Some Mechanics of Editing
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| Title: | Some Mechanics of Editing |
| Creator: | Mary Ann Drach |
| Date(s): | December 1980 |
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| Fandom: | |
| Topic: | |
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Some Mechanics of Editing is a 1980 essay by Mary Ann Drach.
It was printed in Stylus #1.
Some Topics Discussed
- the difference between "editing" (adjusting plot details, characterization, and a writer's basic style and word choice) and "copy editing" (correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation, and occasionally syntax)
- grammar and spelling isn't your strength, you need to find an editor who is good at these things; likewise with plotting and dialogue
- the author's geographic isolation from most fans (she lived in Maine, US), and having only edited one zine so far both hindered her, and also made her uniquely qualified, perhaps due to perseverance and a fresh approach
- tracing paper as an elegant feedback tool
- writing fanfiction as a learning experience
From the Essay
It is the province of a copy editor to see that these elements come out right in the type-set copy, and should not be emphasized in dealing with any writer, professional or amateur. The pro doesn't want to be bothered with 'eighth grade stuff; the amateur frequently mistakes copy editing for criticism of the story itself.
It seems to me that the writer doesn't have to become involved in spelling or grammar corrections, and only occasionally in punctuation.
They simply cloud the issue, which should be the story. The problem in Trek and other amateur zines is that some 'editors' are simply compilers, and have the same difficulties with basic English skills as the amateur writers whose work they print. If you, a writer, know you are less than proficient in these areas, and your editor's zine reflects that he or she is also, then find yourself a buddy who knows how to spell and the difference between to lie and to lay, and its and it's.
At this point I'd learned some things and made some decisions, but I still needed a means of swift, clear communication with my writers. Sending back a MS with lots of penciled chicken scratches, in two people's sometimes illegible handwriting, did not appeal to me at all. Neither did spending hours writing detailed letters. Thanks to the suggestion of a friend, I developed a system of tracing paper overlays which enabled me to keep the manuscript, with all my nit-picking corrections, in my own possession. Tracing paper is cheap, and the expense is offset by much lower mailing costs for the lighter weight paper. Also, I only had to mail those pages which required correction, instead of sending a whole MS back and forth several times. Positively phrased corrections or suggestions could be made neatly, and there was plenty of room for providing alternatives to word choice (syntax) and sentence structure, and for explaining why I required a change. All I need do was make sure the writer had a xerox or the original, and mark corners and underline the first line for placement. Oh- and write the page number on each sheet.
This also had the advantage of giving the writer space for rebuttal. Tracing paper has a harder finish and permits more erasures than bond, which quickly develops holes when one area is subjected to repeated workouts with the soft end of a pencil. If there's a revision the editor is really adamant about, it can be made in ink; all optional revisions, like alternate word choice, can be offered in pencil. The writer need do nothing more than check off approved changes, substitute where necessary, and then mail back the tracing paper after entering the revisions in the original copy. Of course, if something needs extensive revision, such as the rewriting of several pages or a drastic change in point of view, then you have to explain more fully in a letter.
My last step is to send a xerox of the camera-ready copy and all illos to the writer. At least in the case of major stories. This saves myriad misunderstandings, and is well worth the minor expense. If zines are a writer's and editor's workshop where we can learn from our mistakes in as protected an environment as possible, then it seems to me we should conduct ourselves as professionally as possible or the entire exercise becomes no more than an ego trip, certainly not a learning experience.
I just took a look at my cash book, and I doubt the sum of these things added more than $20 or $30 to my budget - not counting time, postage and wounded feelings saved.