| | Adam, I am in total agreement with Linz on this issue. It is a disgrace that TOC took it upon itself to edit your Op-Ed without getting your express agreement to their changes. I've never heard of a publication doing this.
I had a great editor for my biography of Ayn Rand. She never changed one word of my writing herself. We spent a week going over my manuscript, and she certainly suggested changes -- but always prefaced by the statement: "It's your book, Barbara. You have to decide it you agree with my suggestion or not." And mostly, she didn't suggest specific changes, only that something needed clarification, or expansion, or whatever, and why she thought so. And, of course, she had the option, as every publisher has, to refuse to accept the manuscript if she thought it was seriously flawed.
I'd have gone up in smoke if anyone did to my writing what was done to yours. I can see the reason for some of the changes TOC wanted to make, and some of them were good reasons-- though not all -- but that is utterly irrelevant. TOC had an obligation either to publish you as is, to suggest changes, or to refuse publication; there should not have been another alternative.
I'm furious on your behalf.
Barbara
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