or, Why Pride Sometimes Comes Before the Rejection Slip - "Artistic integrity" is a slippery slope to "unpublished". How to take feedback and keep your vision.
Hey good luck with the competition! It does seem made for you. And thanks for addressing the idea of “selling out”—I’ve never been asked by publishers to make changes I didn’t ultimately agree with. But before that step, learning to accept feedback is definitely a skill.
Selling out for money? One wishes, lol. Most editors I've dealt with have made the work better, but I've also met incredibly stupid ones that have brought me close to the boiling point. That's where diplomacy matters. In other words, not rejecting the comment outright with a huff but finding a way around it. Although some things NEED to be rejected outright! I'm married to a writer, a very very good writer, and he's my first reviewer. I don't accept all his comments but they always make me think ... and being married, it's not a good idea to fight for a word or a sentence! Gotta take the long view here.
lol - I'm married to a non-writer. And although she's a very, very good non-writer, she doesn't understand it when I'm physically in the room but mentally in the hills of Tuscany, the dunes of Drumheller, or the lakes of Ireland...
This is a great way to put it, Martine -- and seems obvious when you write it that way! Most editors *do* make things better. I've also run across one or two who don't. And yes, I agree -- even if a suggestion might not be completely right, there might be a kernel in there or it may lead to another important change.
Love it! And I can see how this relates to any careers and really any parts of our lives. It is not always easy to see the difference between misplaced ego, boundaries and goals. I have been caught more than once!
Oh, that's true! I didn't even think of that. I have encountered egos that have gotten in the way of organizational goals before. (One of the reasons I love freelancing so much!)
Hey good luck with the competition! It does seem made for you. And thanks for addressing the idea of “selling out”—I’ve never been asked by publishers to make changes I didn’t ultimately agree with. But before that step, learning to accept feedback is definitely a skill.
Selling out for money? One wishes, lol. Most editors I've dealt with have made the work better, but I've also met incredibly stupid ones that have brought me close to the boiling point. That's where diplomacy matters. In other words, not rejecting the comment outright with a huff but finding a way around it. Although some things NEED to be rejected outright! I'm married to a writer, a very very good writer, and he's my first reviewer. I don't accept all his comments but they always make me think ... and being married, it's not a good idea to fight for a word or a sentence! Gotta take the long view here.
lol - I'm married to a non-writer. And although she's a very, very good non-writer, she doesn't understand it when I'm physically in the room but mentally in the hills of Tuscany, the dunes of Drumheller, or the lakes of Ireland...
This is a great way to put it, Martine -- and seems obvious when you write it that way! Most editors *do* make things better. I've also run across one or two who don't. And yes, I agree -- even if a suggestion might not be completely right, there might be a kernel in there or it may lead to another important change.
Thanks for the insights!
Love it! And I can see how this relates to any careers and really any parts of our lives. It is not always easy to see the difference between misplaced ego, boundaries and goals. I have been caught more than once!
Oh, that's true! I didn't even think of that. I have encountered egos that have gotten in the way of organizational goals before. (One of the reasons I love freelancing so much!)
Oh my Graham, I hope you make it on the reality show, but you don’t seem quite deranged enough to make the cut.
lol - yes, if I'm deranged, it's probably a "buttoned down" derangement.
I'll know by Saturday if I've made it to the next round...
Thanks!
That looks like it would be an absolute blast