Publishers developed an industry of sensitivity editors, and they’ve mostly been effective in helping new work maintain an author’s vision while avoiding scanda

Publishers developed an industry of sensitivity editors, and they’ve mostly been effective in helping new work maintain an author’s vision while avoiding scandal (scandals are more expensive than editors). For new work, it’s a collaborative editing process no different than line editing for style/grammar or story editing for engagement, and authors are involved in the process. But what happens any time you have a whole department built around a new process? Some exec tries to start using it in new places. Thankfully, performing sensitivity edits to reprinted classics seems to be producing its own scandals and — since the whole thing is about avoiding scandals (to the publisher) - hopefully it won’t last.