How to respond to overenthusiastic copy-editing?

Question

I was approached by a science magazine to write a long-form critical essay, and I gave them a 6000-word piece with extensive endnotes. After two months of being with the editorial team it comes back with the style altered to sound like generic science reporting, with whole sections removed along with the points they were making, with orphaned quotes now purporting to support points they aren't really related to, with quotes moved from being centered blocks to looking like hot takes or sound bites, some technical paragraphs are now just wrong, and so on.I'm not so deluded to think that I don't need editing. I've been through the editing process for writing about subjects with a technical nature before, but was able to deal with the person editing my work in person. Now the editor I'm dealing with is on the other side of the world, and I haven't had contact with the copy-editor(s) themselves. I suspect English is not their native language, due to some odd things with the grammar and idiom.It took me a month to write this essay, and it seems like I'm being rushed a bit to make 'corrections and comments' and send the document back; maybe as little as a few days. To get to a state of compromise from either direction (my original, or the edited version) will not be a short process. How do I deal with this?

Answer 1

Hi! It seems that this issue may be well passed for you, but I'll contribute my advice for the future. If the editor is any good, they will respect your style and only contribute stylistic changes as "suggestions". Grammar and sentence structure changes you should generally accept, unless you think they are outright wrong, as these usually are genuinely meant to improve the expression of your voice in the essay. However, if the editor is attempting to change your voice and the way that you want your ideas to be communicated, as a writer you have the right to fight for your vision. Tell the editing team if you feel very strongly about your writing choices. Again, if the editor is any good, they will have an open dialogue with you about the issue. If they aren't any good, it just may be that the publication and it's expectations aren't right for your voice. Don't be afraid to pull your work if you feel that the editing team is not doing your work justice. In the end, it's better to be well represented elsewhere than misrepresented by your current publication.

I hope this helps!