Editors are hired by just about
everyone, making their ability to perform for a wide spectrum of audiences, in
a plethora of genres, pivotal. Just think about it—your favorite Harry
Potter book, this month’s edition of Sports Illustrated, the local
news report, a descriptive restaurant menu that paints a picture of your
impending meal, textbooks and academic essays, the advertisement for the latest
and greatest iPhone that everyone will own within days of its release, or the
little tag on the inside of your sweater that tells you to ‘wash on delicate
cycle’—editors have been there, influencing just about every aspect of
society. While many see them as behind
the scenes specialists of grammar, the alterations made by editors have a
profound impact on the pieces they work with and society in general. Though editing techniques have changed
throughout the ages, at times, the contributions of editors are even more
influential than those of the original author.
Historical Impacts:
Overview:
As long as there has been written
language, there have been individuals to make corrections to ensure its
accuracy and suitability based on context.
When stories were passed on orally, those who eventually scribed the
information would generally not have exact quotes, forcing them to depict
things to the best of their knowledge and ability. More exact manuscripts were produced when the
writers would verbally relay their ideas to scribes for immediate
transcription. However, the scribes were still responsible for
inserting grammatical elements, such as the correct punctuation.
At
a later time, though not formally referred to as editors, scholars had the
responsibility of compiling and comparing all of the earlier
manuscripts. Their goal was to produce a reliable and complete text
based on the multiplicity of manuscripts and their understanding of the history
and language. It wasn’t until 1552 that
the first developed study of the methodology of textual criticism was
produced. It was at this point that “editors” were given a more
technical standard for their work.
Examples:
No authentic manuscript survived for
Shakespeare’s pieces, and for nearly a century, his Works were republished
multiple times from the faulty copies of the transcripts. Talented editors used careful reasoning
based on a remarkably thorough knowledge of his author’s writings, language,
and broader cultural and linguistic context to produce more accurate versions
of the pieces. Theobald, one of these
editors stated, “[The] want of originals may require us to guess, but these
guesses turn into something of a more substantial nature, when they are
tolerably supported by Reason or Authorities” (Walsh 133). The revisions and compilations made by these
editors portray to us the Shakespeare who reigns with literary acclaim
today (learn more).
Another prominent
example of similar work comes to us through the Bible. Arguably the most important and well-read
piece of literature, the Bible has been compiled and changed to produce
hundreds of different versions. Though
stemming from the same history, the choices that different “editors” have made
in producing it have had a vast impact on hundreds of world religions. With endless interpretations of single
verses, it is easy to see how an individual word choice or omission could
completely alter the “unchanging” doctrine of God. The Joseph Smith translation of the Bible,
for example, gives helpful clarification for the LDS church.
Modern Impacts:
Overview:
As the tools
and expectations of editors have altered through the years, so have the means they use to
communicate. While
the basic tasks of editing, solving linguistic problems and setting mechanical
items like punctuation, had changed very little, the development of the printed
word has vastly helped in the standardization and accuracy of editing. More recently, computers have also increased
things such as the publication process.
At a base level, editors create ethos for the
author—making sure that they employ the correct version of there/their/they’re. However, from the initial brainstorming
sessions, to the structural planning, researching, and revision—editors are
hired as masters of rhetoric and language. In this sense, editors are forced to
employ rhetoric in more than just the written form. They have to be able to verbally
communicate with the company, author, and publisher—all of whom are generally
opinionated individuals. Editors
then act as the mediator between the three, making sure that the final product
fits the expectations of the production as a whole.
Example:
In a more contemporary sense,
Maxwell Perkins has been revered as one of the most famous literary
editors. He is known for his work with
writers such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Thomas Wolfe, and Ernest Hemingway. Perkins demonstrated one of the other aspects
of editing with his influence on Fitzgerald’s first novel. Though his manuscripts had been rejected
multiple times, Perkin’s revised the text and then successfully lobbied for its
publication. He continued on to have a
prominent role in later novels such as The
Great Gatsby (learn more). In this example, an
editor made changes that view the publishers’ and presumably the publics’ views
of a piece. Through Perkin’s editing and
rhetorical persuasion, a career was born for one of the most prominent American
authors.
So
What?
Okay cool, so the version of
Shakespeare that I’m reading in my college English class has gone through an
extensive process to make it authentic.
How can you argue that these editors have had a profound impact on society?
Well, at a base level, literature
itself significantly affects culture and the human experience. It allows readers to gain new perspectives,
provides a form of education, depicts historical circumstances, acts as a
representative of people and cultures, etc.
The fact that editors play a key role in literature’s production and
publication is already monumental. On
top of that, the way that something is presented, whether in formal literature
or one of the other forms of written text (ie: advertisements, journals, etc.)
strongly affects the way that it is understood.
Quite frankly, editors have to be a jack-of-all-trades. They influence every field. They aren’t just well-versed in linguistics,
editors work in broadcasting, book publishing, business, law, engineering, and every
other type of profession you can imagine.
Editors improve safety when working with manuals and guidelines, promote
products that businesses are striving to put on the market, and ensure the
clarity of our laws. Does ‘A rose
by any other name smell as sweet’?
Maybe, but it probably wouldn’t have the same effect. That’s why it’s an editor’s job to pick the
perfect ‘name’ to maximize the impact and prove the desired outcome successful.
Works Cited:
"Maxwell Perkins Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
Walsh, Marcus. "18 Theories of Text, Editorial Theory, and Textual Criticism." Oxford Reference. N.p., 2010. Web.
Photo Credit:
"Freelance Editor Resource - Where Writers Win." Where Writers Win. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
"Something Wicked." Savage Chickens Cartoons on Sticky Notes by Doug Savage. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2015.
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