Editors are often stereotypically portrayed as being a hard-nosed, grumpy lot. Well, some of them are, but most aren’t.

Take the case of Samuel Mae, the editor of Comets and Criminals Magazine. He was a joy to deal with. After he purchased my SF western piece “Sheriff Blaine and the Four-Armed Desperado” (for which I was promptly paid), he came back to me with edits in a presentable and professional fashion, and was very sensitive about my feelings as a writer. (Probably because he is one, too, and a well-published one, at that). When I disagreed with some of his edits, he came back with sensible alternatives as a way to move forward. I felt that he was sincerely interested in both my story and in me as a writer, and for that I am grateful.

On the opposite end of the publishing spectrum, there are a few editors who are rude and insensitive. They probably use “busyness” as an excuse to lash out and vent their (writing) frustrations at writers. I have received a few rejection letters that are, to my mind, unnecessarily harsh, and bordering on the unprofessional. I keep them to have a good chuckle from time to time, and as a reminder to never submit to those markets again.

It’s their loss, not mine!