So, here’s a little something about copy editing. There are a lot of terms regarding editing. There’s editing as in a journalistic sense (the most prevalent), which involves not only correcting the draft grammatically but also in a contextual sense that should be relevant to the topic in hand. There is also cutting up the script to meet the word/page limitations, which is also most common in the news industry as well as in academia (essays, articles, etc.). Then there’s editing in the publishing field, which has a lot of branches just related to editing. For instance, developmental or structural editing service, line or copy editing service, critical editing service and so on.
So, when I say I’m an editor, most people get confused and ask which newspaper I work for. Then I have to specify that I’m a copy editor, which confuses them even more! Some politely nod their heads and move on; some are curious enough to know the difference. An editor in a newspaper/magazine is totally different from a copy editor. As I have never experienced the former role, I cannot exactly specify the differences, but I can definitely say that they surely do not check minutely for grammar and language errors. In fact, newspapers have a position of line/copy editor different from the managing editor, whose chief job is to check the article for relevance, length and general language. (I surmise!)
Copy editing is exactly what the term suggests—editing the copy. It can be a book editing service, novel, short story, essay, article or thesis…basically, anything in the written form can be edited (should be edited). We are humans after all; anyone, even the most perfect grammarian, can make mistakes, sometimes silly ones that can be overlooked easily. This is where copy editors come into the picture.
They look at every line of every page, and correct the errors—be it grammatical, punctuation, sentence structure, spellings, wrong word, wrong context, etc. They make the copy not only readable but also interesting, comprehensible and grammar-perfect, to say nothing of correct language!
The most innocent of all punctuation marks, the comma—such an understated dash, yet can make a world of difference! ‘Goats’ cheese salad ingredients: lettuce, tomato, goats, cheese.’ This healthy salad has just become a meat-lover’s haven! That’s why restaurant menus—especially!—should undergo a copy editor’s treatment before going to print.
Another example: ‘Let’s eat Grandma!’ A comma could save lives!
More on the importance of reviewing your copy and editing it (or getting it edited) later. Watch this space!