Excerpts from the Introduction

Wield the Editor's Pencil Proudly (?)

My first professional editing assignment was to edit a series of essays for
publication in an academic book. Early on in the process, I received feedback
from a writer whose essay I had edited. My boss called me in to tell me an
author had commented on my editing, and I was thrilled. I expected to hear
compliments on how much I had improved the clarity of the essay and how glad
the author was that I had corrected his mistakes.

Much to my dismay, the feedback was quite different. The author had called
to complain that "someone was mucking about with my prose." He was
offended by some of my changes and felt most of them were unnecessary. I
felt chagrined and unjustly accused. After all, I was only helping the author and
making his essay better.

If you have ever edited someone else's writing, you may have experienced such
a feeling of letdown after returning your revisions to the writer. The author may
not have been as grateful or accepting of your changes as you would have liked.
Even worse, the writer may have become defensive and given you an even
more poorly written document the next time around. You may feel that you are
caught in a never-ending cycle of writing and revising, with no relief in sight.

Beware the Trap of the Editing Eddy

Some business documents, after they are drafted by the author, live long lives in
an eddy of editing before they ever get to the recipient's in-box. They seem to be
trapped, apparently ready to be issued but then back again for another rewrite by
the author, an additional edit by a supervisor, or one more correction by an editor.
In the world of business writing, the editing and review process often causes
more consternation—and takes more time—than composition itself. Many
documents must necessarily be reviewed by the writer's peers and superiors
before being approved and distributed. However, this review process often
becomes a source of frustration and delay to all the writers and reviewers
involved.

How has such a necessary part of the business communication process
become so maligned? Why isn't editing seen as the same creative, valuable
process as writing? Why are writers and reviewers so often at odds with one
another?

Copyright 2005 Angela J. Maniak

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In this book, I share proven practices that will enable you and your colleagues
to break out of a costly review and editing cycle. I show you how to establish
a review process that adds measurable value, enhances both the timeliness
and quality of documents, and encourages collaboration between writer and
reviewer.
      
In over 20 years of consulting to professionals on business report writing, I
have found the most profound problems to be in the interaction (or lack thereof)
between writers and reviewers. Although both parties have the same goal—to
publish the best document possible—they often differ in their methods, styles,
or attitudes.

Conflict often results, and the consequence is suffered by the organization.
Reports get delayed, writing and editing costs escalate, and professionals
procrastinate on future writing and editing assignments, fearing that the costly
cycle of writing and rewriting will happen all over again.

Get Payback from Your Editing Time
       
If you are a professional who reviews or edits other people's writing, this book
will help you accomplish the following goals:

• Reduce the amount of time you spend editing.
• Encourage professionals to write and publish their work results.
• Coach writers to deliver higher quality drafts to you for review.
• Help writers continually improve their writing skills.
• Raise the quality level of documents your work team issues.
• Manage an efficient, cost-effective writing and review process
  among your work team.

  Accomplishing these goals provides a payback to you and your organization
  because:

• Managerial editing is costly. Each hour you spend reviewing someone's
  writing adds to the cost of the document.
• Rewriting is rework. A productive and profitable organization cannot
  afford to have a professional redo the work of a colleague or subordinate.
• Extensive editing is demoralizing to writers, who may continue to
  turn out poorly written documents.

  Copyright 2005 Angela J. Maniak

  ===========================================================

  Who Will Benefit from This Book

  If you are a professional or manager who reviews or edits other people's writing
  as part of your job, this book is for you. I recognize that the word "editor" is
  probably not in your job title but that, nonetheless, you do have to edit letters,
  reports, policies, or other documents produced by your work team. The focus
  of my book is not on the mechanics of editing (where to put a comma, when to
  change a word), but rather on the process of working with a writer to produce a
  better document.
  
  Professional copy editors will find value in this book as well, as they learn to look
  at the writer as well as the document and develop more productive relationships
  with their writer clients.
  
  Editors of professional journals, newsletters, or compilations will learn how to
  encourage professionals to submit articles for publication and how to avoid an
  editorial process that may be discouraging or demeaning to authors.
  

  Copyright 2005 Angela J. Maniak

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