Why being edited should feel like a luxury... not torture!

It’s going to happen: no matter how much experience you have as a writer, your work will be edited – and you may not like how it feels. Here are some important things to keep in mind…

Don’t be wounded. If a particularly big edit seems like a stinging rebuke of you, your ability, or your efforts – it’s not. This is just the ego talking. You must not listen to it.

Editing is simply about making sure that your work offers a seamless reading experience for the widest possible audience. What creator wouldn’t want that?

You and the editor share the same goal: maximum engagement. You can only get that with total clarity, which means honing in on subtle details (big and small) that might trip readers up.

No good editor is going to tinker with your work for the sake of it. Trust me, having a flawless piece of work would make their life a lot easier. But that almost never happens. Why? Because most of us can’t possibly perceive our own work from multiple angles.

You may think, “I’ve spent all this time perfecting this, and now someone has the audacity to nitpick it with annoying questions?” But your hard work is the reason you can no longer see the wood for the trees. You need a pair of fresh eyes that know exactly what to look for.

Pedantry is a luxury. The more questions/feedback your editor has, the better. It’s a sign that they’re paying close attention – and they’ve got your back – because they care about seeing your work realizing its full potential. Some people would kill for that!

No editor is infallible. You have every right to push back if they’re introducing errors, misrepresenting you, or doing anything that compromises the integrity of your work. Otherwise, just remember that digging in your heels won’t help anyone – least of all you.

Publishing works best as a collaboration – one for which you will get all the credit. Editing is often a thankless attempt at making somebody else look better. As frustrating as it may feel to have your work scrutinized, rest assured that any glory will be yours.

Bottom line: Being edited is not a critique. It should not feel like a hostage negotiation or a muscle-flexing contest. It’s about finding ways to make your work even better. Nobody is above that process – and it only benefits you to have an ally truly invested in it.