Welcome to MyRagan Forum. Browse through any forum, sign in or register here and you'll be on your way to creating your own discussions and posting replies for the whole community to see :D
David Remnick said: "Editing requires a certain selflessness that is hard to find."
I disagree. I think GOOD editing requires a certain selflessness that is hard to find. I've encountered a few editors who have felt the need to put their own stamp on copy without adding value.
“No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.”
– H.G. Wells
(I've got lots of other humorous and insightful quotes on editing -- and writing -- at http://www.pen4rent.com/pen4rent/memorable-quotes-on-writing.aspx)
-------------------------------- Howard Daniel, APR
www.pen4rent.com
I suspect quite a few MyRaganites pile onto the Share a Quote bandwagon because it's easy, quick and non-controversial.
I, too, was about to take the bait when it occurred to me that Google has probably already been here and done that. I was right. I typed in "quotes editors", and that digital spoilsport instantly spit back thousands of citations; some were Websites containing:
Quotes about Editors
Editors Quotes
Editors quotes & quotations
Quoted - Quotes from Authors, Publishers, Editors, and Agents
Editing and Editors Quotes
Editors Quotes - Quotations and Famous Quotes on Editors
Great Quotes for Editors: Inspiring Quotations About Editing
With a mother lode of such dimension just keystrokes away, I would be hard pressed to see the value of inviting readers to share their favorite quotes--on ANY subject--unless, perhaps, those contributions included a word or two as to why a particular quote qualified as a favorite. (Our business colleagues might call this "value added".)
I like the quote, "We're called 'editors', because 'necessary evil' conveys the wrong impression on business cards." Why? It's short, thought-provoking and captures the essence of the unavoidable tension existing between good editors and competent writers.
Someone once presented to me a copy of Michelle's offering as:
"The greatest drive is not love or hate. It is one person's need to edit another's copy."
The word "edit" was crossed out and replaced with "alter." And "alter" was crossed out and replaced with "change." And "change" was crossed out and replaced with "chop." And "chop" was crossed out and replaced with "hack to pieces." And so on. The final change that survived the circle of variations surrounding the original strikethrough was "edit."
Sometimes all you need is a picture. At one office we hung a picture of a fire hydrant. Of course, it represented our work. Need I say anything about the "dogs?"
To ManicMonday: I couldn't help noticing that the quote at the end of your comments contains a punctuation error. It should read: "We're called 'editors' because 'necessary evil' conveys the wrong impression on business cards."
