For Editors: Do You Have What It Takes?
Perhaps you were the only kid in your English class who adored diagramming sentences. Perhaps you were an English major who memorized all of Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Or perhaps you’re just that (ahem) lovable person who corrects others at cocktail parties when they use “who” where they should have used “whom.” But do you have what it takes to be a professional copyeditor? Below are my Top Eight Traits of the Greatest Copyeditors in the Business.
1. Great editors aren’t afraid to embrace their inner geek. Great editors know that minutiae matter. While the difference between a hyphen, an en dash, and an em dash is absurdly anal-retentive to a normal person, great editors are not normal people. Is that one space or two after that colon? If you’re thinking, “such a small thing couldn’t possibly matter,” you’re not thinking like an editor.
2. They realize that great editors are made, not born.While an editor should be knowledgeable, no one knows everything. Great editors are not ashamed to reach for the style manual or dictionary when they’re not sure about the answer to a question that arises during editing.
3. They are flexible.Many people think that editing is all about following rigid rules, but great editors know that it’s equally important to have the flexibility to conform your style to that of your employer. One client might use the <em>Chicago Manual</em> to the letter, whereas another might have its own internal rules for style and formatting. If your style doesn’t match your client’s style, no amount of being “right” is going to endear you to them.
4. They see the forest andthe trees. When most people think of copyediting, they think of reading the words on the page and correcting the grammar, spelling, and punctuation. While this is important, there’s a lot more to copyediting. Making sure that line and paragraph spacing and indentation are correct; being attentive to pagination and running heads; checking tables of contents and indexes for correct page numbering; and checking details like captions and footnotes are the hallmarks of a great copyeditor.
5. They know how to defend their choices. Knowing when something is wrong is only half the job. If the author or another editor comes to you and asks you to explain why you changed something, you should know the rule and be prepared to explain it to others.
6. They are confident. If you care enough about writing to have made words your stock in trade, chances are that your instincts are good. When something sounds ugly to you, even if it’s not technically wrong, it’s your job to care about that. Have the confidence to rewrite where needed. On a related note…
7. They aren’t too lazy to rewrite it themselves. A good editor will query a poorly-written passage for the author or a more senior editor to rewrite. A great editor will go the extra step and suggest a better wording.
8. They read like crazy. I’ve never known a great editor who wasn’t an avid reader. To develop a keen eye and good instincts for what “sounds right,” it’s essential to read the work of the best writers. If you specialize in a particular area, such as legal, travel, or scientific writing, seek out the best writers in that field as well.
How about it, editors? Do you have any more you would add?