Copy Editing 101

amanda_lee — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:00:52 +0000

Q: What is copy editing?

So glad you asked! Copy editing is ensuring the clarity, consistency, conciseness, comprehensibility, and correctness of a document. This varies based on the material that I’m copy editing, but on all documents, I read for punctuation, spelling, correct grammar, factual accuracy, and understandability based on the target reading level. Sometimes I also look at design – for instance, if a typeface or an alignment of an element is wrong, I tell the designers to fix it. Likewise if the layout features an incorrect photo, or if the text isn’t readable. Make sense?

Q: Is this the same thing as proofreading? Do you proofread too?

I do proofread sometimes as well, but it’s not the same thing. Proofreading involves checking one version of a document against another and making sure that no errors have slipped through in the production and drafting process. When documents were printed with a press, proofreaders were there to make sure that all the words were correct, no letters were upside down or backwards, and generally that the press operator didn’t make any errors in typesetting. Or, a more contemporary example: I had a freelance job at a law firm that had scanned all their old typewritten documents and converted the resulting PDFs to Word documents with text recognition software; my job was to compare the scanned PDFs to the Word documents to make sure the conversion was accurate. A lot of contemporary proofreaders do some copy editing; but also, a lot of their responsibility of comparing one version of a document against another can be done by a piece of software.

Q: Are you also a copywriter?

Yes! Some of my responsibilities in copy editing are revision and reworking, so there’s a lot of crossover – and I definitely know what mistakes not to make! My current job description is “e-content writer”, but the position involves bits of copy editing, blogging, web design, and PR. The last gig I had involved writing ad copy for the web on a home goods/modern living blog.

Q: Isn’t copy editing an outmoded job in the digital age?

Ohh, ouch. That stings. Is it outmoded? Well, yes and no. I think with the proliferation of blogging and citizen journalism, people are getting a lot more accustomed to seeing typos and mistakes in written work – and as our education system changes from teaching grammar and punctuation strictly to teaching how to communicate in a more general sense, it’s becoming more and more common among even the most professional writers. Absolute grammatical correctness is a goal of mine when I set out to work on a piece, but it’s not as high a goal as making sure that the writing is actually communicating what it intends to. A lot of my work deals with distilling a piece of writing down to its core idea, getting rid of fluffy prose that doesn’t contribute to the overall meaning. I definitely notice when there’s a misplaced modifier or a missing comma in the fiction I’m reading, but I don’t freak out about it.

Q: How did you get into what you do? What kinds of clients do you work with?

In college, I worked on the school newspaper as a staff writer and then an editor. When I moved to New York, I took a course on legal proofreading at the suggestion of a LiveJournal friend, and then I expanded from there. I’ve worked for law firms, a green construction consultancy, boutique advertising firms, individual authors and bloggers, banks, a fiction writer whose book is about San Francisco after the Gold Rush; and a design company that produced marketing materials for architectural supplies. [They had a dog. The dog didn't have anything to do with my job, but he was kind of fun to have around.] Right now I’m working with a healthcare nonprofit on their web-based communications and PR; and revising some promotional materials for a large insurance company and a mobile advertising firm.

[source, of course]

Q: What do you like about the job?

I like the fact that I get to be very detail-oriented while still focusing on the big ideas behind the writing. I like the fact that I know how to do something that almost no one else does anymore, and that I do it very well. I like working with language and optimizing it for an audience or a medium. I like that it challenges me and enables me to learn. [Case in point: a few weeks ago I worked with a client who needed to decide whether his marketing materials would say "communication" or "communications." I knew the difference, but being able to apply it and justify my decision was exhilarating. Yes, I'm a little bit nerdy. Shut up.]

Q: What do I hate about the job?

I think the worst thing is being unable to leave it behind – once I internalized these grammatical rules, I see mistakes everywhere.

Also, I really dislike it when I’m on a freelance job and the writer questions every editorial move I make. However, I understand that it comes with the territory, because no one likes to have their work critiqued. Still, it means I have to be careful of people’s feelings and be clear that I’m not judging them, just helping make their writing better.

Q: How do you get work?

The same way other freelancers do – sell, sell, sell. I’m registered with a couple of freelance agencies who send my resume around periodically. I have friends at ad firms that put in a good word for me when they can. I send postcards to creative directors and HR types around town. I go to nonprofit and young professional networking events even though I’m shyer than this blog might make me seem. One time someone emailed me a few chapters of his novel to edit after meeting me at Jelly. And when I’m in New York, I have an editorial services firm that gets me work a lot of the time.

Q: I found a typo on your page.

Good. Let me know. You should never edit your own work, because you’ll miss all your own mistakes. So that’s why I have you guys. If you find a typo, I’ll give you a cookie.

Q: Are you judging my grammar/punctuation/capitalization/writing?

Hardly. Whatever you write, I’ve seen worse. Trust me. And besides, your writing isn’t a direct indication of your intelligence any more than your SAT score or your GPA. Good writers are people who are great at verbal communication, but if you’re not great at that, you might be great at spatial awareness or logic or analysis. It takes all kinds. I still love you.

Q: What are your editorial pet peeves?

I don’t like the use of “they”, “them,” or “their” as a gender-neutral third-person singular. For instance: “The person that brought their dirty dishes into the office needs to take that nastiness home with them” should actually be “The person that brought his or her dirty dishes into the office needs to take that nastiness home with him or her.” [If I got my hands on this sentence, it would read "Please take your dirty dishes home with you." To the point, right?]

I’m a stickler for using an em dash instead of a hyphen when it’s appropriate. I’m okay with ” – ” [space bar hyphen space bar] as well as “—” [em dash], but not with “-” [just one hyphen], and “–” [two hyphens] drives me a little crazy. MS Word auto-corrects the two hyphens to become an em dash, and Adobe products auto-correct three hyphens to become an em dash if you turn on the smart punctuation options. But one hyphen just looks like a hyphenated word, which can cause all sorts of muddiness of meaning. [Also? It's "em dash", not "em-dash".]

I don’t use an Oxford comma when I’m making a list joined by “and”; but I do when I’m making a list joined by “or” or “nor”. Like this: “Chris, Tori and Katrina came over last night; but neither Hilly, Ben, nor Courtney could make it. It rained, so we couldn’t go for a walk, play softball, or chalk the sidewalks.” [My current job requires Oxford commas in all cases, and it's the most frequent mistake I make. Drives me crazy.]

Adverbs and adjectives are like truffles: too many of them, and I get dizzy.

It’s/its and there/their/they’re are my gospel. It also really bothers me when people write “would of” when they mean “would have.” I understand the mistake, but it confuses readers.

I go absolutely insane with hyphenated modifying phrases. I might write a whole blog post about this, because it deserves attention. “Long term relationship” is wrong; “long-term relationship” isn’t. “The three-year-old child [hyphenated] was two years old [no hyphenation] when he went to Disneyworld.” “The well-respected teacher’s [hyphenated class was highly demanded [no hyphenation].” “You go on a 5-mile run [hyphenated] after you drive to your gym 20 miles away [no hyphenation].”

I fact-check everything I can with every resource I have.

Q: I have other questions.

Awesome. Post ‘em below and I’ll write up a follow-up post answering them soon. [And if your question is "How can I hire you?", get in touch and we'll talk.]

Business Professional Dress: WTF?

amanda_lee — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:20:52 +0000

So, I’m working in an office now. It’s a contract gig, and I like it a lot. I like the fact that I’m getting paid decently to do what I do best—write, edit, design, and communicate. I like my colleagues. I like my office [not a cubicle! it has a door that closes! and a dual screen monitor set up! and my own thermostat, so I don't freeze!], the free lunches, the gym membership, and the freedom to listen to Pandora while I’m working.

However, I’m sorely lacking in the professional dress department. I have never, ever been one to toe the line on dressing exactly how people expect me to. I’m lucky to have casual Friday; otherwise, I might have to do two loads of laundry a week instead of one.

I can see the benefits of it, really. I enjoy wearing costumes on stage, and wearing a certain type of clothing for work activities should appeal to that part of me. I understand the emphasis on professional appearance so that clients will take you seriously. I can see how dressing in a certain way indicates your respect for your colleagues and your place of employment, and the ideals they stand for.

But to be honest, I don’t get it. I don’t work with clients. Most of the time I’m locked in my office on conference calls with developers or attorneys—calls in which they don’t see me or what I’m wearing. And I know it’s young and idealistic of me, but I wish it were the case that I’d been hired solely for my copywriting and design skills rather than for my adherence to a code of conduct and dress that’s not really my own…and I wish I had the client base to say that if a client didn’t approve of the way I dressed, I didn’t need to work with him. This isn’t Sterling Cooper, yes?

Do you all have any thoughts on professional attire? What do you wear to work? Or, what would you wear to work if you could wear anything you wanted?

amanda lee dot org » writing

Copy Editing 101

Business Professional Dress: WTF?