Attorneys have a saying, “Any lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client.” Likewise, I believe that any writer who thinks he doesn’t need an editor has a screw loose.

As writers, we know what we want to say, we memorize what we wrote, and we understand what we mean. We can’t see our precious words objectively. Then, when the reader becomes confused, we blame the reader for our shortcomings.

A good editor tries to bridge the gap between writer and reader. If I write something that causes my editor to be confused, what are the chances the reader will also be confused? And once readers are confused, they stop reading. This is an outcome neither writer nor editor wants to see, and it defeats the whole point of publishing.

I have worked with Kirsten Traynor at both Bee World and ABJ. She has never made a single change to anything I’ve written without consulting me first. About 80 percent of the time, the changes neatly clarified a point I was trying to make. The times when I disagreed with her, we were able to compromise. However, every single change ultimately resulted in a better article. Every single change made me look like a better writer.

I began writing for publication at 17. After college I worked for Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich as a scientific journals proofreader, and later I was a newspaper editor. During that time I’ve worked with truckloads of prima donna writers, and they are never the best. They’re pretty good, but they lack the spark, the shine, the patina a good editor can bestow.

Because I’m only human I admit that I still get a flash of irritation, the little adrenalin rush of resentment that comes when someone tries to edit my work. But when I actually look at the finished product, I know it was for the best.

If you don’t like the new direction of ABJ, I understand that. If you want to stick with peer-reviewed journals and scientific papers, I understand that. But to blast someone for doing the job they were hired to do is ridiculous. To say “I quit” because someone dared offer an editorial suggestion is childish. A little humility would be more productive and greatly benefit the beekeepers who are trying to learn.

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