Subbing - the debate rumbles on

I wonder if Roy Greenslade honestly still believes that newspapers and magazines don't need subeditors?

Judging by the high level of commentary circulating on the internet, he seems to be in a class of one.

Last week, Tim Luckhurst, a professor of journalism, made a cogent case for teaching subbing skills to every single student hack, as it would equip them with skills for life. I couldn't agree more. Practically every journo I know cheerfully admits that they'd hate to sub their own work, even when they feel they have the skills to sub others'.

The Press Gazette has been hot on Luckhurst's heels today. First it published the subs' howlers hit list, which tickled my funny bone. Every publication I've ever worked on kept one of these and, like the one mentioned in PG, it was usually very lengthy. Then PG printed another leaked rant by Simon Heffer, the Telegraph's "style guru" about the appalling number of errors appearing in copy (clearly, the Daily Dreadnought's subs' desk could do with some intensive training by Prof. Luckhurst!). I feel cheered that people care enough still to keep flagging up why publications cannot afford to ditch their subeditors.

Journalism.co.uk published a link to the copy editor's lament (courtesy of Common Sense Journalism). The song is a hoot and the lyrics are conveniently provided.

It's not just the press that needs skilled copy-editors. Many of my own clients are commercial organisations. Only today, I saved one from the potentially huge embarrassment of putting out a document that stated somewhere in the copy a reference to an "£18 billion pubic service programme".

Quite.

Somehow, I think Greenslade is losing the fight here. Time to throw the towel in, Roy. You're never going to win this particular argument, expecially when your own blog is full of howlers.

Fickle clients revisited

Following up my last post, my fickle client has turned out to be a complete nightmare.

The trial day started off badly and went from frustrating to hair-tearingly disastrous. You've heard of road rage and air rage. Is it possible to have copy-editor's rage, I wonder? (Well, quite possibly if you've been reading Roy Greenslade of late, but that's another story...)

The copy I was sent was lifted off a newswire abroad and written in English by someone who is not a native speaker. My job was to turn it into house-styled clean and accurate prose. Which might not have been too difficult had the original writer not littered it with abbreviations that meant nothing in English and forced me to make inspired guesses, or even wild ones.

One report I was sent consisted of a mere 2 paragraphs but took 2 hours to sign off as a heated discussion ensued between myself and my overseas colleague who was forwarding the work as we could not reach agreement on the meaning of one word. At one point, this person patronised me and then called my expertise into question which, to be blunt, pissed me off immensely.

All the other work I had lined up for other clients ended up delayed or postponed, worsening my already darkening mood.

I did what any sane person would have done and headed out for drinks and food with a friend that night, and talked over my problem. I was torn between wanting to tell my client to stuff this particular job and recognising the importance of regular work that covers the bills. And decided I'd give it a month, tops.

Next morning, the overseas colleague kindly forwarded more copy without asking, even though I had only agreed to one trial day and was behind with other work. However, I agreed I'd do the editing until the end of the week and in the meantime consult the executive who actually pays my monthly invoice.

Day 2 wasn't quite so bad as Day 1 but on Day 3, no work turned up at all. None. Not a stitch. An email enquiring if I would be needed went unanswered.

Today I sent a very lengthy but politely worded email to the executive asking for clarification of my position and making it clear that I will not tolerate be treated with such a lack of respect by the overseas office. I await his reply but something tells me I'm going to dump this client sharpish as I'm fed up being apparently dropped, rehired a month later and then redropped 2 days after that.

Roy and Pete

Thanks are due to the inestimable Roy Greenslade, for giving me yet another plug on his blog. I'm still basking in the Greenslade effect from the last mention in despatches, so I hope to see another boost to my stats! I definitely owe Roy a few drinks at the pub of his choice...

Meanwhile, Pete Picton - editor of Sun Online, mailed me to say he was sorry I don't like the Sun's revamp and mentioned that the only thing changed in the left-hand menu is the shift from graphics to readable text. I disagree - whatever they did technically does not make the menu any easier to read, in fact the opposite. He didn't comment on my points about slow page loads and poor navigation - perhaps because he secretly agrees? As I said to Pete in reply, I shall struggle womanfully on every morning, bearing in mind that I can brew a pot of tea in the time it takes Bizarre to load...

Pitching and tossing

Ever tried pitching a story that no one wants? I was offered a gem of a feature idea 6 months back but decided it needed time to simmer before selling it. Now I'm on the case and I just can't place it. One editor did want it, actually, but has no freelance budget and can't buy it. Two others I offered it to don't want it at all even though it's right up their street. The problem is the story has an "adult" element that is no doubt putting off any potential takers. I pitched another mag today in the hope they might pick it up. Otherwise I'm going to put it on the back burner for a while and see if editor no. 1 has some money again soon.

Last month was hideously quiet because of illness. Now I feel like a swan, gliding gracefully on the surface yet pedalling frantically away below in an effort to catch up and earn some money again. If I hadn't had my regular editing jobs in January I'd be living on gruel right now. I'm also struggling to source some interesting stories for an overseas client - rather difficult when not much is happening news-wise in that particular arena.

On a brighter note, I have a new copywriting job in the bag (start date to be decided). I rang my Lovely Graphic Designer for a chat about the work as, once again, we'll be sharing a client. It was good to catch up but I was also heartbroken to learn my LGD is moving office. For the last 3 years, he's been in a studio across the street from me - the convenience has meant it's been very easy to organise meetings or just get together for a coffee and kvetch. Soon, he'll be out in the sticks in what sounds like a very nice converted farm building but will be a bugger for me to get to without a car. An interesting challenge lies ahead. Mostly my disability is not an issue, but it will be if I want to see my LGD.

The Greenslade effect continues apace. I'm enjoying the extended rise in readership levels. Long may they keep tuning in. At this rate, I'll be owing Roy not a pint but a whole flaming brewery...

National recognition

Well, blow me! That nice chap at the Guardian, Roy Greenslade, has given this blog a mention in his weekly column in Media Guardian. Greenslade is giving a well-deserved nationwide plug to the new case-studies website that I mentioned in my last post.

I nearly fell off my chair in shock when I saw this humble wordsmith getting a nod in the last paragraph. And he has described my blog as "engaging". I'm almost embarrassed. Certainly enough to stop me putting "A star is born" as the title, as it occurred to me some readers might think I was being arrogant instead of my usual sarcastic self. But still, the endorsement was enough to send my stats mile-high (I hate that phrase, seeing as I went totally metric in 1991, but somehow kilometre-high doesn't have quite the same ring).

Thanks, Roy. I owe you a pint.

PS, the blog is still for sale if any publishers are interested. ;)