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The Old Editor Says: Maxims for Writing and Editing
Many beginning writers and editors benefited from a crusty old editor's brisk maxims about the craft. If you want to be reminded of those days, look inside. If you want to learn those brisk maxims, many of them are collected here. And if you aspire to become a crusty old editor, this is the handbook. About the Author: John McIntyre is the night content production manager at The Baltimore Sun and author of the blog You Don't Say at Baltimoresun.com. A former president of the American Copy Editors Society, he teaches editing at Loyola University Maryland.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
70 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
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61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 8, 2017
I bought this book based on several glowing reviews and feel like an idiot for wasting the money.
The book is a very slim volume--there are only 59 'pieces of wisdom', one per page, with *lots* of whitespace on each page. This is the sort of thing that one would expect to be offered for free on a blog, or at most $0.99 for the ebook.
The 'pieces of wisdom' are interesting enough, and sometimes witty, but there's really not enough there to make the book worth the money.
The book is a very slim volume--there are only 59 'pieces of wisdom', one per page, with *lots* of whitespace on each page. This is the sort of thing that one would expect to be offered for free on a blog, or at most $0.99 for the ebook.
The 'pieces of wisdom' are interesting enough, and sometimes witty, but there's really not enough there to make the book worth the money.
April 17, 2013
Oh, this is excellent. If you've been in the industry for 20 years or longer, you'll recognize every crusty editor you ever loved to hate.
You'll remember the days when an editor didn't like you — or think you had any potential — if he didn't regularly cuss you out, throw things at your head, fire you every few days, and tell you how much your writing (and you, and your mother, and your dog) sucked.
If you're an editor, you'll remember every temperamental writer you hated to love — the ones who would regularly cuss you out, threaten to quit every few days, throw things at the wall, and go nail your story, reliably, every time (albeit with a surplus of dramatics).
Sage advice in a time when journalism schools are churning out lifeless automatons and journalism, itself, is becoming a bland shadow of its former self.
A copy of this book should be in every newsroom. Yes, it's short and sweetly cynical. What else would you expect from a book written by an editor for writers?
You'll remember the days when an editor didn't like you — or think you had any potential — if he didn't regularly cuss you out, throw things at your head, fire you every few days, and tell you how much your writing (and you, and your mother, and your dog) sucked.
If you're an editor, you'll remember every temperamental writer you hated to love — the ones who would regularly cuss you out, threaten to quit every few days, throw things at the wall, and go nail your story, reliably, every time (albeit with a surplus of dramatics).
Sage advice in a time when journalism schools are churning out lifeless automatons and journalism, itself, is becoming a bland shadow of its former self.
A copy of this book should be in every newsroom. Yes, it's short and sweetly cynical. What else would you expect from a book written by an editor for writers?
May 8, 2013
This book took me all of a day to finish -- it was fantastic. I've always admired John McIntyre -- and still haven't worked up the nerve to say hello to him at our annual ACES conventions -- and I loved the fact that this book carried his voice throughout each page. "The Old Editor Says" is informative, humorous, concise, and easy to read; tomorrow, I'll order a copy for many of the writers and editors I work with!
July 5, 2020
Many beginning writers and editors benefited from a crusty old editor's brisk maxims about the craft. If you want to be reminded of those days, look inside. If you want to learn those brisk maxims, many of them are collected here. And if you aspire to become a crusty old editor, this is the handbook. About the Author: John McIntyre is the night content production manager at The Baltimore Sun and author of the blog You Don't Say at Baltimoresun.com. A former president of the American Copy Editors Society, he teaches editing at Loyola University Maryland.
July 3, 2015
Johm McIntyre is an old-time editor for the Baltimore Sun who writes a usually-interesting blog on language and usage (http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/lang...).
This book is quite simple. He provides a maxim for editing, and then explains it briefly. Since McIntyre is a news editor, most of them best apply in that setting, but many are helpful for writers and editors of any ilk.
A few of my favorites:
-"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 10-word lead. What've you got that needs more?
-You can try writing drunk, but you have to edit sober.
-When you have to trim an article to fit, take out the dumbest stuff first.
-The next time you use "to die for" in copy, we can make that happen.
And so on and so forth. There's about 60 of them, all worth pondering.
This book is quite simple. He provides a maxim for editing, and then explains it briefly. Since McIntyre is a news editor, most of them best apply in that setting, but many are helpful for writers and editors of any ilk.
A few of my favorites:
-"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." 10-word lead. What've you got that needs more?
-You can try writing drunk, but you have to edit sober.
-When you have to trim an article to fit, take out the dumbest stuff first.
-The next time you use "to die for" in copy, we can make that happen.
And so on and so forth. There's about 60 of them, all worth pondering.
June 2, 2013
A hilarious and essential book for print reporters and editors. McIntyre is the crusty editor in the corner -- not quite profane, but not concerned about the fragile egos of his writers, either -- dispensing wisdom and sharp kicks in the ass as needed.
This is short and to the point -- an editing maxim and maybe a few paragraphs to explain it, but not much more. But that's also the point: In one example, McIntyre edits down the Lord's Prayer to show that ANYTHING can be cut.
A very fast read, but a worthwhile one, for reporters, editors and (perhaps especially) fiction writers who want to make their newsrooms sound more realistic than the Daily Planet.
This is short and to the point -- an editing maxim and maybe a few paragraphs to explain it, but not much more. But that's also the point: In one example, McIntyre edits down the Lord's Prayer to show that ANYTHING can be cut.
A very fast read, but a worthwhile one, for reporters, editors and (perhaps especially) fiction writers who want to make their newsrooms sound more realistic than the Daily Planet.
October 20, 2014
"You can't fatten poor stock."
That's one of my favorite of the Old Editor's sayings. It's a good reminder for copyeditors. We can only make the text as good as it can be. Consider the quality of the text you start with before trying to make it Shakespeare.
John McIntyre stuffs a career's worth (and then some) of wisdom into this slim volume. While in general, we should be wary of maxims because they tell less than the whole story, you can trust McIntyre's time-tested lessons. Each maximum is followed by a short explanatory note, in case you need more detail.
From editing lessons to good office etiquette, McIntyre has wisdom a-plenty for copyeditors to use each day.
That's one of my favorite of the Old Editor's sayings. It's a good reminder for copyeditors. We can only make the text as good as it can be. Consider the quality of the text you start with before trying to make it Shakespeare.
John McIntyre stuffs a career's worth (and then some) of wisdom into this slim volume. While in general, we should be wary of maxims because they tell less than the whole story, you can trust McIntyre's time-tested lessons. Each maximum is followed by a short explanatory note, in case you need more detail.
From editing lessons to good office etiquette, McIntyre has wisdom a-plenty for copyeditors to use each day.
February 21, 2013
This was an enjoyable little slip of a book with some editing tips and journalism stories. I enjoy McIntyre's blogging, so thought buying this was a decent way to compensate him some for that. I was able to read it over a lunch break, so don't think you're getting a great deal of content, but what's there is a lot of fun.
February 28, 2016
This is a brief but pithy book of advice for editors from an expert. On each page there is a maxim followed by an example or story. The concise style and the dry humor of both the maxims and the examples make this much more interesting than your average book on writing style. And it can be read in small pieces. Recommended for editors and writers.
April 10, 2013
I'm sure I'd love to meet the rascally editor/author in person. This book probably accomplishes what it sets out to—to preserve some of his most famous maxims. But I wanted more than sixty half-filled pages of content. Not in any way a handbook, more of a collection of sayings.
September 10, 2013
Just a brief, fun book with no-nonsense quips and tips about life in the editorial fast lane, delivered with the author's plucky sense of humor. Recommended for those whose life's work consists of editing or writing! Way too nerdy for anyone else. :)
August 28, 2024
Entertainingly written advice for writers and editors.
March 6, 2013
Witty and insightful.
August 9, 2014
An easy read. Brief writing and editing lessons from the journalistic trenches. There's some solid and witty advice here.
August 5, 2013
A very concise book. Good, but unfulfilling. I feel like I was swept off my feet at dinner and friend-zoned at the door. Some good stuff in it, but it's just... concise.
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April 3, 2015Awesome maxims that every writer and editor should abide by.
April 25, 2013
I could make a lot of kitten-in-tree+quote posters out of these maxims.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews