Sorry to have been so unclear in a prior discussion/thread. In order to be published, how do we withstand editors convinced that they know best what the public wants, and determined to make changes in your poem or 'no sale'?

Cynthia, I know nothing about getting published, but surely if one editor has a willingness to publish (albeit a qualified one), there must be a few others out there who would be willing. Looking for the willing would, no doubt, be hard work, but once Editor#1 realised you were serious, he/she may become more flexible. In negotiation, it is often a case of who will blink first. Making a credible search for alternatives is a good way of convincing the other person you aren't going to blink.

Good luck!

There is only a dilemma if you want to be published so much that you are willing to consider compromising your work to meet the arbitrary editorial standards of the publication concerned.

I would advise that you peruse publication to find the ones that you both appreciate and who you think might accept your work rather than fire them off at random to any magazine etc.

I'm always open to suggestions that make my poems better though I'd never change one to satisfy an editor's particular preferences, perversions or peccadilloes.

Hi all, And I have done both 1) Fiercely defended a particular word or how a poem is formatted for example and 2) conceeded to the wishes of an editor to considerable changes.

If you have a good relationship with an editor both should be possible, you should both be willing to compromise but only after the proper amount of thought and discussion and for the right reasons.

Win

Self publishing has been my risky but so far successful route around the thorny subject of editing. If you are the editor you win and lose every argument!