Ficklin 1 Kaylee Ficklin Professor Marvin Gardner ELANG350 18 November 20i3 The Joy of Editing

Prompt one: Do you want to become an editor? Why or why not? Explain your answer in terms of specific aspects of editing that you do or do not enjoy and that do or do not match your skills and personality. Illustrate your points with personal examples and experiences.

Being an editor encompasses much more than people think it does. Many people see editors as "grammar Nazis" ready to take their red pens to anything that does not measure up, but editing is much more than that. Even the Chicago Manual of Style understands that editing is not "meant to foreclose breaking or bending rules to fit a particular case, something [they] continue to do [themselves]" (Harper xii). Editing is helping. Editing is providing the best possible version of a product. Editing requires balance between maintaining authorial voice and ensuring reader clarity. I want to be an editor because of the variety and diversity the field provides, the opportunity to read and learn (on company time!), the idea of "all of the glory, none of the praise," and the "fun" factor. These reasons, in my opinion, represent the best that editing can provide and are why I would like to become an editor. The editing field is much larger in scope and size than many presume. Most people understand that it contains fiction publishing, and they will immediately ask if this is the direction that you will take. However, editing encompasses more than just fiction publishing. There's nonfiction publishing, as well as magazine content and layout editing. The tasks of an editor range from simple copyedits to acquisitions to product marketing and promotion. The variation of editing tasks is one of the greatest advantages of pursuing a career in editing.

Ficklin 2 Because there are so many possibilities within the field, editing provides variety and diversity. Not only does a career in editing offer a variety of genres to work within, but it also contains diverse job responsibilities within that genre. ,For example, while working as an editor for Brigham Young University's Humanities Publication Center, I have been privileged to work on a variety of tasks. My official title is editorial assistant. Many would presume that this means simple copyedits, but it involves a great deal more than that. I have copyedited books and scholarly articles, but I also have designed pamphlets for conferences and events as well as photoshopped figures and tables for a manuscript written in Russian. While not all editing jobs will vary as much in range, editing requires a diverse set of skills. I will always be required to know all the aspects of publication production. Another great advantage of being an editor is the opportunity to read and learn. In fiction publishing, an editor is able to read thousands of novels through acquisitions editing. In nonfiction publishing, an editor is able to learn about biological processes or history of the arts. Each genre provides many opportunities to read and learn. An editor is able to read thousands of books per year all on company time. Editors get paid to do something they love: read. Regardless of the genre that an editor works in, he or she has countless opportunities to read and learn from the manuscripts that he or she edits. There is no other field that could provide a better opportunity to read and learn than editing. Throughout my childhood, I was mercilessly, but lovingly, teased about my affinity for books and learning. While fiction novels were my favorite, I also enjoyed history and biology textbooks and articles. No matter what genre of editing I do, I will be able to read and learn from the texts that I edit. And I will be paid to do it. For me, this is a dream opportunity.

Ficklin 3 Third, as an editor, most of the praise for books, magazines, newspapers, etc. goes to either the author or the publisher. For some, this may be considered unfair or unreasonable. For me, however, this is one of the biggest advantages of editing. According to Gerald Gross, the best editing "evokes the writer's greatest talent," "presents the writer's work in the best possible light," and "enhances the writer's professional reputation and personal self-esteem" (xv). Editing is about the writer which is why editors are able to stay out of the limelight and produce a quality product without all of the unnecessary distractions. This lack of praise is another advantage for my personality. Excessive and unnecessary compliments make me feel uncomfortable. The fame of authorship and all that it requires would be taxing rather than rewarding. Authors and publishers must be in the forefront of all their works, and I would be ill-suited to shake hands and kiss babies. However, as an editor, I still receive all of the satisfaction of a finished product, but I am rarely subject to the glory of that product. I can rejoice in ajob well done without having to continually face public approval or disapproval. Again, while this may sound like editors are unappreciated, that is not the case. Editors do not edit for the accolades. They do not need them. They edit for the pride of producing a quality work that will help people. Editors receive all the advantages of a publication without receiving all the disadvantages as well. The fourth and [mal reason that I would like to be an editor is the "fun" factor. This idea is a combination of all the aforementioned reasons. Simply stated, being an editor is fun and rewarding. As with any other occupation, there will be tedious and boring days, and there will be stressful and overwhelming times. However, those days are not every day. Being an editor provides a significant amount of joy in my life already. As an editorial assistant, copy editing can,

Ficklin 4 at times, be dull, but most often it is rewarding. When a product is finished, I take pride in my work and what I have done to improve the manuscript. For example, some days only include copying and pasting or kerning and leading. For some this is the epitome of tedious, but for me, there is a great deal of satisfaction in these simple tasks. While working on the student journal Inscape, I had an opportunity to "fix" an article. I did the necessary kerning and leading, but I was also asked to find a way to add in the works cited. Previously, Inscape has never had an article that contained works cited, and the staffwas unsure of how this should be done. I was lucky enough to be assigned the task of inputting this. I was able to try several different options and decide which option looked the best and which option would be the best fit for our journal. The feeling of satisfaction and contentment that comes from making a quality product is indescribable. It is fun to work with a text and find the best possible solution for a problem, and the joy that comes from finding the best answer is overwhelming. Editing is a unique profession that provides many advantages and opportunities. Although many misunderstand the role of editors, editors only want the best version of the product as possible. Editors want to work with authors in order to provide the best possible presentation of the product. I want to be an editor because editing is a rewarding. Editing provides variety and diversity. It is also an amazing opportunity to learn and read new things. As an editor I receive all the satisfaction of a finished product without the disadvantages of public approval or disapproval. And finally, editing is fun! Finding solutions to difficult problems is enjoyable. Like any other profession, editing does have its drawbacks, but the advantages that come from being an editor are unparalleled. Editing "gives you the privilege of working with the most creative people of your time .... For taking a lifetime course, for which you are willing to

Ficklin 5 pay tuition, you are paid, not merely with dollars, but with intellectual and spiritual satisfactions immeasurable" (Schuster 28), and I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to learn and grow in this profession.

Ficklin 6 Works Cited Gross, Gerald. "Reflections on a Lifetime of Editing." Preface. Editors on Editing. Ed. Gerald Gross. 3rd ed. New York: Grove Press, 1993. xiii-xx. Print. Harper, Russell. Preface. The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2010. xi-xiii. Print. Schuster, M. Lincoln. "An Open Letter to a Would-be Editor." Editors on Editing. Ed. Gerald Gross. 3rd ed. New York: Grove Press, 1993.22-28. Print.