AN EDITOR'S DECALOGUE.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4730, 5 March 1884, Page 3

AN EDITOR'S DECALOGUE.

The following version of the " Gontribntbr's Ten Commandments " is taken from a Swedish paper. It would be interesting to collate it with any similar decalogue existing in other countries:—" If you s wish to send a communication to a paper, do it" at once. What is new at this moment is no longer so tomorrow. 2. Be concise in your statement, for thereby you save yoor own time and that of the reader. Explanations, not words ; facts, but not reflections on them 3. Be simple, write distinctly, do not talk about to-day or yesterday, but give the name of the day or the date. 4 Begin frequently a new line, which gladdens the compositor. Write short sentences, for the benefit of the reader. Use many stops and commas, and do-not forget to put them in. 5. Do not correct single letters or numbers, but cross the whole word out when a correction is wanted. 6. First and foremost, write only on one side of the paper. A hundred lines on one side can be cut into ten pieces, and set up by several compositors in ten minutes. If written on both sides, only one compositor, cen arrange it, which will take some hours. 7. A MS. paper which will take some hours in getting into type is in danger of not being printed the first day, and is passed over till another day. 8. What is kept till the next day is no.longer new, and may hot get in at all. Each day has its own trouble; yesterday is always in the wrong. 9. Put your name and address on the back of your copy. 10. Above all, speak the truth, and nothing but the truth. If you talk about yourself use the third person; say what you have to say without false modesty, put also without conceit." Admirable rules these, and if they are obeyed how happy must be the life of an editor in Sweden. ■ - -