Transition to editing Or why don't all editors have drinking problems

[raj abraham <raj_jo_ash -at- yahoo -dot- com>]

Bruce Byfield wrote:

One of the most important - and hardest - lessons for
editors is
the difference between their preferences and what's
good for the
document at hand.


I've just climbed this particular learning curve.
Looking back, I realize as an editor, I tended to be
heavy handed with the scissors. I thought I was
editing but all I did was bring my own ideas of style
to the document and smother the writer's own good
qualities. Editing is so easy (and gratifying!) when
you do it that way.

Nowadays I make a real effort to leave the document
untouched as much as possible and intervene only if I
have to. Still, style remains a bugbear. At times I'm
reduced to pulling rank, or mentioning my years of
experience as a writer to back me up in my arguments.
I hate doing this but schedules allow only so much
time for discussion. Structural problems are much
easier to thrash out. 

Regards
Raj Abraham

He who sees other's faults is ever irritable - his
corruptions grow. He is far from the destruction of
the corruptions. Dhammapada 252-53.

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