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Literal 'literary' gems

Most writers believe that their piece is perfect, a literary gem. They think editing it is like merciless cutting of a flawless diamond by a gem-challenged idiot. I remembered such instances from my editing times when I was re-reading and enjoying an article 'Writers and Editors' by Michael Kingsley.

Those slogging behind a computer to make sense of write-ups sent to the paper know the uphill task ahead of them. We would be subject to entreaties, threats of I-will-tell-the -Chief Editor-if-you-cut-a-letter, give-take cases like I-have-given-your-paper-this-big-an-ad-so-you-have-to-publish-my-news-as-it-is, sieving and discarding the chaff and collecting grains of publishable words which were few... When they send 500 words, and we reduce it to 30 words, imagine their ire. That's what every newspaper office has to deal with.

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