The nit-picking glory of The New Yorkers Comma Queen Mary Norris (GENERAL)

The Role of a Copy Editor at The New Yorker

  • 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

House Style Specifics

  • 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 vs. Query Proofreading

  • 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

Illustrative Errors

  • 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 and Punctuation Complaints

  • 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"

Being Under Scrutiny

  • 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

Reputation and Relationships with Authors

  • 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

Specific Editing Challenges

  • 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

Final Proofs and Reader Reactions

  • 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’