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Re: An Editor's Role...To Punish the Writer?

Subject: Re: An Editor's Role...To Punish the Writer?
From: Jo Francis Byrd <jbyrd -at- byrdwrites -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2002 15:56:33 -0500


Don't usually have the luxury of an editor, but, except for one occasion, I loved it (except it's embarrassing because all they usually find is the piddley stuff; I'm a pretty good self editor).

The exception, the company wanted me gone - they didn't pay me enough to tolerate their abuse and temper tantrums, and in any case, I've lived too many years and worked too many years to have any sort of tolerance level for it - and I fear I let my contempt show. Had the attitude they needed me more than I needed them. Maybe a death wish (I got to collect unemployment in the end).

My direct manager would fine-tooth comb my docs, and if he couldn't find anything, he'd make it up. More than one sentence he reworded just for the sake of rewording and because he could.

Maybe your editors are trying to justify their existence, maybe they're just jealous because you can write and they can't (ironically, one of the best editors I ever had was an APPALLING writer!). Who knows.

Jo Byrd

Worzel Gummidge wrote:

I've been at this company for about 5 weeks, and apart from trying my darndest to meet next to impossible deadlines, I've had to deal with something that I've never had to deal with before. Our editors seem to have the attitude of: "We need to punish those naughty writers." And believe me, punish they do. For example, I recently received a document that not only had tons of "slash and burn" comments (and yes, I know my own weaknesses), but the tone was tense and terse. Also, our editors copy our managers, directors, and anyone else they feel should look over the writer's work..."Sigh"

I was under a complete illusion, that is I thought that editors where here to help and to point out inconsistencies, I was wrong! A writer must turn in a completely clean doc, and if they don't *&$#!!! Never mind that you may have had only a few weeks to write a 700 page manual from scratch.
Here's what burns in my mind. If all the writers turned in completely clean docs, why have editors?





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Re: An Editor's Role...To Punish the Writer?: From: Worzel Gummidge

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