cutting
Of course I can tell a writer to cut ten percent with authority. It's not only excellent advice, it's standard advice, given by every good writer, editor, and instructor out there. The rule reads "Final draft equals first draft minus ten percent."
New writers nearly always overwrite. So do most pros. But with new writers it's a matter of course. The wisest, smartest thing any new writer, and 99% of pro writers, can do is make cutting ten percent the very first thing they do when revising. If not, they may sell a story here and there to small magazines, but they won't be very good stories, and they won't sell to top magazines.
New writers do get confused, which is why I think most would benefit greatly by avoiding forum advice and going straight to pro writers and editors. But what can you do?
I've seen thousands and thousands of stories by new writers in slush piles and in workshops, and I've discussed the matter with bunch of editors and other writers, and I absolutely can speak with authority when I say cutting ten percent, minimum, is the smartest thing any new writer, and most pro writers, can do as a first step toward revision.
Most pro writers, of course, don't have to be told this. They do it automatically, knowing the story will be improved, flow will be improved, and the story will stand a much greater chance of selling. And will do so without the need of an editor chopping it down for them. Pro writers and editors are the ones who came up with the "Final draft equals first draft minus ten percent rule." It's not a rule I invented, but it's one smart new writers follow, and one pro writers usually live by.
If you want to sell stories on a routine basis to good magazines, if you want to write the best short stories possible, then make cutting ten percent the number one priority in the revision process.
I agree no one should destroy a story from any advice, including mine, but no one has ever destroyed a story by cutting ten percent during the revision process. Many writers have written boring stories, or stories that needed severe editing, from failing to do this, but no story I've ever seen from a new writer was harmed by cutting ten percent during revision.
You're darned right I can speak with authority on this issue.