A cousin asked me on Thanksgiving how I handle pushback from authors when I suggest edits they don’t like. I think this merits a brief discussion.
Pushback happens all the time. Sometimes an author doesn’t like a Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) rule, or they feel strongly about a way they have decided to do things. The truth is that this is all okay. Here’s how I handle pushbacks.
First, I explain what CMoS is, then I state that I have the responsibility as an editor to follow these guidelines. After doing this, I say that at the end of the day, it’s their book, not mine, and style choices are ultimately up to them.
When I have been hired to perform a service, I am committed to performing that service to the best of my ability. I am professionally trained, and I am honored to have the knowledge that I do, which allows me to perform my job at a certain level.
It’s important to maintain your integrity but also ensure your clients’ satisfaction. It’s simply not worth fighting with your clients about “the proper way” to do things if it’s just going to make them unhappy. I always say that the whole reason why I became an editor was to help authors become successful.
That’s why I’ve found that the best approach is to simply do the job as best as I can, but if a client doesn’t like something, that’s okay. I explain to them why I did it and move on. This keeps my integrity in check and also makes them happy. As long as both of these things are happening, I feel good about the service I’m providing.