What would you do if an editor
said, “I’d like to publish your work.”
You’d probably be screaming and fist-pumping with excitement. What if she added, “First, you’ll need to do
some editing.” How do you feel now?
If it were me, I’d say, “Sure, show me what needs to be revised." And, I’d work hard to get the piece up to the editor's standards. But lately, I have noticed that
when I ask writers for a revision and give them suggestions for editing, I don’t get nearly the same response. Sometimes they send their article/story/poem back the day after I've asked for a revision. This makes me think that the author is not giving the story or article the time it deserves. Other times, I may never hear back from the author. When I work with writers like these, I find myself asking: where is the fire, that desire and passion to follow up on revising a submission and making it the best it can be?
It’s funny. It seems to me that some writers today have
changed. Their attitudes come across as
indifferent, smug. They
don’t want to develop true conflict or tie-in the closing to the
beginning. They don't want to put the effort into finding an expert to review their work. They could care less if the
bibliography is insufficient or poorly formatted. They want an acceptance without having to make any changes to their manuscript. Sorry, that’s not how writing for publication works. Writing requires revision and I
know of few writers who get their work published without thorough editing.
Luckily, I have found this attitude
in only a few writers. The majority know
that when an editor is interested in publishing a story or an article, they
jump on it and edit their work. They understand the value of revision. And they work hard to deliver what is required. They also know that when they give an editor what she wants, they not
only have a better chance of seeing their work in print, they will have created additional opportunities for future manuscripts to be eagerly and warmly received.