Copy editing at The New Yorker is a meticulous process akin to playing shortstop for a Major League Baseball team
Copy editors focus on details such as sentence structure, word choice, punctuation, and adhering to house style
Each publication has a unique house style; The New Yorker’s style is particularly distinctive, often leading to playful teasing
Examples of idiosyncrasies in house style:
Hyphenate ‘teenager’ as ‘teen-age’
Use diaresis over the 'i' in 'naive'
Copyediting is primarily mechanical, involving exact changes based on style rules
Query Proofreading is more interpretive, making suggestions for emphasis, clarity, and fluency in writing
Proofs are submitted through an editor, creating dynamics between copy editors and authors; the editor often plays the role of the good cop
Copy editors face scrutiny, as mistakes can draw public criticism
Example 1: Error in the term "no nothingism" instead of "know nothingism"
Example 2: Misuse of the term "belied" in a sentence about a character's authoritative bearing. The correct word should have been "betrayed"
Commas often attract significant complaints
E.B. White famously remarked on the precise placement of commas in The New Yorker
Example: A debate over the correct use of commas in "Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard"
Editors must maintain a good rapport with authors to support their work without publicizing errors
A distinction exists between personal pride in the work and the pressure of public scrutiny
The speaker expresses a reputation for sternness but emphasizes collaborative relationships with writers
Noteworthy anecdotes include interactions with author Ian Frazer on grammatical choices
Example provided about a sentence related to Hurricane Sandy's aftermath shows a balance between stylistic choices and grammatical accuracy
Importance of clarity in analogies; for instance, correcting 'like' in certain comparisons to 'as' based on grammatical structure
Attention to spelling, particularly with unique or colloquial usage.
Example involved controversy over the term "meist”
Addressing pluralization issues with antecedents in common phrases
The challenge lies in not using awkward constructions that disrupt the flow
In final proofs, some alterations made by authors may stand firm despite copy editor suggestions
Notable instances of shared editorial responsibility included rubrics over explicit language in articles
The speaker reflects on how they may be criticized for different aspects of editorial choices’