Editors do not hate writers.

Really. We don’t.

Hate is such a strong word. So let’s make sure we apply it correctly, shall we?

We hate misspelled words. Especially when we open a Word document and the word has a squigglyline underneath it that is Word’s way of saying, “Hey! I think you misspelled this word! You wanna’ check this?” And, obviously, you didn’t.

We hate really long sentences that contain enough words to fill an unabridged dictionary and that, if you tried to read it, would cause an asthmatic to reach for her inhaler, and that sometimes, but not always, contain an overabundance of punctuation, but not always. (That example contained 45 words.I counted.)

We hate commas thrown hither and yon throughout your manuscript with no rhyme or reason. Comma . . . maybe now! And . . . now! And now!

We hate it when manuscripts are submitted with notes like this: I know you said a word count of 500 words and this is 1,000 words, but I figure you can cut it to fit.

Yes, yes I can. I am, after all, an editor.

But if you were assigned an article, odds are you were also assigned a word count for that article. And guess what? Word count is not optional. Turning in an assignment with an “I chose it myself” word countis, at the very least, discourteous. At the most, it’s unprofessional.

I could go on, but Susie May and Rachel are shoving me off my editorial soapbox and threatening to make me model a white coat of some sort. My point is this: Editors do not hate writers. Consider an editor as your advocate along the road to publication. You and your editor want the same thing: a stellar book. An editor’s skill is performed by wielding a virtual or very real red pen.

Disclaimer: Yes, I’ve run into, um, cranky editors. Truth be told, I’ve been a cranky editor. But I try tokeep that confined to the privacy of my office. And I’ve also run into (and been) a cranky writer. Moods affect everyone – not just those of us traveling along the writing road with a pocket full of red pens.

Ever felt like an editor had it out for you? Were you able to develop a good working relationship with your editor?