Have any of you edited poetry other than yours?

Do editors have the right to change/alter the wording in a poem (right before it is published) therefore changing its meaning, flow and/or rhyme?

I was dissapointed to see this happen recently, and was unaware of the changes until I read the published articles.

On another poem a word was added to it- Now that line looks like an author's error.

On the other hand, where an article should have been proofread, it seems like they didn't and it has an extra word (my error) that was not spotted by their editors.

How should I address this to her?

Songbird,
I have no experience with this and I don't write much poetry but I wanted to express how sorry I am that this happened to you. I think it's awful, especially being that it is poetry. I think poetry should remain what the author chose to write.
Robin

I'm so sorry the editor did that. My main forays into poetry have been in children's writing, and because they are short and for the most point, rhyming, each word counts. In fact- each syllable counts!

Is it an on-line magazine? You could contact the editor with your concerns. Sometimes you get cooperation, and sometimes you don't. I have an article on-line right now that has a huge typo in it. I asked the editor to change it, but got no response. Another editor was very cooperative and even changed one of my mistakes for me.

It wouldn't hurt to ask. In the future, perhaps you could state ahead of time, if any changes are made you'd like to have final approval because of the nature of poetry.

And you can rest assured that you see the changes more than anyone else.

Congratulations on being published again!

It's considered both good manners and PROFESSIONAL to inform an author if her work will be edited in any way, and to ask the author's permission for changes made before it goes to print. Obviously your editor was neither mannered nor pro.

As for the editing typo: the editor may have left it in because you left it in. In poetry, words are sometimes repeated for reasons that only the author can fathom.

The extra word on my part was in an article, not poetry-My mistake and theirs too !- They had stated that they would have two different editing rounds before printing the book.

But in poetry, yes, every word counts as to the rhyme and flow of the poem. I was so sad to see one poem changed, without my consent!-

Then, in another poem, I found an extra word that just throws everything out of line and has nothing to do with the poem... That's upsetting.

In both cases 4 lines or verses were omitted (I guess because of space).

This was in a devotional book already printed.
There is no way it can be corrected now .
But I do intend to talk to the editor so it won't happen again.

I know that there are usually some errors sin books, and I can live with MY ERROR being printed . But to have them change my poems, that's another story...

Especially with poetry, I always send suggested edits back to the author - if the rhthym is off, misspellings, etc. Then the poet has to make the changes.

For articles, if it's punctuation or spelling, normally that's not enough to contact the author.

For changing to active voice, improving clarity, re-arrangement of sentences or paragraphs for flow, etc., then I send back to the author with the edited version for their approval.

If you have a problem with an editor, it's important to contact them with your concerns and outline why - in most cases, editors are agreeable if your argument is sound, but if it's a question of word usage, proper punctuation and grammar and spelling, then a style guide is usually the final deciding factor.

Unfortunately, stubborn editors and writers both exist, and if the two should clash, disaster is sure to happen.

I had an article of mine printed once where two sentences were repeated. My manuscript wasn't at fault, but the typesetting person messed it up. Of course, it all looks like the author is a bad writer.

Song, I'm sure you'll handle this with class. You have that way about you. Good luck. Please let us know how it turns out.

Songbird I'm so sorry to hear of this happening to you....I was the poetry editor for the "Cosmic Brownies" anthology that Sun Rising Poetry Press is printing and I would NEVER change a word of someone's poem unless it was something the two of us worked out TOGETHER and agreed on TOGETHER.

By all means, make your feelings known to the Editor.

Dotsie: Thanks for your vote of confidence !

Friends: Thanks for reassuring me of what is the right way to proceed with editing.

As soon as the holidays are over, I'll have to call or maybe email her, as another person whom I submitted work for this proyect is also dealing with a similar situation.

I pray this works out OK, as I was hoping to continue submitting work for next year's proyect. I am also trying to promote it around here so it is vital this incident gets its due attention ASAP.

Thanks for your support!

I am in the process of editing a book of poetry now. I insist on speaking directly with the poet for approval before making any changes. The best poems are made up of images that are perceived differently by different people at different times. And like all art, they cannot be made perfect.
I learned that from my American Indian Grandmother. Indians purposely place an imperfection in everything they create. A small off color bead will be sewn in the hem of a dress or a slight lump placed in pottery. It is meant as a tribute to the Great Spirit, the only creator of perfect things.

What the editor did with your work was wrong, but as I have learned in theater, sometimes you have to give up some of yourself and what you consider perfection in order to get your work seen and heard. Sometimes it is worth the trade off.
Blessings.
smile