|
TS
Eliot’s
The Wasteland is one of the best-known poems of the Twentieth
Century. And rightly so – it stands as one of the great
epic poems of our time. What is less widely known, however,
is that a great deal of its quality is owed to the subediting
skills of Eliot’s friend and fellow poet, Ezra Pound.
The extra gloss
It’s a familiar
feeling – you’ve written, read
over and re-written a piece so many times,
that you just can’t
tell if you like it anymore. Like the tenth
time you hear (or tell) a joke. Is it still funny? Was
it ever funny? Have you
just become immune to it?
On the other hand, it
may be that you have something that needs
to be cut down or requires that extra
special gloss.
Your message must not
be bottled
A subeditor's ability to
revise effectively is closely linked to their understanding of
the objective of the copy. Without
a thorough appreciation of what
the piece
is hoping to achieve, it is impossible to know
what is focused
and relevant, and
what is extraneous dead wood. Ironically,
an outsider is often best positioned to make these kind
of decisions,
as theirs
is a dispassionate, detached
point of view, and therefore more objective.
The all-seeing critical
eye
A
keen critical eye is essential for
a good subeditor.
We’re not just
talking about a good
grasp of punctuation
and grammar – though
first class proof reading
skills are essential,
but
a feeling for
language.
Does the copy flow?
Is the language appropriate?
Are the sentences too
long?
Creativity
within constraints
However, it may not
be the writing
that is the
problem.
When
preparing a marketing or sales
document
there are
a number
of other factors
to consider.
Word count
and design
layout for
example, can
have a major
impact on
what and how you write.
Cutting
a piece of
text to
fit an
imposed word
limit
can feel
like
a daunting
job.
Everything
written
feels so necessary.
But
if cuts
need to be made,
and a certain
number
of words
must be
lost,
then, once
again,
the detached
objectivity
of a subeditor
can
be the
best
route.
Subediting
from
Writing
Machine
Writing
Machine
has
offered
effective
subediting
services
for
many
years.
Close
proof
reading
skills
are
combined
with
an
intimate
knowledge
of
the
English
language – and
how
to
make
the
most
of
it.
In-depth research, including client interviews,
ensures we fully comprehend the drive and the objective
of a piece before we even pick up the dreaded red pen.
Consequently, you can be assured that the copy you receive
back will not
only read well, but will also contain the right information
for the right people. Contact
us to ask for a quote on subediting.
|
