Ten Things You Should Never Say to an Editor
By Denise Loock
Hiring an editor is wise. But you’ll
waste the money you’ve invested if you’re unwilling to accept an editor’s
advice. Here are ten things you may want to say to an editor but shouldn’t.
1. No one will notice. No one cares. If
you’ve ever noticed a misspelled word or a misplaced comma in a newspaper or on
a billboard, you care about accuracy. More than that, though, God cares. He
loves excellence. In fact, He demands excellence. Colossians 3:23-25 says, “Don’t
just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for
your real Master, for God. … The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be
held responsible. Being a follower of Jesus doesn’t cover up bad work” (MSG).
Ouch. God never excuses “shoddy work.”
2. My friend, an English teacher, told me this was correct. I taught
English for 29 years before I became an editor. The differences between
English-teacher style and publication style are many. Get the right resources. Here
are three: The Christian Writer’s Manual
of Style, fourth edition (CWMS); Proofreading
Secrets of Best-Selling Authors; The
Associated Press Stylebook.
3. How will readers get my point if I don’t use italics, all-caps, and
exclamation points? Make your words work. Don’t glitz them up with fancy
fonts and superfluous punctuation. “The craft of writing involves arranging
words and phrases in such a way as to emphasize the important points without
depending on typographic peculiarities” (CWMS 77).“Typographic peculiarities” attempt
to mask mediocrity with gaudiness. Don’t insult your reader with such
shenanigans.
4. Max Lucado does it that way. According to his website, Lucado has
sold 92 million books. Yes, he’s successful. But if God wanted another Max
Lucado, He would clone him. Be your best
self. Find your voice.
5. This is God’s message. I can’t change it. Yes the Holy Spirit
impresses on us a message. He reveals fresh meanings and applications in
Scripture. But He also uses traditional means of education. Paul’s letters are
filled with post-resurrection connections to Old Testament Scriptures. Revealed
by the Holy Spirit, yes. But Paul had studied the Hebrew Scriptures thoroughly.
He learned under Gamaliel, the most respected rabbi of that era (Acts 5:34;
22:3). Messages need refinement. So do messengers. Just ask Paul.
6. That’s the way I talk (or blog.) The
CWMS devotes three pages to the difference between blog style and book style.
It covers topics such as tone, structure, transitions, repetition, and references.
Learn the rules of good writing and practice them in everything you write.
7. I like it the way it is. Stubbornness is the twin of arrogance. Everyone
makes mistakes—writers and editors. But
wait at least 24 hours before insisting, “I won’t change it.” Pray about it. In
The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
says of the student: “And gladly would he learn and gladly teach.” Wise words.
8. But I love that song (book, speaker). We all have favorite books, speakers, and songs. But that
doesn’t mean we insert lyrics, paragraphs, and illustrations from those sources
in our books or blogs. Find a fresher way to say it that reflects your
experiences, your environment, your interests.
9. I saw it somewhere on the Internet (heard it at church,
at a conference, on TV).
Documentation is essential. If
you don’t know the source, don’t use it. Misquotes and wrong attributions
permeate the Internet. Avoid using brainyquote.com and goodreads.com/quotes.
And never depend on Wikipedia. Respect the sources you admire enough to read
the original version of their words.
10. It could mean that, couldn’t it? Use
Scripture accurately and appropriately. Context is everything. Don’t mix
fiction with fact. Even if you’re using only one verse, study the context, read
a few commentaries, and pray about it. Research Scriptures as thoroughly as other
citations. Plant 2 Timothy 2:15 in your heart and “correctly handle the word of
truth” (NIV).
Remember, an editor is your friend. Editors want your manuscript to be the best
it can be. Editing is a humbling career. Writing is a humbling career. Neither
writers nor editors are infallible. But we both can strive for excellence and
make our heavenly Father proud.
(Photos courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net/Master Isolated Images, Denise Loock, and Google Photos.)
TWEETABLE
Denise Loock is a writer, editor, and speaker. She is the former editor for The Journey Christian
Newspaper, which reaches over 60,000 online and print readers. As an
assistant editor, she helps Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas produce high
quality, engaging inspirational books. She accepts freelance editing projects
too. Contact her at info@digdeeperdevotions.com.
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