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I don’t mean to suggest editors are always wrong, either. But even the pros can really mess up now and then.
Today, I happened to think of the story Flowers for Algernon, which I read when I was young. I couldn’t remember the author’s name, so of course, I googled the title. And read the Wikipedia entry. It seems the author (Daniel Keyes) was asked by the editors of Galaxy for a story in 1958. He wrote and submitted what is now a classic story – and they rejected it, saying they’d only run it if he changed the ending so it had a classic “happily-ever-after” ending instead of the ending which gives the story so much emotional impact. :blink:
Yes, we all screw up. As I said, I’m not trying to pick on editors. And, if you disagree with an editor, the sane thing to do is what Daniel Keyes did – he accepted the rejection and submitted to another market. He didn’t waste time picking a fight with an editor. That’s never a good idea. But what blew me away was the idea a professional editor made a blunder of that magnitude. (Does anyone really believe Flowers For Algernon would have won a Hugo – and later a Nebula for the novel – if he’d changed the ending?)
And I do think it’s worth pointing this out, because there is a lesson here. If you believe in your story, and you’re sure the editor’s changes will ruin it, politely decline. Editors are not malevolent creatures who ruin good stories just for the fun of it, but neither are they infallible experts who can always identify the best way to improve a story. As a writer, you really need to walk a middle ground in this area. Get along with editors, treat them decently – but never assume they’re always right, either.
Interesting. I read Flowers for Algernon in it’s original magazine publication; and while the movie was great (both versioons????), the original short made such an impact on me that I never could face reading the novel. I also hated the name change. ‘Charley’, with one letter reversed.
I’m really surprised that Galaxy did that. I used to consider Galaxy the best magazine avalable.
Do you know which magazine published it? F&SF? Just remembered, I have a copy printed in an anthology. F&FS printed it.
There’s another aspect you’re not considering. The editor has to speak for reader expectation. If Galaxy readers at the time were not inclined to enjoy stories with downer endings the story as written did not work for the market. If that was the editor’s situation, asking for a revised ending may have been an attempt to get what was clearly a solid story to fit into market expectations.
She remakes mechanical devices, and he dreams of becoming a steamship captain in The Steamship Chronicles. Book 1 is free in eBook.
https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/the-steamship-chronicles/This is the sort of thing that the early Galaxy printed, and they were very proud of their magazine’s story quality. However, by the time ‘Flowers’ was printed several new magazines had made their appearance which possibly diluted the quality of stories available, or even editorial staff available. Perhaps the editor in question had moved over from another magazine. Can you think how he must have felt when the story became so successful.
MarFisk wrote:There’s another aspect you’re not considering. The editor has to speak for reader expectation. If Galaxy readers at the time were not inclined to enjoy stories with downer endings the story as written did not work for the market. If that was the editor’s situation, asking for a revised ending may have been an attempt to get what was clearly a solid story to fit into market expectations.You’re right, of course, but I’m not sure it matters to my point.
Whatever the editor’s reasons may have been (and I do presume they had some reason, because an editor who was simply and consistently as poor a judge of stories as that one decision would appear to suggest wasn’t likely to get the chance to edit Galaxy to begin with), the author stuck to his vision and readers in general are much better off for that than they’d be if Flowers For Algernon had been gutted. Maybe Galaxy readers did expect happy endings, or maybe the editor had a migraine that day and blundered, or I could probably think of at least a dozen other scenarios.
But my point is, if you’re sure your vision for your story is right, you shouln’t cave just because an editor asks for a certain change. Editors do have to satisfy their readers – but you have to think of your own reputation as a writer. Now, this does not mean I think you should ignore an editor’s request just because it changes your story. If you don’t at least consider what an editor suggests, then you’re the one making a blunder. But I, for one, am very glad Daniel Keys chose to refuse that editor’s request in the end. And if an editor – for whatever reason – could suggest such a mutilation of such a classic story, then there must be other cases where the author is better off seeking another market rather than making the requested changes.
Not everyone loves Flowers from Algernon and no matter how good the editor, it will still come down to personal choice. Though the power of this story is in the ending.
In an amusing aside, I kept reading that as ‘Proof Editors’ (as in their job to proof manuscripts) and not Proof THAT Editors. I was having a hard time parsing what you were saying in the post at first!
> I kept reading that as ‘Proof Editors’ (as in their job to proof manuscripts)
LOL! I had that problem, too.
That novel gave me nightmares for months. Of course, I was 13 when I read it, and lots of things gave me nightmares.
Happy writing,
Deb Salisbury
The Mantua-Maker, Quality Historical Sewing Patterns and Books
www.mantua-maker.comThe Art of the Hoop: 1860 - 1869, Dress, Sewing, and Clothing Care Advice
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http://www.djsalisburybooks.com/Dead-Wizard-s-Loot.htmlAh yes. It’s a two way street and neither is 100% right all the time between author and editor. I’ve both made changes to a short story to make it darker because an editor wanted it for an anthology but the other stories were mostly on the horror edge while mine was the light end of dark fantasy, and passed on changes that would make the story pointless to me. Wouldn’t matter if it would be a better story in their eyes. The story has to have a connection to me or I might as well have not written it.
She remakes mechanical devices, and he dreams of becoming a steamship captain in The Steamship Chronicles. Book 1 is free in eBook.
https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/the-steamship-chronicles/LOL! I just assumed that the title was in error, or the intent/focus had changed from when it was begun. Never crossed my mind that the words had two possible meanings. Sigh.
She remakes mechanical devices, and he dreams of becoming a steamship captain in The Steamship Chronicles. Book 1 is free in eBook.
https://margaretmcgaffeyfisk.com/the-steamship-chronicles/
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