Crash Course in Copy Editing

Rolling, as a reporter I hate it when a copy editor changes something in my story just because it's a pet peave of theirs. If I use a word you don't like - but it works just as well as one you prefer - just leave it, please.

That's my pet peave.

 

As I said, sometimes I skip from story to story. Helps clear my head in reading. If I read a column, then I might flip over and read our centerpiece before returning to the column. Just a matter of shifting the brain to something else to make the first piece seem new again. Besides, at our place, stuff comes in at a pretty regular flow. So I start reading at 4, may get something else at 6, 7:15, 8 and 9. Who knows?

 

I agree with you, if that's truly the case. However, a surprising number of writers do not know the real meaning of some of the words the use. They think they do, they believe it's common knowledge because they've heard it used by other people, but if they'd check the dictionary they'd find they're nowhere close. So they think it's a peeve when it's actually more than that.

 

Actually, I'm always right nowadays. If I ever have any doubt, I check word meanings on the web dictionaries. It's a great tool.

 

The first thing I learned:
If your shop is union, NEVER, EVER touch the type.

 

A useful site with all sorts of links for language, reference, and other materials
http://www.copydesk.org/reference.htm

and editing test..
http://www.copydesk.org/guidelines.htm

and another page for resources:
http://www.copydesk.org/words/

 

My pet peeve is people who misspell peeve.

My two cents: Most people will suggest you do multiple reads of a story; however, on many desks, especially at smaller papers, there's no time to do that. Copy editors have the unenviable task each night of trying to be as thorough as possible as fast as they can. But as an intern, you likely will be given more leeway on the time you take to process stories. The best advice I can give you is to use every bit of the time you have.

 

Good catch ;D

 

Oh, man, how right you are about irony. I work with someone who likes to use Ironically as a transition. Too bad he uses it wrong every time. Sometimes you can substitute in coincidently and it works, but sometimes he's so far off base that it's not even a coincidence. It's crazy.

 

Ironically, I ate a wrap for lunch.

 

I actually chuckled a little on that one. Good one.