There’s an adage that a camel is a horse designed by a committee. And, well, you might say that a magazine article is literature designed by a committee. Usually, the collaboration between editor and writer works out just fine. But every so often, you wind up with the camel.
After 15 years of freelancing and working smoothly with dozens and dozens of editors, it was finally the day of the dromedary. I pitched an article to a great outlet I wanted to write for… and my luck ran out.
Now, I should add up front that having worked as both a writer and magazine editor, I love the editorial process and the value of a solid collaboration. If anything, I let too much slide. I hate conflict and am largely a wimp. I’m overly polite. I’ve been mistaken for being a kindly Canadian.
But as a career writer, your byline is all you’ve got—and so you better defend its honor when you’re chosen for trial by editorial combat.
What do you do when an editor takes your piece and nukes it, rewrites chunks of it in a
