When should freelancers push back against questionable edits?

The freelancer editor relationship is a delicate thing to balance. On one hand, the publication is a client upon whom you rely on for income. On the other hand, you need to make sure that you're putting out your best work. The goals of maintaining a financially beneficial relationship with your editor while also putting out good information into the public may not seem in conflict with one another at first, but it's the editing process that really tests whether or not both can be achieved.

I started thinking about this when a tweet began circulating that basically said that writers should defer to an editor's judgment when handling edits. And of course, the first thing that comes to mind was the instances in which I had to prevent something terrible from making it to print or online because of an editor's mistake. It has happened more than I cared to admit.

Don't 👏argue 👏 with 👏 your 👏 editor 👏 over 👏 minor 👏 details

they are better than you at writing, it's their job to be, that's why they're an editor

— Ben Trautman (@CaptainPlanetOW) February 6, 2020

This is something that I struggle with myself. Where is the line between arrogance and caution? How do you communicate that you are taking your editors edits seriously but you're not a pushover? At the core, the question is is my editor making my article better or simply making a bunch of changes?

I respect editors, especially in this climate where it is harder and harder to find a good one that you can trust to enhance your writing without damaging your desire to write ever again. I can't be the only freelancer who has a creeping sense of dread when a batch of edits on a story comes back. and I regularly question to myself how I ever thought I was qualified to do this work. 

Oftentimes, my instinct tells me that my writing is not and never will be perfect, so I need to be open to editors' suggestions. Not only because I want to be self-aware enough to know when my work needs improvement, but I also want to be a freelancer that editors can rely upon for future assignments. 

But as this tweet and the replies festered in my mind, I thought a lot about how women in particular are socialized to be more submissive and how that behavior has shown up in my work. I often don't question my editors' edits, because I know that, ultimately, we have the same goal of putting out great work that will help people understand the world around them. However, many journalists have been familiar with the feeling of public scorn that comes after an editor puts in a salacious headline or ads in an error into the copy. No one cares about the editor so much, mostly the writer. Or maybe the editor-in-chief. These errors could have easily been avoided had the publication invested in fact checkers, slowed down it's publishing schedule and focused more on telling the story accurately rather than enticing readers. One of my frequent criticisms is that I focus on telling the story, rather than selling the story.

But as a black woman, I feel even less inclined to push back on editors feedback in the beginning of my career in fear of being perceived as a difficult writer who lacks the capacity for self-reflection. By now, most people know that black women are stereotyped as being loud, sometimes rude and aggressive. As an up-and-coming freelancer, it's hard to know when to take up space. 

As I have gotten more experienced over the past few years, I realized that it's important to use one's voice, especially when dealing with issues pertaining to marginalized people or ethics. I find that it is easy to get caught up in wanting to get a story published without taking the time to think about how this may play out once a piece of information is out there for all to see. How will this impact my career? How will this impact my sources, particularly those who may be vulnerable to harassment or violence? And if I make a mistake in this article, what will it mean for the rest of the people working in my profession? I think about these things before writing up an email to send to my editor to address concerns about whatever it is that they've asked me to change. Consider it a sign that you have a good editor if they are also willing to take criticism and rethink elements that they've added or removed from a piece.

Before I shoot off an email to my editor explaining my problem with an edit that they want me to make, I have to think about how it may be received and I have to consider whether I'm okay with receiving backlash from that editor. For example, I recall having to work with a magazine editor on a story that somewhat pertained to race, and I had to explain how a sentence about names could come off as anti-Black or insensitive to Black women. After some back and forth, I supplied a different sentence, and the story was published without any backlash. I have since decided not to work with that editor. That was a tough decision, but, ultimately, reaching that audience and working with that editor was not worth the trouble. 

As I saw the replies rolling in for that initial tweet, I was comforted to find a tweet that offered a different piece of advice: 

Best editorial advice I’ve ever been given:

“Never accept all the edits.”

The advice was given to me by my editor.

— Benjamin Dreyer (@BCDreyer) February 8, 2020

How have you pushed back against problematic editor feedback? How did it go? Tell me in the comments or email me at contact@thefreelancebeat.com.