Editor Interviews
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Read all the editors' answers to Duotrope's interview question: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication? Learn more.
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Here is a small sampling from our recent Editor Interviews. We have interviewed over 2,200 editors.
Q: How much do you edit an accepted piece prior to publication?
A: I copy edit each piece and then proofread again before publication. I find substantive editing with creative writers to not always be that successful, so if a piece needs a lot of work and looks like an early draft to me, I will decline it rather than embark on editing.
A: I edit around a third of the work we publish. I collaborate with writers and leave final approval to them.
A: It depends on the piece. We will reach out to the author and work closely to arrive at a version that works for us and them.
A: Minimally, generally, unless I have a big vision for how to drastically improve it. I've yet to have one of those suggestions rejected by an author.
A: We don't do a ton of editing. We prefer to stick to a basic copy edit and proofreading. We reserve the right to make these non-substantial edits without author approval. No one should fault us for adding in a missed comma.
A: For the most part, we don't like to change the writer's text, but if it's clearly a typo, we'll probably fix it.
A: Sometimes we provide intense editing sometimes no editing at all, maybe just proofreading. Always, always an author is given final approval of edits.
A: Not much
A: We may edit typos or make small corrections related to commas, spelling, and grammar. However, with poems, we typically assume that each choice was made intentionally so we are much less likely to assume a piece needs a correction unless the writer confirms that.
A: All of the above. As I am also a professional editor, I will gladly provide any and all comments that I have if I really want a poem to go into our next issue. And sometimes, I send back comments just to help out a fellow writer with a new perspective. Get in touch with me for editing at mkraiskaya.com
A: Very occasional queries or suggestions.
A: Occasionally, we'll work with an author to revise a piece, but for the most part, it needs to be a finished product when we get it. I format the journal and send the proof to authors for approval -- but we don't edit the work.