Colleagues Quote by Peter Drucker
“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'; they do not let their colleagues do 'their thing'; they make sure that everybody does the 'paper's thing.' A good, let alone a great editor is an obsessive autocrat with a whim of iron, who rewrites and rewrites, cuts and slashes, until every piece is exactly the way he thinks it should have been done.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker, 1966
An editor must rigorously control every word, shaping content to a strict vision, often acting like an authoritarian to ensure quality.
In simple terms: Editors obsessively control text for quality.
Key Takeaway
Be meticulous, enforce standards.
Themes
editing
control
quality
authority
perfectionism
Mood
determined
critical
Type
advice
instructional
When to use this quote
- publishing
- academic journals
- online media
- marketing copy
Key Concepts
authoritarianism
editorial standards
creative control
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance control with creative freedom?
- When is strict editing counterproductive?
A Different Perspective
Excessive control can stifle creativity and diversity of voice.
![“Sometimes, I repeat myself, and that was a second elimination [of Barack Obama]. I worked with a team, including a great editor who, as the project came together, suggested other additions and eliminations. It was a process.” quote by Julianne Malveaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d90/julianne-malveaux-8775_barack_sometimes-i-repeat-myself-and-that-was-a_3038757.jpg)
