Logo - Feel The Words

Edited Quotes

The art of the edit

From newsroom desks to recording studios, these edited quotes capture how much careful trimming shapes a finished piece of work, an idea also present in Avoid Quotes.

We were constantly appealing for funds from readers when I edited 'The Black Dwarf' in 1968-69.

Quotes by Tariq Ali

I avoid preset sounds wherever possible, and all the sounds I use I have edited.

Quotes by Rick Wakeman

Grant, if we edited Fortran, I assume that you'd put a column thing in there.

Quotes by Ken Thompson

My father, A. M. Rosenthal, edited the 'Times' for nearly 20 years and worked at the paper for many more.

Quotes by Andrew Rosenthal

Assume Quotes

People need to be edited; life needs to be edited. I need to be edited.

Quotes by Andre Leon Talley

Saint: A dead sinner revised and edited.

Quotes by Ambrose Bierce

Frequently Asked Questions

What do these edited quotes say about working as a magazine editor?
Several speakers describe hands-on editorial work, like running 'The Black Dwarf' in the late 1960s while chasing reader funding, or spending nearly two decades editing the 'Times'. Their quotes suggest editing is as much about persistence as it is about craft.
Do any of these quotes touch on editing sound instead of text?
Yes, one quote describes deliberately avoiding preset sounds and instead editing every sound used by hand, a preference close to the idea behind Avoid Quotes. It frames editing as a way of keeping creative control rather than accepting defaults.
Is there a quote here about editing computer code?
One quote references editing Fortran and joking about adding a column, a lighthearted nod to how rigid and detail-driven code editing can feel compared to editing prose.
What does editing a long-running publication like the 'Times' suggest about the job?
The quote about editing the 'Times' for nearly 20 years, plus additional decades at the paper, points to editing as a long-term commitment built on staying with one publication over a career.
Why might editors describe their work as constant fundraising as well as cutting text?
The quote about appealing to readers for funds while editing 'The Black Dwarf' shows that editing historically has often meant keeping a publication financially alive, not just shaping its content.

Editing often means saying no to good material, a tension reflected in Black Quotes, as these voices reveal what gets left on the cutting room floor.