Quote:
Originally Posted by Sil_liS
From my point of view, it does, and your comment enforces my point. In the time of George H. Scithers you could find 10% of the authors with manuscripts good enough to publish as they were, but that is gone now.
The situation that is described by Making Light is depressing:
Most of the people that belong to numbers 1-10 shouldn't have gotten the idea that they can write. In fact, some of the ones from numbers 1-7 shouldn't have graduated primary school. But here they are, submitting manuscripts. And why? Because they think that they did a good job, and an editor out there can make it great.
|
Most of the people in groups 1-7 are convinced they're writing the finest prose ever set to electrons and the merest suggestion of any change or hint that something could possibly improved is viewed as a clear sign that the person making the suggestion is grossly incompetent and wouldn't recognize good writing if it fell on them.
These are often the same people who also believe a single draft is all anything ever needs.
It's generally the better and more professional writers who respond well to editorial suggestions. They may disagree vehemently with particular changes, but they respect that it's part of the editor's job to recommend changes when they think it appropriate.