--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who edits their own copy has a…" description: "\"Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor.\" — Donald Davis" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg" --- # Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor. ![“Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor.” quote by Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg) > “Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor.” [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Editing one's own work eliminates objective critique, leading to poorer quality. **In simple terms:** Self‑editing reduces quality. Key Takeaway Seek external feedback. Themes writing editing self‑criticism Mood reflective critical Type advice warning When to use this quote - authoring - academic papers - blog posts Key Concepts bias quality control Questions to Reflect On - Do you trust your own revisions? - How can you get unbiased feedback? A Different Perspective Self‑editing can miss blind spots. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Copies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) [Copy Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copy-fool-5889174/) [Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editor/) [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Edits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edits/) [Edits Copy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/edits-copy-5889175/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Fool Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool-editor-5889173/) [Journalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/journalism/) ## Related quotes > [I don't want to be an editor! I don't want to direct; I'd be a horrible director. I don't want to write - I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/topher-grace/i-don-t-want-to-be-an-editor-i-don-t-want-to-direct-i-d-be-a-horrible/) [Topher Grace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/topher-grace/) > [Every first-rate editor I have ever heard of reads, edits and rewrites every word that goes into his publication… Good editors are not 'permissive';…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/every-first-rate-editor-i-have-ever-heard-of-reads-edits-and-rewrites/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [I'd always rather stand or fall on my own mistakes. There's nothing worse than looking back, in a published book, at a line edit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-tartt/i-d-always-rather-stand-or-fall-on-my-own-mistakes-there-s-nothing/) [Donna Tartt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-tartt/) > [I don't have to edit myself. I get to be me, warts and all, and that's ultimately what people want, and to trust each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-behrendt/i-don-t-have-to-edit-myself-i-get-to-be-me-warts-and-all-and-that-s/) [Greg Behrendt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-behrendt/) > [With a horror movie most of the actual jumps and scares are made in the edit. It's often not very scary on set and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-irvine/with-a-horror-movie-most-of-the-actual-jumps-and-scares-are-made-in/) [Jeremy Irvine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-irvine/) > [I went through in the edits and cut tons of stuff that was "funny" because if it wasn't funny at the time, so it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-barr/i-went-through-in-the-edits-and-cut-tons-of-stuff-that-was-funny/) [Damian Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-barr/) > [I take editing seriously. It's a joy to edit. I always hand a manuscript to several editors and can't wait to get back their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/i-take-editing-seriously-it-s-a-joy-to-edit-i-always-hand-a/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [Writing a song is almost like cheating-writing because you don't have to finish your sentences, you don't have to use any punctuation, no one's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mirah/writing-a-song-is-almost-like-cheating-writing-because-you-don-t-have/) [Mirah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mirah/) > [Every once in a while someone says, 'You can't really learn anything, if you're really a writer then you wouldn't need to do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-mattison/every-once-in-a-while-someone-says-you-can-t-really-learn-anything-if/) [Alice Mattison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-mattison/) > [I think training your instinct comes from writing and reading. There's no big secret. And reading slush helps, as well; I'd recommend everyone edit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-j-miller/i-think-training-your-instinct-comes-from-writing-and-reading-there-s/) [Mary J. Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-j-miller/) > [In 1966, while working on a feature about a Picasso exhibition at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, I recorded the pre-opening preparations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micha-bar-am/in-1966-while-working-on-a-feature-about-a-picasso-exhibition-at-the/) [Micha Bar-Am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micha-bar-am/) > [With these Funny or Die videos, I do everything for them. I write them, act in them, and co-direct them with my buddy Brian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-franco/with-these-funny-or-die-videos-i-do-everything-for-them-i-write-them/) [Dave Franco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-franco/) > [In writing scripts now, having made a film, I'm much more conscious of what it means to shoot and edit a movie, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-radnor/in-writing-scripts-now-having-made-a-film-i-m-much-more-conscious-of/) [Josh Radnor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-radnor/) > [The visionary is the one who brings his or her voice into the world and who refuses to edit, rehearse, perform, or hide. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angeles-arrien/the-visionary-is-the-one-who-brings-his-or-her-voice-into-the-world/) [Angeles Arrien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angeles-arrien/) > [This is a whole new era where we're moving beyond little edits on single genes to being able to write whatever we want throughout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-m-church/this-is-a-whole-new-era-where-we-re-moving-beyond-little-edits-on/) [George M. Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-m-church/) ## More by Donald Davis > [I discovered that in a story I could safely dream any dream, hope any hope, go anywhere I pleased any time I pleased, fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/i-discovered-that-in-a-story-i-could-safely-dream-any-dream-hope-any/) [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) > [Storytelling is not what I do for a living - it is how I do all that I do while I am living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/storytelling-is-not-what-i-do-for-a-living-it-is-how-i-do-all-that-i/) [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) > [The real difference between telling what happened and telling a story about what happened is that instead of being a victim of our past,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/the-real-difference-between-telling-what-happened-and-telling-a-story/) [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) > [I didn't learn stories, I just absorbed them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/i-didn-t-learn-stories-i-just-absorbed-them/) [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) > [With the possible exception of God during the writing of the Bible, every writer in history has needed an editor. So do you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/with-the-possible-exception-of-god-during-the-writing-of-the-bible/) [Donald Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) [Explore all 6 Donald Davis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/) ## More Copies quotes > [every being is unique.god neva creates carbon copies,he alys creates originals.he is truly a creator.he neva repeats.but man goes on living in imitation.we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-being-is-unique-god-neva-creates-carbon-copies-he-alys-creates/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [My songs are like cheap Neil Young copies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-bachman/my-songs-are-like-cheap-neil-young-copies/) [Randy Bachman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-bachman/) > [In that part of the book of my memory before the which is little that can be read, there is a rubric, saying, Incipit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/in-that-part-of-the-book-of-my-memory-before-the-which-is-little-that/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [I remember being a kid and seeing the 'National Inquirer' at the grocery store checkout line. When somebody actually picked up a copy, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rashida-jones/i-remember-being-a-kid-and-seeing-the-national-inquirer-at-the/) [Rashida Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rashida-jones/) > [The idea is not to copy nature, but to give a feeling of nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piet-oudolf/the-idea-is-not-to-copy-nature-but-to-give-a-feeling-of-nature/) [Piet Oudolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piet-oudolf/) > [“When copies are free, you need to sell things that cannot be copied. Well, what can’t be copied? Trust, for instance.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/when-copies-are-free-you-need-to-sell-things-that-cannot-be-copied/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [Mr Witwould: "Pray, madam, do you pin up your hair with all your letters? I find I must keep copies." Mrs Millamant: "Only with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-congreve/mr-witwould-pray-madam-do-you-pin-up-your-hair-with-all-your-letters/) [William Congreve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-congreve/) > [There have to be at least two copies of a photograph, otherwise it’s not a photograph.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-ruff/there-have-to-be-at-least-two-copies-of-a-photograph-otherwise-it-s/) [Thomas Ruff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-ruff/) > [In market research I did at Microsoft Corp. in the early 1990s, I estimated that the 'Wall Street Journal' took in about 75 cents…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-myhrvold/in-market-research-i-did-at-microsoft-corp-in-the-early-1990s-i/) [Nathan Myhrvold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-myhrvold/) > [Guys like Todd Bridges never overcame being a child star. You can't have any big failures. I've always felt regular. I played organized ball…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bow-wow/guys-like-todd-bridges-never-overcame-being-a-child-star-you-can-t/) [Bow Wow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bow-wow/) > [It was only after I had been out of the art school that I actually copied a small Seurat, and I copied it in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-riley/it-was-only-after-i-had-been-out-of-the-art-school-that-i-actually/) [Bridget Riley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-riley/) > [We call ourselves creators and we just copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/we-call-ourselves-creators-and-we-just-copy/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [People have one of two extreme reactions to my book. They either throw it across the room, or they rush out and buy 10…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hay/people-have-one-of-two-extreme-reactions-to-my-book-they-either-throw/) [Louise Hay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hay/) > [A presentation copy...is a copy of a book whoch does not sell, sent you by the author, with his foolish autograph at the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/a-presentation-copy-is-a-copy-of-a-book-whoch-does-not-sell-sent-you/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) [Browse all 971 Copies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Donald Davis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fool-for-an-editor/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Copies" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fool-for-an-editor/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc7/donald-davis-53979_copies_anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fo_758985.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Anyone who edits their own copy has a fool for an editor.” — Donald Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Donald Davis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-davis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Anyone who edits their own copy...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fool-for-an-editor/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-davis/anyone-who-edits-their-own-copy-has-a-fool-for-an-editor/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```