This is a timely question since I just received my first edits on Joy's Revelation, and short story coming later this summer from Muse It Up Publishing. An author can view edits in one of two ways:
1. An attack on your writing
2. The attempt of an editor to help refine your story.
When I first began writing I was definitely a number one person. How dare someone try to change my words...revise my story.
I soon learned that edits are merely suggestions that might make the story read smoother, correct grammatical errors you might not have noticed, or add more information for the reader's pleasure.
Do I accept every suggestion. No! In small publishing companies, many...even most editors are not as versed in the editing business as their title suggests. Pass a simple test, and you too can be on the other end of the red pen.
My edits are going back with just as many comments as those in the file I received. If I feel the suggestion changes my voice or style, I balk. If the noted edit helps enhance my story, then I accept it. I believe it's important to remember that this is my work and not that of the editor. Some, I've found, want to substitute my words with words that have the same meaning--some I would never use.
Appreciate the editor's work but don't feel you have to agree with every suggested change. I've had a few cases where I've known more than the editor. *grin*
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