[It dawned on me that if this article wasn’t accepted, I was going to look like a jerk. It would mean that I’d put him through that demanding ringer for nothing.]
That happened to me. I worked with a writer to edit a piece. It was rejected. And I probably did look like a jerk to that writer. But in hindsight, I didn't put them through the wringer enough. We cleaned up the piece significantly. But it was too academic in tone. Too dry. Not enough emotion. And I regret that I didn't hit that point harder.
Yes, I've had other times when I've worked hard on an article only to have it not be accepted. Unfortunately, that sends the message that the editor (me), doesn't know what he's talking about. It's easy to evaluate a rejection and come to the simple conclusion that the editor offered bad advice. Most situations are much more complex than that!
[It dawned on me that if this article wasn’t accepted, I was going to look like a jerk. It would mean that I’d put him through that demanding ringer for nothing.]
That happened to me. I worked with a writer to edit a piece. It was rejected. And I probably did look like a jerk to that writer. But in hindsight, I didn't put them through the wringer enough. We cleaned up the piece significantly. But it was too academic in tone. Too dry. Not enough emotion. And I regret that I didn't hit that point harder.
Yes, I've had other times when I've worked hard on an article only to have it not be accepted. Unfortunately, that sends the message that the editor (me), doesn't know what he's talking about. It's easy to evaluate a rejection and come to the simple conclusion that the editor offered bad advice. Most situations are much more complex than that!