So there's an editor who has accepted a story of mine for publication... but he wants me to change the ending. Normally I'm pretty open to editorial changes, but in this case the proposed changes alter the timbre of the piece by changing the ending from a "downer" ending to something more upbeat.
Is this a reasonable request from an editor? What are the pros and cons of accepting this request?
Answer
I can't say if it's reasonable or not, but it's not unheard of. There is also the fact that the editor does like your story.
The biggest pro of going through with this is that you get your story published, but is it worth it? As you said, you are changing the timbre of the piece, and if it makes it something you're not happy with it might not be worth doing the work.
Here's what I would suggest, ask the editor why he thinks the ending needs to be changed. There is always the possibly that he has a very good reason why he think the upbeat ending is better, maybe there is something in the story that he believes leads to the happier ending. Once you know why he wants it you can try to sell him on your original ending or work out what needs to be tweaked in the story to make the downer ending work for him.
Working with an editor is a two way street, and it's always better to work with them for this sort of thing to find something that works for both of you.
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