The good news—I have a keyboard and the problem had not corrupted any data.
The bad news—I got to work on the Intruder galleys again and realized when I read a sentence I NEVER would have written that the copyeditor had seriously messed with the text—
Jane, bless her, figured how to get a PDF converted to a Word Perfect file (using ‘copy’ and notepad, I think) and we were thus able to run compare-write to see what damage had been done: universal, pernicious, information-changing, conversion of Cajeiri’s ‘tone’ to Business English, meddling with Bren’s ‘voice’, and changing the political outlines of the aishidi’tat by deciding to capitalize things and make them districts, changing the word ‘clan’ to district, and those are only small samples of what this person did on every single page.
Betsy Wollheim, bless her, is horrified, and will stand behind my corrections, but I now have 241 singlespaced pages to go through and view all the corrections (red ink) that number about 8 per page, and sometimes involve having to rethink the politics involved, or to recall why I made a particular word choice — and I know, or I would have used some other word—and do things that just play hob with my concentration on the current book. You all know what a hellish time I have had this year getting this book going, and why—and I had FINALLY gotten on a roll—
Now this. I could spit nails.
Sounds like they gave it to an editor who had no familiarity with your books at all, possibly no familiarity with fiction. Good lord.
She supposedly edited others. Now I’m worried.
Eons ago when I worked in the editorial department at a university press, edited manuscripts went back to the author before typesetting. I take it this is not the usual work flow for your manuscripts? I’m amazed DAW would copyedit the manuscript of such a veteran author without telling you. Very poor business practice….
All that’s changed. Very rarely do writers get to see the c/e’s while they’re still on paper, because they’re not on paper any more. The c/e’s digital file goes straight to Design.
If it helps in future — or even now — I have recently purchased a tool that will convert a PDF to MS Word (yes, I know, but from there it’s easier to get it to WordPerfect, I think).
And if you already have the original text in WP, do you need to redo all the thinking or would just referring back help?
I’m running compare-write to figure it out. That’s absolutely going to turn up all changes, 90% of which I’m stetting.
Ye Gods and Little Fishes!!
@Silverglass – you are too generous. An editor CHANGING CHARACTERS’ QUOTES? I can’t think of a print medium where that can be acceptable. None. This editor is fortunate that Intent has not been filed. There are thousands of readers who would sue to take the contract!
I am surprised Ms Cherryh is even bothering to go through the edited material. Just send it back and say “do this again!”
Though the prospect of Cajieri at Wharton has possibilities…
I’m stunned. I would put this one back on DAW and tell them to do it over with an experienced editor. It sounds like the copy editor trashed your work. It is unacceptable.
(Is amused at the notion of Cajeiri going to business college.)
Hmm. I tend to think yes, it’d save everyone time if they start over and re-edit from the original manuscript.
It is one thing to copyedit non-fiction or for an author with poor English skills. It is quite another to rewrite or ghost write an author, particularly a published author with good English skills. Everyone makes typos. Everyone makes some mistakes. But this does not mean an editor meddles with the text. If he/she wants to write a story, do so. If he/she sincerely believes there are that many problems with a manuscript, then speak to the editor in chief. Or write/phone the author and discuss things.
But a fiction editor should have some idea of, oh, perhaps style and tone and voice, a few minor qualities like that. An editor who’s going to edit science fiction or fantasy (or historical fiction or…) such an editor should have even more of an ear and eye for these qualities. They’re what give the story its punch, besides the plot and characterization.
I agree too, that the editor ought to make him- or herself familiar with the stylistic features and world-building behind the Foreigner series. A good editor should be able to get into that on the fly, even without prior knowledge. Such things are apparent from a well written story. Or a general acquaintance with Ms. Cherryh’s other works would give a hint that the specialized vocabulary, cultural norms, and stylistic choices used are important features of each and all of her novels. Again, that imagined or stylized word usage, including made-up or differently used words, are important features of most science fiction and fantasy, not just Ms. Cherryh’s writing.
I do not get it. That’s either a brand-new novice editor or one with an ego bigger and more, ah, overactive, than most editors. (A good ego is useful for a good writer or editor, but really….)
How weird. You’d think that being bad at that job would be to not edit much. Seems like they went bad in that rare doing-too-much kind of way. Way to make extra work for yourself, editor. Where was this person when Twilight was written?
The mind really, really boggles. That’s up there with that book some years ago when the copy editor turned the twins into a single character which led to some very strange conversations
Would a large stick with some rusty nails / author for the use of, help?
Considering how clean you write, you might just send them the original manuscript again as the “copy-edited and corrected” 😉 version.
I did that when I had a similar problem on Cyteen. What you read in that book is my uncopyedited work.
Excuse me? This is completely unacceptable……..would it be okay to alter a Rembrandt to ‘make it better? This is the kind of thing that gets the steam coming out of my ears.. At least you have all the original copy to work from…….wow! just what you need!
I am utterly horrified. I lack words. I… I just… it’s a kick in the face. I hope the person won’t get away with it lightly.
*grumble grumble* lack of respect *grumble grumble* cookbook editors *grumble grumble* …
(My old teacher would be horrified. Her law #1 – never begin a sentence with “I” 😉 )
Maybe she read too much Ayn Rand? (grin)
(It’s been years. I hope I have that right!)
utterly utterly horrified, we would all have had bad reactions if we had met that sort of thing in the finished book too! how dreadful. who is this arrogant and impertinent person?
Some editors just like to meddle. H. L. Gold, of Galaxy, was notorious for this. Theodore Sturgeon relates that he once submitted a short story to Gold with “STET” written on the cover page. (For the benefit of those who may not know, STET is a proof mark meaning, “Leave this as it is.”) Gold got the message.
I don’t know that this would work with current editors.
(*gives CJ big hug*) Do you have a closet where you can go to explicitly express your opinions of this editor without scandalizing Jane/the neighbors/the kittehs? If it was me in your shoes, I’d be generating some serious blue air.
The expression: жопи на колесах comes to mind. . .
That is just unacceptable. This is someone who suddenly has delusions of authorship and a belief that her (?) work is more important than the author’s.
I’ve only had one problem kind of like that with a publisher before it got to editing. They accepted Ada Nish Pura (which I later put out myself and is now available). We talked about what editing it needed and I fully agreed. However, between the time I signed the contract and we got to work, they changed from an adventure science fiction and fantasy to a literary science fiction and fantasy publisher.
No amount of editing will change someone into a literary author. I rewrote the same three chapters nine times in four months and finally had enough when I asked her about something specific, and she said she hadn’t actually read the chapters. So, she was telling me to completely rewrite stuff without reading it.
Yes, I pulled the book.
I had one other tell me I was a failed novelist because I didn’t want a love affair between two characters.
Good thing I love writing or I might have been discouraged or something. LOL
Oh my. How on earth is that even VAGUELY acceptable? Punctuation errors, spelling errors, there/their/they’re type corrections, fine. But actual content? One seriously hopes said in-DUH-vidual has been put on the short list for a new job! Maybe editing new packaging for T-P industry? Cookbooks would be too much of a challenge! Might change tbsp to TBS because it looks better. Oy vey.
I just found a really good one. Cajeiri: “I want to learn demo-litions.” [sic: hyphen intentional.]
The SIC note is just the way I wrote it. That’s Latin for ‘keep it the hell that way or I’ll break your fingers.’
What would you think you should do with that hyphen?
This idiot ‘fixed’ it.
wonder if this individual thought the alterations would go unnoticed >_<