Lesson for Communicators: Leave Some of the Raw Edges
Posted on Friday, May 2, 2008 by Frank RocheSeth Godin wrote a piece today that’s a great lesson for all HR communicators. In an article titled Sucking All the Juice Out, Godin writes about a copyeditor gone awry:
Just got some work back from a new copyeditor hired by my publisher. She did a flawless job. She also wrecked my work. Totally wrecked it.
By sanding off every edge, removing every idiom, making each and every fact literally correct, she made it boring and dry and mechanical.
If they have licenses for copyeditors, she should have hers revoked.
I’ve written a lot about this. The first draft is usually the best, and then editing takes it downhill from there. I’m not against all editing, just crappy editing. So is Seth Godin. Read his whole article. There’s a great payoff at the end.
JT
May 2nd, 2008
Not exactly on point, but this post reminded me of fourth grade at St. Laurence School.
I wrote a book report about a mystery. In the book report I referred to it as a “who done it”.
Sister returned my paper with “done” crossed out and replaced by “did”.
Luckly, even at the age of 10 I knew to laugh.