Probably one of the most difficult steps in the
manuscript process is accepting criticism and/or changes from your editor. I
remember the night vividly when I opened the email containing
"suggested changes." I had edited my manuscript eight times, and
rewritten the entire novel a mere ten times. How could she possibly ask me
to change it again?
After reading every suggested change and requested
addition, I was tempted to write an email in return at that moment. Had I
sent that email, chances are I wouldn’t still be with the same publishing
company!
Accepting your editor’s criticism is a given. There is
no way around it. It must be done! How then, does a writer cope with
this? There are several options.
You can tell your editor where to go, and lose your
contract with your publishing company. (You may also have a hard time trying
to find another publisher.) You could just give up and never submit another
manuscript for the remainder of your life. Or you can do what I did.
Read it, rant and rave in the privacy of your own home,
and then sleep on it. If the changes still seem too harsh to you the next
morning, leave it alone for a few days. Don’t look at it, don’t read it,
and don’t think about it. (I waited an entire week.)
While this may seem a bit extreme to some, it is, in my
opinion, the only option for many. Changes can hurt your feelings, leaving
you wondering if you are adept in the writing field at all. After being
published since the age of twelve, I have always thought I knew what I was
doing. After being appointed a newspaper editor, I was convinced I
knew what I was doing. I soon found out, however, that editing a newspaper
and past experience do not qualify you as a manuscript editor.
Take your time to respond to your editor about any
changes they ask of you. Most importantly, don’t forget to sleep on it
first. Then and only then will you be able to give calm, rational responses
to your professional manuscript editor.
Karen Beck is the author of When Nightmares Collide
