWriMo Project, 2011 Winner
Adelle’s Time – Planned
Logan’s Time – WIP

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