Editors

Building on that...

Not all copy editors are the enemy.

Yes, there are some who are just frustrated would-be writers who are unhappy with their circumstances and thusly take it out on the writers. But most of them? Not so much.

Whenever my copy gets thouroughly rogered by the copy desk, I find out who read my stuff and send him an e-mail. I say I noticed it was changed and ask what I can do to make sure it wouldnt happen again and, thusly, cut down on the work he has to do.

You wouldn't believe how much I've learned from this, and these guys are only too happy to share. Plus, like Frank said, the more they know you're not going to throw an ego trip, the more they're willing to let you take risks.

Believe me, if I ever get hired on someplace that thinks I'm worth a shit, the first thing I'm going to do is shake the hand of every copy editor at my current shop and say a warm, genuine "thanks."

 

reference SF Express above

 

The real Henry Hecht was a beat writer of reknown who became an editor.

 

The real Henry Hecht was also a pain in the ass at times, but he was ok to break bread with.

 

Uh-uh. You were saying two different things.

SF is saying that a sports editor has a full 40 hours a week in running a sports department.

You're saying that copy editors aren't equal to the task of helping writers become better, because they weren't good writers themselves. Which is one hell of a generalization.

 

That is an odd thing to say.

I've only had one editor who wasn't a solid writer in his own right and, to his credit, didn't pretend to be ... he was an organizer to the nth degree. The biggest problem I've had are editors without social skills who just can't communicate what they want. Suprising but true, good reporters don't always translate into good editors. We're an industry of introverts.

But not good writers? That's a new one.

 

I'm only pointing out that sports editors and ASEs and copy editors and slot people and whoever have a lot to deal with.

So: Ask for input and B) understand all the other things going on in their jobs. And take whatever steps you can, while you're waiting, to make yourselves better on your own.

 

i wouldn't be etching much of anything in stone if i were you.

 

He should probably quit all the ass-kissing, too.

If he kisses as much ass at work as he did on this one thread, he'll end up with chapped lips and foot prints on his back.

 

i'm guessing he's also experienced in other areas of "making nice" as well.

 

I won't respond to Tom because, well, he's Tom.

But Write, from what I've gleaned from this thread, you could probably do well to credit those around you as well. The "ass-kissing" as you put it is actually something most in this business refer to as "respect." Or, in my case, respect for those much older than me who have been doing it much longer than me and do not have to treat me as an equal if they don't want to.

Knowing everything, surprisingly, doesn't get you far in this business. But maybe you'll find that out on your own one day.

And I'd say it hardly qualifies as "ass kissing" when I wouldn't have clue one if any of my superiors frequented this board to begin with.

 

whoa there sparky. even when you attempt to say you don't know it all, you act as if you know it all. which is it?