So I wrote this article on ferrets for the ASPCA, because they asked me to. It started before I broke my back in May. They wanted a measely 3,000 words to describe ferret care and ownership. Yeah, ok. They cut like 50 pages from my almost 400 page book, right?? I'm as good as Bob Church is when it comes to being brief, and probably as boring ;-) Anyway, I submitted like 4,600 words. Then I broke my back/pelvis. Then they came back and asked my a bazillion questions and wanted more details, so I submitted another draft, which I thought was just a draft, on June 4th. Now we're up to something like 7,500 words (there's not a whole lot I can do with a broken back...). It's their own darn fault. I have at least a dozen e-mails from the editor where she promises she'll keep me very involved in the editing process so that they don't screw up, take something out of context, misquote me or cut something important. I don't hear from them for months, so I e-mail and ask if the whole project has been scrapped. Nope. It went to press and will be out at the end of the month. I just about had a COW! The main editor was in shock that I hadn't seen the final hacked up 3,000 word article. It was a misunderstanding between all the editors, but she was certain I'd be as happy with the finished product as they were. I said, "You don't kow the ferret community! They're vicious." She said, "Tough crap." We aren't writing for the ferret community, we're writing from the standpoint of a humane organization who wants people to be educated. We write for other shelters, etc. I said, "You don't know ferret shelters. They can be vicious!" She says, "Tough crap." At this point I feel really sick to my stomach..... I tell her, "This is MY name and reputation on the line." She says "Tough crap........check is in the mail." No offense to editors who may be present on this list, but I really do tend to dislike editors as a group. I'd wanted to delete one of the ferret resources I listed and add another. Geez, I hate editors. For those of you who get "Animal Watch" put out quarterly by the ASPCA, I "think" my article is called "Ferret Fever". That's what they originally wanted it to be. Of course, it could be something completely different now. Editors........ Kim Schilling and the Zoo Author of http://www.animalsforawareness.org/Ferret%20Book.htm Ferrets for Dummies Director, http://www.animalsforawareness.org Animals for Awareness "Protection through Education" A USDA, 501(C)3 non-profit educational facility dedicated to exotic and wild animals. [Posted in FML issue 3502]