A Copy Editor's Credo

[estragon]

or Quibblers Anonymous:

"There is no passion, neither love nor hate, equal to the passion for altering someone else's draft."--H.G. Wells

 

[sr71plt]

Not the credo I was given when I got my advanced editing/publishing degree at UVa.

The credo I was given was: "First do no harm."

I guess that's the difference in actually being in the business with the credentials to do the business.

 

[estragon]

and those who actually do it.

 

[sr71plt]

and those who actually do it.

As good as my editor is to work with, he returns my drafts with changes of meaning--or alternative wording that's no change over what I originally wrote--and I just grit my teeth and change it back to my voice.

I try not to rail at him about it, though, because I don't want him to be timid in the editing. (I need editing as much as any other writer.) But it's not hard to perceive that he didn't go through the grueling training on what to edit and what not to.

 

[estragon]

Entirely concur, for once. I absolutely will not change meaning; I will query the author if I cannot ascertain his/her meaning, but the story is the author's, not mine. I may even suggest different wording if I find the writing clumsy or cliched, but it is always a suggestion, and phrased as such. And sometimes, at the end of an e-correspondence, I'll admit the author knows his/her story and characters a lot better than I do.

Although, on this Board, I feel like a valley of humility between mountains of conceit.

 

[autoplot]

"Don't be a dick."

When editing, I always try to make it clear to the author that

1) Even if I'm blunt, I don't mean any of it personally and,

2) That they're free to ignore my suggestions if they like, and I won't take that personally.

 

[estragon]

"Don't be a dick."

When editing, I always try to make it clear to the author that

1) Even if I'm blunt, I don't mean any of it personally and,

2) That they're free to ignore my suggestions if they like, and I won't take that personally.

Barring the first sentence of your post, we agree. As to the first sentence, what do you mean? Or as they say in a certain city, "you talkina me?!"

 

[autoplot]

Barring the first sentence of your post, we agree. As to the first sentence, what do you mean? Or as they say in a certain city, "you talkina me?!"

I just mean that when you're editing someone's work, don't be a dick. Not you in particular, but anybody.

I volunteer edit for Lit, and I get a lot of people telling me about how the last editor just ripped them a new one without actually giving them any helpful suggestions.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

I have taught for years in the military and do now in the private sector, and have received many kudos for my style.

An editor is a teacher, a patient mentor.

One does not scold but to correct in a positive way, encouraging them. This is my style. I have had several writers express their appreciation of my style. I also keep them appraised of the status od their storty -- "Hey, will start in two days", or "On page four".

But I do also scold, to a limited degree. "Hey, I'm seeing the same mistakes in this story, are you not taking my corrections to heart?"

Just me. And my writers have shown that they appreciate me. They respond to this.

 

[mokkelke]

I can agree with Asylum (he is my editor after all) and yes, i have learned from it. I still mess up, though I try to get better and learn, I dare say, I have, over time.

He's correct when he says he suggests and explains what is wrong and how it should be. I like that.

 

[estragon]

I just mean that when you're editing someone's work, don't be a dick. Not you in particular, but anybody.

I volunteer edit for Lit, and I get a lot of people telling me about how the last editor just ripped them a new one without actually giving them any helpful suggestions.

Autoplot, now that I understand you, I agree. But sometimes I do get testy (perhaps a mild form of "being a dick") when I see the same mistake again and again. An example of being testy, in this case with myself, is one of my own quibbles to one of my own stories: Our Nations' Capital|Not unless there's more than one, old chappie, should be Our Nation's Capital.

Irony or sarcasm in place of direct insult is probably just as bad. Mea culpa.