You might be a copy editor if . . .
Our upcoming Beginning Copyediting for Fiction class will educate anyone wanting to fix the errors seen on a daily basis in the real world!
Over the past week or so, I’ve caught the following typos and grammatical awkwardness in major news media:
USA Today: “publically released”
USA Today: “could cause driver’s to crash”
USA Today: “exasperating the problem” (should be “exacerbating the problem”)
Yahoo Entertainment: “Affleck has three children with whom Lopez has become the stepmother to.”
People: “A college student is dead after falling to his death.”
CNN: “Crossed first paths”
ABC News: “preventing recruiters from meting with students”
If you, like me, have a tendency to spot errors like this, then you, too, are either a copy editor or could be one.
Tips for Editors & Writers
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Beta Reading as Training for Developmental Editing
Many self-publishing authors look for beta readers to give them perspective on their novels before they go to a professional editor for further help. An author doesn’t need a developmental editor to say the whole storyline is implausible and they yawned from beginning to end. Any reader of fiction can probably relay that information. Doing…
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How to Beta Read and Critique
Two ways newer editors get experience with developmental editing/story editing is through beta reading and critique partnering. Beta reading is giving a basic reader reaction to someone’s manuscript. Critique partners are writers who trade their manuscripts and give each other feedback. Basic Rules for Beta Reading and Critiquing 1. All feedback should be constructive and…
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Helping Clients Understand the Differences Between Beta Reading and Developmental Editing
Authors often use beta readers to give them feedback on their work and I think this can be a great way for them to get a sense of a reader’s experience of the novel. But unpaid beta readers often flake out and never provide feedback. This is the number one complaint I hear from authors…
