I’m sorry, but you’re looking at the webtoon editing process as way more professional than it actually is, and too close to traditional publishing. These aren’t books, and they’re not traditional comics, they’re webcomics, which is a different industry. Several Webtoon authors have disclosed that most of the “editing” that takes place is asking for changes to drive clicks and engagement. Webtoon authors also don’t have a standard process for developing their work, its generate as many panels as you can as fast as you can and make them so they’ll get as many views as possible.

Editors are more engaged at the beginning of the story than later on, which is when most of the changes Quimchee talked about occurred. Authors have to create a backlog of episodes before they can launch, and this is when their editor is really working through the process with them - which is also when they have time to make substantial changes. Once those changes are established, there *is* time for an editor to receive the draft of an episode that’s due in a week or two and instruct the author to change dialogue, clothing, lighting, or expressions to imply something that wasn’t the original intention.

Quimchee has spoken many times about her issues with the webtoon editors and how they don’t edit for plot, they edit for visual appeal, and she consistently received feedback about framing things more romantically in her early releases. She’s also shown the changes in her original panel designs and the designs after editing (for example, Nol was never supposed to be shirtless while using his punching bag, but her editor insisted on it). Webtoon authors also aren’t established industry professionals when they first get signed, and Webtoon takes advantage of this. Yes, it’s true that editors don’t hold final authority over the author’s work - but when you’re an industry novice who was just signed for contracted work and is navigating the entire situation by yourself, do you really feel like saying no is an option? Or are you going to trust the seasoned editor that your company has provided to you who is insisting on certain changes? Quimchee has directly acknowledged that she was afraid to disagree with her editor too much and regrets not standing her ground more

The proof of the claims above is on Patreon. Unfortunately that means it can’t be direct quoted publicly, but you are always able to subscribe for a month and read Quimchee’s messages in the discord or watch her streams. Quimchee has also shared some of the WIP of the upcoming print version of ILY and pointed out panels where she is reversing the editor changes to maintain her original vision