I
Comma jockey, fault-finder, rule-follower, drone
II
"Copy editors are a necessary evil."
III
They make it read as if they had written it.
IV
"Most editors are failed writers, but so are most writers."
V
Texas chainsaw editor
VI
"I became an editor for the money and the glamor."
VII
Who let that through?
VIII
"Reading other people's raw copy is like looking at your grandmother naked."
IX
Take out the dumbest stuff first.
X
An ink-stained wretch's ink-stained wretch
XI
"Your manuscript is both good and original, but what is good is not original, and what is original is not good."
XII
Write drunk; edit sober.
XIII
"He made it say what I meant better than I did myself."
Viewpoint IX reminds me of this piece of advice from Roy Peter Clark: "Prune the big limbs, then shake out the dead leaves." (From his book Fifty Writing Tools.)
ReplyDeleteViewpoint VI: Also accurate! The money, the glamour, and the dark humor.