|
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
Wasteland a subedit job? Surely not. Lovers of English
literature will be up in arms at the very thought.
And yet
it is decidedly true. For the fact of the matter is even
good writers - indeed even great writers - sometimes
need help
seeing the literary wood for the trees.
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?
In truth it is
nigh-on impossible to approach something you have been
staring at for the best part
of a week with fresh eyes. A new insight
can be invaluable in terms of forming an objective opinion
of a piece of writing,
deciding what works and what doesn’t,
and recognising its place in your overall
marketing strategy.
On the other hand, it
may be that you have something that just
requires that extra
special gloss – a new brochure,
a direct letter to important clients
and
prospects. Perhaps what you are
writing is a departure from your usual
output, and you want someone to give
it a once over.
Whatever your reason, getting
a second
opinion can often reap huge benefits
in terms of the quality of your copy,
and
the directness
of your message.
Your message must not
be bottled
That said, subediting is
no easy task.
An editor’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.
Inevitably this
also leads to (indeed, the job demands), a certain
degree
of ruthlessness.
Editors cannot
be sentimental types:
everything that is off-message
must go. Often this will mean
entire paragraphs, or even
sections. It isn’t
always easy for the writer
to see sentences that have been
wrestled
with
for lengthy periods of time
cut without mercy or sentiment. But
nearly all will agree that
the copy they receive back,
is more
concise, more focused and a
far more effective marketing product.
The all-seeing critical
eye
Whilst lovingly crafted, beautifully
written, yet sadly less
relevant, copy must be cut,
that is
not to say
that you can
allow what remains – focused
as it may be – to
be sub-standard. The importance
of well written collateral,
sales literature or
even correspondence remains
paramount.
Your marketing
literature, be it a brochure,
a direct
mail
piece
or a
case study,
may be all your
customers,
potential
and existing,
have to judge you by.
If your writing is seen as
slap-dash and unprofessional,
then
that judgement
will be extended
to your
company as a whole. That
first
impression may be
the difference between
them
picking up the phone
to call you, and picking
it up to call your competitor.
A
keen critical eye is therefore 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,
as nothing can undermine
the impressiveness
of a piece
faster than sloppy
use of English – but
a feeling for
language.
Does the copy flow?
Is the language appropriate
for
the article
in question? Do sentences
go on too long? Are
certain
paragraphs unwieldy
or over-complicated?
Sometimes
it is only
possible, or at the
very least easier,
for a third
party to
tell. For
a start,
an outsider is
far closer
to the position of
your intended audience.
They don’t
have your intimate
knowledge
of the product or
service you are selling,
so
can say if you are
making too many assumptions
on behalf of
your reader. Similarly,
they can tell you
if you’re saying
too much and becoming
repetitive – the “so
what, why do I care?” factor.
The
result should be
copy that is focused
on your
message, and makes
an entertaining
and interesting
read for
your intended audience.
Surely worth swallowing
a bit of
creative
pride
for?
Creativity
within constraints
It may not, however,
be your writing
that is the
problem.
When
preparing a marketing
document
there are
a number
of other factors
to consider.
Word count
and design
layout are
just two
of these,
but both can
have a major
impact on
what you write,
and
how
you write.
Cutting
a piece of
text to
fit an
imposed word
limit
can feel
like
a daunting
job. It
can be
hard to
know where
to start.
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.
And
if you
simply
have
to bite
the bullet
and accept
that
sometimes
the needs
of the
designer
have
to take priority,
often
the adapting
of the
document
is best
done
by someone
else.
Subediting
from
Writing
Machine
Writing
Machine
is
a
company of
professional
writers
that,
in
addition
to
writing
high-quality
marketing
copy
of
its
own,
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.
Just
as importantly,
13 years
of marketing
experience means
we understand
how to
get inside
a marketing
campaign. 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.
With
something as important as a sales message or marketing campaign,
isn’t it worth investing in getting from copy that
is nearly there, to copy that is really there?
|
