The copy editor is IN

[iampunha]

Originally Posted by Scarlett67

I know that some of you know exactly what copyediting entails. But a lot of people labor under the misconception that it's rather like running spell-check, and we just read the thing tra-la-la looking for typos and blunders. If only.

When I saw newspapers consolidating copy editing and design, I knew the days of people having no clue what copy editors do were nearer because design and editing are different spheres:

Unwashed Person: "What's copy?"

Copy Editor: "Text."

UP: "Oh, so you, like, check spelling and stuff."

CE: "And about 50 other things."

UP: "Oh. That doesn't sound hard."

CE: "In what one circumstance is under way one word?"

UP: "Um, when there's no space? Hahaha idk."

CE: "It's one word when you're using it in the nautical sense. Otherwise, it's two words."

UP: "OK, so?"

CE: "So knowing that is my job. Also stuff like preventing us from getting sued."

UP: "Oh, wow! So you're a lawyer?"

CE: (Yeah, that's why I'm getting paid $27K to do two jobs. Because I have a law degree.) "No. I'm an editor.

::pause:: "Look, something shiny!"

UP: ::runs off::