What is perhaps most frustrating is that this editor is clearly very well-meaning. They liked the book! But stuff like this was just... AUGH
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Replying to @fozmeadows
To be clear: I do not for a minute believe that this editor was trying to be hurtful or insensitive. They wanted to do their job well.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
But as @halleluyang said, it's genuinely demoralising for queer & genderqueer writers to receive these sorts of comments.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
For me, it wasn't just personally upsetting; it made it actively difficult to trust the editor's judgement about certain parts of the book.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
Without wanting to go into detail, there were other comments made about the portrayal of PTSD & neurodivesrsity in the story, which - well.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
Put bluntly, the editor's comments suggested they did not understand these issues well enough to pass judgement on my execution of them.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
And these were parts of the book where I *really fucking badly* wanted feedback! I was nervous about getting it right! And yet.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
Okay, you know what? I'm actually still mad about this. I had a mental meltdown over these goddamn edits because of this stuff.
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Replying to @fozmeadows
Again: the editor also gave some good structural suggestions. But the other stuff made me feel like up was down; like I couldn't trust them
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Replying to @fozmeadows
Like. Without giving spoilers, it's pretty clear that an MC, by the end of book 1, is dealing with PTSD symptoms. Many reviews noted this!
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In book 2, I've also written them as having PTSD, one particular manifestation of which was queried by the editor as being anomalous. Viz:
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Replying to @fozmeadows
The comment: "a step too far... post traumatic stress disorder would be the subject of a whole novel, rather than just a small subplot." UM
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Replying to @fozmeadows
...please tell me this is a different editor from book 1 because HOW DID THEY MISS THAT PTSD WAS THERE
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End of conversation
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