Red Pens and Long Days

It's the beginning of proof week for Amarillo Magazine which means we'll soon start seeing September pages appear on our desks for editing. It's probably one of the hardest things about publishing - mentally and physically - because once the finished product is in the readers' hands, it's too late to make changes, to correct a misprint or change a headline to something more clever(because I'm really good about thinking of something fabulous late at night after deadline!).

If you've ever had to edit a piece of your own work, you'll know that once you've read it six, eight or ten times, you no longer see words. Instead every page a blur of letters strung together with questionable punctuation that may (or may not) convey the EXACT message you're trying to send. It's easy to mix up their and they're (or there) if you've read the same sentence ump-teen million times when you are already overtired and starving from skipping breakfast.

Do I love editing? Not really. Do I want a different job? Absolutely not. As meticulous as proof week can be, the reward is seeing all the brainstorming, hours of transcription, and obscene use of the thesaurus come together to create a content-rich, beautifully designed magazine. We are proud of the product we've made for you, which is the reason we press on with our red pens and venti coffees.

For your viewing pleasure, here's a miniature glance at a photo from the September cover story (wait until you see it in print):