Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I can be an ass. I know it full well.

How to be friends with your editor:

1. Acknowledge your proclivity for assholism.
2. Swallow pride.
3. Swallow pride again.
4. Let it go.
5. Repeat, "Editor's are my friend. Editors' are my friend. Editors are my friend."
6. Admit that it is a possibility you may not know everything and that the word you really wanted to use twice in the same sentence for a specific reason is not as obviously effective (affective?) as you think it is.
7. Remember to say thank you without sounding like your throat is bleeding.

4 comments:

Cherie said...

oooo wow...assism sounds painful...

cecily said...

you have an editor? wow... that's fantastic! sorry it is so, so painful. I don't like doing any of those things you said really. (Hey, if you refused to change it, would they still publish it?... how much room is there to move, or is it like a straight jacket forcing you to grow character?)

Natalie said...

Interesting that you call it "assholism." I always say "assholery." hah!

deanna said...

You're doing well. Even if you're right and the editor might be wrong, of course. I haven't worked with one yet who was glaringly wrong (only someone who lost my manuscript for a few months and apologized profusely later), but I appreciate that they are people, too. Helpful, usually. Fallible, and one day your opinion will carry weightier weight with them, more than likely.