---
title: "5 Editors Quotes By William Zinsser"
description: "5 Editors quotes by William Zinsser. Plus more from William Zinsser and more Editors sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/william-zinsser-2796_books_all-writers-should-strive-to-deliver-som_536160.png"
---

> [All writers should strive to deliver something fresh-something editors or readers won't know they want until they see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/all-writers-should-strive-to-deliver-something-fresh-something/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a72/william-zinsser-2796_books_all-writers-should-strive-to-deliver-som_536160.png)

> [Editors are licensed to be curious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/editors-are-licensed-to-be-curious/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d2b/william-zinsser-2796_curiosity_editors-are-licensed-to-be-curious-66802_668020.png)

> [Don't try to guess what sort of thing editors want to publish or what you think the country is in a mood…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/don-t-try-to-guess-what-sort-of-thing-editors-want-to-publish-or-what/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2e7/william-zinsser-2796_books_don-t-try-to-guess-what-sort-of-thing-ed_894225.png)

> [To write a good memoir you must become the editor of your own life, imposing on an untidy sprawl of half-remembered events…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/to-write-a-good-memoir-you-must-become-the-editor-of-your-own-life/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9c0/william-zinsser-2796_art_to-write-a-good-memoir-you-must-become-t_2742133.png)

> [If you would like to write better than everybody else, you have to want to write better than everybody else. You must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/if-you-would-like-to-write-better-than-everybody-else-you-have-to/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e4/william-zinsser-2796_agents_if-you-would-like-to-write-better-than-e_3189758.jpg)

## Other authors on Editors

## More by William Zinsser

> [“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/but-the-secret-of-good-writing-is-to-strip-every-sentence-to-its/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [No one has something original or important to say will willing we run the risk of being misunderstood; people who write obscurely are either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/no-one-has-something-original-or-important-to-say-will-willing-we-run/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Avoid the ecstatic adjectives that occupy such disproportionate space in every critic's quiver - words like "enthralling" and "luminous."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/avoid-the-ecstatic-adjectives-that-occupy-such-disproportionate-space/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Scholarship hath no fury like that of a language purist faced with sludge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/scholarship-hath-no-fury-like-that-of-a-language-purist-faced-with/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Clutter is the official language used by corporations to hide their mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-official-language-used-by-corporations-to-hide-their/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Keep your paragraphs short. Writing is visual - it catches the eye before it has a chance to catch the brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/keep-your-paragraphs-short-writing-is-visual-it-catches-the-eye/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Never hesitate to imitate another writer - every person learning a craft or an art needs models. Eventually you'll find your own voice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/never-hesitate-to-imitate-another-writer-every-person-learning-a/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Clutter is the disease of American writing,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clutter-is-the-disease-of-american-writing/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Abraham Lincoln and Winston Churchill rode to glory on the back of the strong declarative sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/abraham-lincoln-and-winston-churchill-rode-to-glory-on-the-back-of/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Writing organizes and clarifies our thoughts. Writing is how we think our way into a subject and make it our own. Writing enables us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/writing-organizes-and-clarifies-our-thoughts-writing-is-how-we-think/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Rewriting is the essence of writing well - where the game is won or lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/rewriting-is-the-essence-of-writing-well-where-the-game-is-won-or-lost/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can't exist without the other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/clear-thinking-becomes-clear-writing-one-can-t-exist-without-the-other/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [I almost always urge people to write in the first person. ... Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/i-almost-always-urge-people-to-write-in-the-first-person-writing-is/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Don't be kind of bold. Be bold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/don-t-be-kind-of-bold-be-bold/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

> [Journalism is writing that first appears in any periodic journal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/journalism-is-writing-that-first-appears-in-any-periodic-journal/)

[William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/)

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