Yes, I know. There are no special qualifications. That's another reason why it can result in a fall-out (their word against the writer), so who is right? I could create a publication tomorrow. But I would always respect the writer's story, that although it might be my publication, it's not my story. That's where some editors get it wrong. They think they own the writer's story. It becomes their property. That's their mentality. So instead of a healthy writer-editor relationship, it becomes more like a dictation. So I think it's a mentality issue, having the wrong attitude, lacking respect for the writer's decision making and taking away control from the writer. Even if the editor might have excellemt editing skills, their mentality can seriously undermine the writer-editor relationship. It should be about mutual respect and not control. It should be about healthy boundaries (my publication but your story!). Particularly in personal stories where the editor doesn't have adequate knowledge or personal experience, yet they try to dictate how a writer expresses their story.

Yes, can you imagine if it was a paid role!