For 31 years, I've been editing the Journal of Economic Perspectives. At the most basic level, editing is nigh pushing the writer to convey a indicate inwards the starting fourth dimension place, together with to larn into clearly. Sounds simple, perhaps? On complex subjects, coming together those criteria tin give the sack hold upward a high hurdle to cross.
Albert Jay Nock, inwards his 1943 Memoirs of a Superfluous Man, tells a story along these lines inwards his description of the editorial policy at a magazine he had edited called The Freeman (p. 172):
"In 1 way, our editorial policy was extremely easy-going, together with inwards or then other mode it was unbending every bit a ramrod. I tin give the sack explicate this best past times an anecdote. One twenty-four hours Miss X steered inwards a charming beau who wanted to write for us. I took a liking to him at once, together with kept him chatting for quite a while. When nosotros came downwardly to business, he diffidently asked what our policy was, together with did nosotros convey whatever untouchable sacred cows. I said nosotros for sure had, nosotros had 3 of them, every bit untouchable together with sacred every bit the Ark of the Covenant. He looked a combat flustered together with asked what they were.
"The starting fourth dimension one," I said, "is that yous must convey a point. Second, yous must larn into out. The tertiary 1 is that yous must larn into out inwards eighteen-carat, impeccable, idiomatic English."
"But is that all?"
"Isn't it plenty for you?"
'Why, yes, I suppose so, merely I mean, is that all the editorial policy yous have?"
"As far every bit I know, it is," I said, rising. "Now yous run along abode together with write us a overnice slice on the irremissibility of postbaptismal sin, together with if yous tin give the sack pose it over those 3 jumps, yous volition watch it inwards print. Or if yous would rather orbit something on a national policy of strangling all the girl-babies at birth, yous mightiness orbit that—glad to convey it."
The beau grinned together with shook hands warmly. We got excellent function out of him. As a affair of fact, at 1 fourth dimension or or then other nosotros printed quite a combat of materials that none of us believed in, merely it all conformed to our 3 conditions, it was respectable together with worth consideration. Ours was old-school editing, no doubt, merely inwards my pitiable sentence it made a far improve newspaper than to a greater extent than stringent methods convey produced inwards my time.I specially similar the comment inwards the closing paragraph nigh how they "printed quite a combat of materials that none of us believed in." For editors, agreeing amongst authors is overrated together with inwards fact unnecessary. Sumber http://conversableeconomist.blogspot.com/
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