[PLUG-TALK] A pair of pants (was: software program)

[Paul Heinlein]

On Thu, 23 Feb 2012, Keith Lofstrom wrote:

> Knowing the rules is essential to reach a wide audience, but rules 
> are not sufficient.  Style and engaging stories matter.

When I was editing Computer Bits, I spent time every month recruiting 
authors. Many of the folks I approached would decline by saying that 
their spelling and/or grammar were sub-par.

My reaction was to tell them that, in the world of non-fiction for the 
computer enthusiast, the the author's primary job is thinking in a 
straight line about the issue at hand: what's the issue, what makes 
the issue important, what needs to be done for the reader to reach the 
desired level of expertise in the issue. Authors get extra credit for 
an engaging style and impeccible English, but style and grammar aren't 
part of the base grade. Thinking trumps all.

I suspect that nonfiction editors the world over have similar 
thoughts. It's only when there's a larger competitive pool of authors 
who can all think clearly that editors have the luxury of rejecting 
authors based on style and grammar, reacting thus:

   http://ow.ly/i/t8bb/original

Writing fiction or a regular column is a different matter. In those 
situations, thinking and style exist in a sometimes-uneasy truce. Some 
writers (and their editors) seem to think that style can trump 
substance and earn money. It's their publication, so I'm not in a 
position to judge the economics.

-- 
Paul Heinlein <> heinlein at madboa.com <> http://www.madboa.com/