Making the pretty people shine
January 9th, 2008
via creative commons
Copy editor. Proofreader.
What comes to mind when you read these words?
Do you envision an uptight spinster with reading glasses perched on a pinched face? Do you see a gnarled hand wielding a red pen? Do you imagine the kind of person who interrupts a great story, a joke — a movie — to point out an error in syntax or grammar?
Maybe in your mind’s eye you see a bloated, worn former reporter parked behind a Mac, growling at the young writers who turn in their stories 30 seconds past deadline.
Maybe you draw a blank altogether. If so, you are not alone.
While being a copy editor and proofreader won’t dazzle the pretty people sipping martinis at a cocktail party — trust me, I know — it is a vital and necessary job.
Proofreading and editing make the pretty people look prettier. They make the smart folks read smarter. Think of us as the makeup artists, the lighting guys, the behind-the-scenesters who pull it all together. We don’t get the credit. But we get the satisfaction of knowing we helped you look your best.
If you’re looking for a snippy spinster with a red pen in her pocket, keep going. That’s not what I’m about. The aim here is to be efficient, helpful, quick, thorough and have fun.
We like to think of our pens as accessories.
