There is
so much work that it goes beyond just adding or deleting some commas. You have
to rewrite it.
You don’t
understand why this is happening. Isn't writing easy? Reading is pretty easy;
you just glide over the text. Why should writing be any different? I mean, you
speak your language perfectly, and it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
Hundreds
of questions are going through your head, and they get mixed with unkind
feelings towards the editor. But, your work must go on and you have to find a
way to do it. Demoralization should be left behind. How to do it?
Next time
you’re in this situation, put yourself in the editor’s shoes and remember these
things.
1. Your text was only
edited, no one is judging you. This is not school, and you’re not being graded.
No one is interested in grading you, they
only care about your text, and how it
can get to be the best it can be for your readers.
2.
Direct comments are not rude. The editor is trying to
be nice, but he can’t write a speech in each comment. The more direct the
comment is, the better. This doesn’t mean the editor is being rude, it just means
that he doesn’t want to waste your time, and he wants to make the reviewing
process less exhausting.
3. Know how to distinguish between rules,
improvements and suggestions. The editor knows that some of the
observations he makes should be followed to set your text in accordance with
clear and unquestionable linguistic rules. There are other observations that
are just improvements (what you wrote was correct, but this improves, clarifies
or preserves the meaning better), and others are just suggestions (what you
wrote is correct, but you would benefit from writing this or that). You won’t
always agree, and sometimes you’ll have better solutions. Think about the
comments, analyze them to see if there’s a better solution and negotiate.
4. You shouldn’t get into a power struggle. The
editor is not interested in becoming a dictator who must be obeyed at all
times. The editor wants to help you improve your text, be it via the solution
he suggests or with alternatives that deal with the issue raised in the
comment.
5. The editor is the specialist, not you. We tend
to think that speaking our language is a universal skill, and that it grants us
the authority to express ourselves without being corrected at all. This is
false. You need to study to earn a degree in medicine, engineering or
architecture, and you recognize these fields as specialties because of their
competencies and particular knowledge. In that same way, you need to study your
language, and you need to learn to use it as a malleable thing so that you can
communicate... The editor is an expert in his field. Let him apply his
knowledge and experience freely.