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The frst editor is you: Your own mental editor something else. Then and only then should you
who works and corrects and improves your own let the frst editor, your sense of critical appraisal,
initial drafts. Often, and most perniciously, a out of the closet, as it were.
word at a time, bogging you down, preventing
you from getting to the end of a paragraph, let At this point, the beast has a full, “completed”
alone a full article. This is the “evil” editor. article or press release to consider and correct -
and rip to shreds, if necessary. But the core ideas
But that editor, lock him in a closet at frst, or will still be there.
you’ll never get out of your attempt at a frst
draft. Spelling mistakes, bad phrasing, repetitive
adjectives, factual mistakes (make those
Here at the magazine we get many articles and
mistakes in your frst draft, you can double check
press releases that aren’t bad, but aren’t up to
later, now, when you’ve let the frst editor at it),
“good” yet, which is not meant unkindly.
all these and more can be rectifed and made to
sharpen, simplify and advance your message.
The ideas are there - but maybe their expression
is lost in the attempt to get past the “frst” editor,
Here is also where you detail examples of what
or just in the jumble of facts they want to put
you’re writing about, or fll-in a PR subject’s
across, which might be the job of the “second”
industry credentials or movie, scene and site
editor, if the ideas are valid.
credits. Examples can be referred to very
Now while the second editor will often work generally in the frst draft, and elaborated on
with someone trying to express good ideas and now, or kept general if they’re not too helpful in
fnd it worth the time to do this “coaching,” often feshing out your primary idea(s).
it is too much work and a few words of advice are
offered to help the writer resubmit the work after Given time, anyone who can talk can write.
a bit more polish. Anyone who sits down to write what they want
to say can write. Any writer who writes regularly
Often, the editor to whom the piece is submitted becomes better.
will accept the piece and then rewrite, reorganize,
or simplify the text without running it past you But be warned: don’t use a “template.” That
before press time. Don’t be offended, don’t get is, taking your best (so far) piece and using and
angry. That’s the editor’s job - to get your good re-using it with names, dates and other factoids
ideas out in a clean, clear message. If they make plugged in over the old stuff. This isn’t writing,
actual errors, you can let them know, kindly, and and won’t help you improve (and can lead to
a retraction or (online) correction will be made. some embarassing mistakes). Approach it a little
differently, uniquely, with each new release -
The second editor is there to help you.
especially when they’re all about the same topic,
website, pornstar.
But the frst editor, your own internal editor, is
the devil incarnate.
If your job is to regularly put out press releases
for yourself or someone else, remember that the
If you let this one loose, you’ll be correcting
more you do, the better you will become - if you
yourself at every word, phrase, sentence, or
keep it fresh.
statement of any and every kind.
In fact that frst editor might be sneaking out
The trick is to not aim to make it perfect the
a bit more often and not letting you correct
frst time - just fnish it, good or bad. Give your
yourself constantly on that frst draft, but
inner-editor a break and let loose!
actually assisting you to write your ideas out
Can’t think of a better synonym for something? in a smoother, simpler way without having to
Forget it! Use the same word over and over - it’s backspace or make you rewrite as you go.
the idea you’re reaching for. When you get to the
fnal word of the fnal paragraph of this frst draft With that experience, not only will you have an
mess, that’s when you should get the inner editor easier time on revising that second draft, you’ll
out of the box for fnessing the piece. also be making life easier for me, your second
editor.
But get some air frst, get away from the
draft, read something, watch something, write Keep writing, and keep sending them in!

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