Is it normal for small publication editors to only publicize certain writers/poets?

Hmm, I've just been sent a proof of my poem, and, apparently, the editor decided to leave out my last line (which I chose to leave in because I thought it was important to help the reader know and imagine the age of the characters, who are very young children; otherwise, without it, the reader won't know how old they are and might assume that they're adults, teens, etc., which, to me, doesn't have the same, emotional effect.)

So, what does everyone think? Should I mention this to the editor or will they think I'm trying to argue with them? Should I let it go and leave the edit the way the editor wants? I understand why the editor chose to leave it out (because I did think about whether to omit it or not, myself) but still, I'm kind of worried that, without the line, readers won't know that the characters are supposed to be children.

But, now that I think about it, I suppose it's possible that the editor believes that--due to what the characters are doing--readers will be able to guess and infer that they're children.


Another reason why I thought it better to wait until I possibly have an agent in the future is that I feel I'd need their guidance on what would be okay to write and tweet on social media, since I kind of thought about writing for children.

For example, I don't want to make any accidental social media gaffs like tweeting about my favorite adult books I've read (which happen to have adult content and aren't appropriate for children) or on what to do if underage children choose to follow my social media or write message to me, mistakingly thinking I'm their age, etc. (because in real life, children like making small talk with me and, I think, still do kind of think I'm around their age).

Plus, I'm aware that some parents aren't happy about LGBT+ books with LGBT+ characters; so, I don't want to upset them/alienate potential customers by mentioning books that I like that might have LGBT+ characters, whether my stories might have LGBT+ characters, etc.

Marissa D said:

Your future agent will not interested in guiding your social media usage. You're overthinking this.

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They wouldn't? But, I thought it'd be important because of an author's "branding" for their career, the books they write, etc., to make sure that an author won't make a mistake accidently mentioning something that others might consider controversial (i.e. a children's author mentioning their favorite adult books that have LGBT+ content/scenes/ are adult thrillers--they're not erotica, of course, but still, I kind of thought it'd be helpful to have confirmation from an agent whether something like that would be a big "no-no."

Patty said:

...Novicewriter--Congratulations! It must be great to see your work picked up. I might err toward not worrying about the last line of the poem, but that's because I see value in moving on with other parts of the process/other projects... Sometimes sleeping on the issue can help, too. See how you feel about it in the morning.

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Ah, multiple accounts! That sounds useful.

Thank you! I wrote the poem a few years ago, and it was originally supposed to be published by a lit mag in 2017, but, then, that lit mag went under; so, I'm glad it's finally being published, after so many years of rejections and waiting...

mccardey said:

My god, that would be a horrible world.

I get 'branding' (I worked for decades in advertising) but really, an agent who would stop you having or voicing your own political or social beliefs would be far more limiting that they'd be worth. Your own common sense should be the judge of what you do or do not need to say and in what context.

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Oh, no. I didn't mean an agent would do that in a negative way, just as polite advice and guidance, say, for example, if they knew or had previously heard about other authors being criticized on social media for mentioning something that others thought was inappropriate.

lizmonster said:

...As for alienating potential customers...eh. I've seen authors on Twitter who do nothing but retweet book reviews in their genre and do release announcements, and you could do something like that. It's fine, but not deeply engaging. Me, I figure anybody I alienate with anything I post would hate my work anyway, so I've saved them some time.

ETA: I see the others have answered with more eloquence while I was typing! But truly, social media isn't a sales driver in fiction, and your agent isn't going to police you one way or another. (Also, pretty much everybody knows children's book authors read adult fiction on their own time; you can recommend books without fear.)

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See, this fear is partly due to where I live and also due to how I've read about how other authors have been criticized on social media for accidently saying something that others interpreted as offensive. Most adults in the state are conservative and vote that way: they and local politicians have mentioned for years--and still do--that they don't agree with schools or adults teaching their children about LGBT+ people or issues in school, that it's against their religious beliefs, etc.

I've read about how, in a nearby state, parents successfully convinced a school district to ban a picture book about a boy who liked wearing dresses. They argued that it wasn't appropriate because it was teaching young children about LGBT+ people.

Also, some parents complained to a school principal/supervisor trying to get at least one person fired for holding a workshop for teens, featuring a non-fiction book about gay teens.

veinglory said:

Check that the omission of the last line is not an error. If it is deliberate ask for the reason. Then decide whether to approve the change.

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Aye! I already sent an email giving my approval around two days ago, after thinking about it overnight, like one member suggested. Before it was accepted, the editor asked me to edit it down further, not only for space limitations, but to help improve and make the imagery stand out more. So, I sent a shorter, edited version that was accepted.

I'm okay with the last line being omitted; I realized that it wasn't imagery--like the editor wanted--and reads more professional and better, with subtle details, rather than having the last line hitting the reader over the head too much with being overly specific about the age of the characters. I think readers can still figure out that the characters are children, where they're going, etc., based on what they're doing and wearing.

I was just overly attached to it because it was based on a real memory from my life, which happened at a certain age. I'm okay with readers not knowing the children's exact age; the fact that the characters likely can be inferred to be children is enough for me.

But, I'll keep your advice in mind in the future, for other editors, in case something similar happens, again.

Fuchsia Groan said:

I know your region may have special circumstances, but I can tell you that in the current YA/MG Twittersphere, being LGBT+ positive and promoting books with LGBT+ content is the norm. I’d advise making an account and following people in the community to see what the environment is like, before you start tweeting. It’s all about reading the room. You’d probably want to seek out local teachers’ and librarians’ accounts, too...

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Thanks, for explaining a little about what it's like having DMs from readers!

Yes. I'm well aware that being openly positive about LGBT+ books and characters is encouraged in other parts of the country. I've been reading agents' and authors' tweets, who live in other parts of the country that are more liberal and accepting of LGBT+ people (e.g. New York and California).

Hmm...about local authors/poets...yes, I've already looked at their social media: it's a very, very small group; all of them follow each other and don't have as many followers as other authors and poets who live in other parts of the country (in more populous, liberal cities). All of them seem to be older authors and poets; most don't tweet about LGBT+ books or issues (I only know of one who does, sometimes, but most seem to be heterosexual; they mention through interviews and their poetry about being married to an opposite sex spouse; that have children, etc.). Their work and tweets are more about being working-class, Southern, religious, etc. I'm not from here, so I'm not exactly like them.

I'm not sure about local librarians, as I recently overheard one politely agreeing with a parent who thought the books that schools were requiring students to read were inappropriate; the parent said she reads to her 13-year-old son and omits the parts she doesn't want him to read because she said it was her right as a parent to have control over what her son is taught, not the school.

So, while librarians and libraries, as a whole, might tweet things about accepting diversity, it might not actually be representative of their personal feelings.