I felt a little bad...
But this post is coming down because... honestly, I've learned a few lessons from it and it has served its purpose.
Lessons learned:
1. Final editorial concensus must be reached before EVER responding to a submission.
2. Soliciting sends a message that something will be taken. When soliciting, make sure author understands nothing is certain.
3. It's ok to argue.
4. Being an editor means people will get mad at you.
Thank you, Jesse Waters... I appreciate your final email. I'm sorry you had to be my guinea pig.
Lessons learned:
1. Final editorial concensus must be reached before EVER responding to a submission.
2. Soliciting sends a message that something will be taken. When soliciting, make sure author understands nothing is certain.
3. It's ok to argue.
4. Being an editor means people will get mad at you.
Thank you, Jesse Waters... I appreciate your final email. I'm sorry you had to be my guinea pig.
7 Comments:
I can relate to your story, both as an editor and as a contributor. It is very easy to come across authors who are not willing to compromise anything, to let you change a comma. Recently I made substantial edits to a piece -in this case in particular, a novel- and since the author is a dearie of the publishing house -and a best-seller of sorts- I was afraid he would not be willing to accept any changes. But he did, and we agreed on making 70% of the final changes, which is not bad. And this made me very happy, I took it as a personal success.
Great blog, btw.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
Wait. You say, "I took something for a publication, but had to call the writer back and change the acceptance to a rejection, because a co-editor had issues with the work, and the writer had made it pretty well knows that s/he was unwilling to alter his/her art for mere editors."
If you took it for publication, that's a (verbal)? contract. Maybe you should run it by the other editor prior to offering an acceptance. Seems pretty obvious.
Hey there, all -- my name's Jesse Waters; I'm the writer. Here's a transcription of the e-xchange between LS and I. YOU decide who's been rude. See, I submitted a short piece for L's half-Jewish book. Here's what transpired after we'd mutually -- and pleasantly -- agreed to disagree:
1) Jesse,
Did you take a gander at the online magazine I edit, Killing the Buddha?
We'd love the Demon Tree for it...
Check it out. We have a great piece by Reza Aslan up now...
xoLaurel
2)L--
>
>It's all yours -- here's a bio for the contributor's notes. Let me know if
>you need the piece again in some special format.
>
>
>Cheers!
>
>Jess
3)Actually, could you re-send it as a word attachment?
Rockin, and I'm glad you liked the Aslan. KtB is a weird bird, but we try to
keep the literary bar set high (for a non-lit-mag) and I promise you it's
got a WAY wider readership than any litmag on the market...
Much as I myself submit weekly to such obscure places as Typo, Gutcult, and
Jacket...
xoL
4)Done and done.
>
>J
>
>PS -- When will the piece be posted on KtB?
5) A few comments from my co-editor:
He doesn't love the dream ending, and suggests closing the story...
It made sense to me - fed on hunger and watered with thirst, it made sense
that a demon tree should thrive like that. I thought of my father's lemon
tree in Chicago, the block kids there now drinking their fill. Spring
passed, and nothing happened. While mowing the lawn one June evening as the
sun dropped down and let in just a bit of breeze, I cut into a long apple
root close to the house. It bled a kind of blood. The summer ended.
He'd also like to cut the copy from "It struck me as important" to "I buy a
journal" essentially snipping out the dogbite.... it slows it down.
Thoughts?
6) L--
>
>
>Hmmm.......Nahhhh. Cutting the dream neuters the mother in the story;
>cutting the dog-bite diminshes the insecurity over fact, and story, that
>the narrator's dealing with. Also, ending with "The summer ended..." kills
>the circularity of the entire thing.
>
>
>J
7) Kay...
We'll still run it. I just said I'd pass that along. I agree with you on
the dog thing....
8) L--
>
>:)
>
>
>
>J
>
>PS -- When will you post it?
9)I still need to copyedit, but you should be next week's update!
Seems pretty Kosher to this point, right? Then I get this:
10)I'm so sorry, but in taking your story through the copy-editing process, my
co-ed found a lot of changes he wanted to make. You've made it pretty clear
how you feel about being edited, (which I understand completely) but my
co-ed is a journalist at heart, and its a different process.
So I think we're going to pass on the story, and that you should send it to
a litmag where its more likely not to get changed so much...
Thanks for your patience, and good luck!
11) Squid eating dough in a poly-ethylene bag is slow and bulbous... got me?
>Bad
>vuggum, Laurel Snyder -- you should've pushed harder if you really wanted
>it.
>
>
>J
11a) PS -- I'd already told folks about the posting... doesn't make me look too
good...
J
12) Should've pushed YOU harder to make changes, or should've pushed another
editor in your defense? I agreed with his comments, but tend to be less
rigorous with fiction than with essays. I'm sorry if you told folks about
it before signing a contract or even seeing final copy.
From me,
Laurel
Notice -- unmentioned in her blog post -- Laurel SOLICTED me for the work, then flipped over on her back. Who's rude here? Examine her post and these notes, and YOU be the judge.
J
Hey there, all -- my name's Jesse Waters; I'm the writer. Here's a transcription of the e-xchange between LS and I. YOU decide who's been rude. See, I submitted a short piece for L's half-Jewish book. Here's what transpired after we'd mutually -- and pleasantly -- agreed to disagree:
1) Jesse,
Did you take a gander at the online magazine I edit, Killing the Buddha?
We'd love the Demon Tree for it...
Check it out. We have a great piece by Reza Aslan up now...
xoLaurel
2)L--
>
>It's all yours -- here's a bio for the contributor's notes. Let me know if
>you need the piece again in some special format.
>
>
>Cheers!
>
>Jess
3)Actually, could you re-send it as a word attachment?
Rockin, and I'm glad you liked the Aslan. KtB is a weird bird, but we try to
keep the literary bar set high (for a non-lit-mag) and I promise you it's
got a WAY wider readership than any litmag on the market...
Much as I myself submit weekly to such obscure places as Typo, Gutcult, and
Jacket...
xoL
4)Done and done.
>
>J
>
>PS -- When will the piece be posted on KtB?
5) A few comments from my co-editor:
He doesn't love the dream ending, and suggests closing the story...
It made sense to me - fed on hunger and watered with thirst, it made sense
that a demon tree should thrive like that. I thought of my father's lemon
tree in Chicago, the block kids there now drinking their fill. Spring
passed, and nothing happened. While mowing the lawn one June evening as the
sun dropped down and let in just a bit of breeze, I cut into a long apple
root close to the house. It bled a kind of blood. The summer ended.
He'd also like to cut the copy from "It struck me as important" to "I buy a
journal" essentially snipping out the dogbite.... it slows it down.
Thoughts?
6) L--
>
>
>Hmmm.......Nahhhh. Cutting the dream neuters the mother in the story;
>cutting the dog-bite diminshes the insecurity over fact, and story, that
>the narrator's dealing with. Also, ending with "The summer ended..." kills
>the circularity of the entire thing.
>
>
>J
7) Kay...
We'll still run it. I just said I'd pass that along. I agree with you on
the dog thing....
8) L--
>
>:)
>
>
>
>J
>
>PS -- When will you post it?
9)I still need to copyedit, but you should be next week's update!
Seems pretty Kosher to this point, right? Then I get this:
10)I'm so sorry, but in taking your story through the copy-editing process, my
co-ed found a lot of changes he wanted to make. You've made it pretty clear
how you feel about being edited, (which I understand completely) but my
co-ed is a journalist at heart, and its a different process.
So I think we're going to pass on the story, and that you should send it to
a litmag where its more likely not to get changed so much...
Thanks for your patience, and good luck!
11) Squid eating dough in a poly-ethylene bag is slow and bulbous... got me?
>Bad
>vuggum, Laurel Snyder -- you should've pushed harder if you really wanted
>it.
>
>
>J
11a) PS -- I'd already told folks about the posting... doesn't make me look too
good...
J
12) Should've pushed YOU harder to make changes, or should've pushed another
editor in your defense? I agreed with his comments, but tend to be less
rigorous with fiction than with essays. I'm sorry if you told folks about
it before signing a contract or even seeing final copy.
From me,
Laurel
Notice -- unmentioned in her blog post -- Laurel SOLICTED me for the work, then flipped over on her back. Who's rude here? Examine her post and these notes, and YOU be the judge.
J
I think the one who cried "rude" should take a look in the mirror. It's a pattern.
Dear anon,
All a girl can do is try to learn. If I've been rude to you, let me know so I can apologize.
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