When editing for a person, how much can be changed?

Question

The context is a technical document that is written by one person and then sent out for review by others. The reviewers change word tense, change from active to passive voice, and make other style changes. Is that a valid job for an editor, or am I reacting correctly when I claim that is completely unprofessional?I thought that an editor should fix spelling errors and very minor grammatical errors, and simply points out other errors so the author can fix them. That way the style, good or bad, of the original author is preserved. Is it appropriate for a reviewer to change the style as well?

Answer 1

This depends entirely on the amount of liberty you've granted the editor. If the editor did not discuss with you the extent of editing that you require then that is pretty unprofessional. What I personally do as an editor is do a screening of spelling and grammatical errors which I rectify, then I run through the text looking for ways in which I can improve the expression of what the author intended to say. I realize that this is where the science ends and art begins, so it is important for me to communicate with the author when I reach this stage. If the editor is simply rewriting your work without contacting you about the drastic changes to structure and voice, then I would have a serious talk with them.

Answer 2

Hi, Sandy. An editor can change word tense and make other style changes to meet the conventions of modern English grammar. However, editing is more than just checking for commas and spelling. Editing also involves making larger developmental changes to make the piece work as the author intends. It is not unprofessional to make stylistic changes, but the author of the original piece is free to either accept or reject any changes made to the manuscript.