Keeping it simple (and effective).

1. How I Edit
A Snapshot
John Tintle

2. Over the years I’ve edited nearly everything under the digital sun. I’ve also
(hopefully) helped others become better editors, too. Here are a few
principles I rely upon.
Hello:
John Tintle
Starting with rule #1: Keep it brief

3. Editing makes creative work better. It’s a two-way street that’s 100% in
the interest of making the most of an audience’s time.
Just to reinforce:
John Tintle
Your goal should be to establish a great team

4. Editor Creator
What do you think of this?
Have you thought about that?
Simplification:
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5. Thing is, editor-creator teams don’t always work.
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6. Biggest reason? Ego
(a.k.a know-it-all syndrome)
John Tintle

7. Second biggest reason? Lack of curiosity.
Bad listening
Off-the-mark questions
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8. Third biggest reason? Skill differential.
Neither side is adequately
aware of what it takes to
succeed
John Tintle

9. Result: Underwhelming work
Not a good time
John Tintle

10. Editors without receptive creators are talking to themselves.
Creators without receptive editors are talking to themselves.
Nobody wins
John Tintle

11. Having been on both sides of the editor-creator relationship, I approach
editing with the following in mind:
John Tintle

12. Purpose
Voice Technique
How do you want to say what you
have to say and is this work aligned
with that expectation?
Why does this piece of creative work exist and does every
aspect of the work serve the same overarching goal?
Does this work meet acceptable
standards for quality and originality?
Applies across
creative formats
John Tintle

13. Balancing purpose + voice + technique requires multifaceted expertise.
John Tintle

14. Balancing purpose + voice + technique requires multifaceted expertise.
Know your strategy
Know your audience
Know your stuff
John Tintle

15. Not every great editor is also a great creator.
Not every great creator is also a great editor.
A known known
John Tintle

16. However, striving to become a great creator is a key to being a great editor.
Context is a superpower
John Tintle

17. In other words, being an editor-only is seldom sufficient.
You’ve gotta make stuff - and share it.
The secret to almost everything
John Tintle

18. The more you make, the better you’ll be.
John Tintle

19. Editors (especially junior marketers): If you care at all about scale, you
must let your creators create. Over-direct at your own risk and never
(please, never!) believe you have all the answers. The last thing you
should want to do is correct and re-correct everyone’s work. It’s not only
bad form and discouraging to good creators, but also shows a lack of
trust and ability to coach, recruit, and delegate. Work at this and your
work will work for you.
One more thing:
John Tintle

20. That’s it.
John Tintle

21. (For now)
John Tintle