Copy editor

“ But for the present it passes on its road to the press into the hands of a fourth body, the “copy-readers,” whose duties in America correspond partially to part of the work fulfilled in this country by “sub-editors,” who do not enjoy however so much positive responsibility, as we should allow them here. The functions of a copy-reader are unpleasantly negative. The real power of judging the news and criticizing it lies above with the city-editor and the managing editor, officials only dimly shadowed in England. ”

“ Other copy for the editorial page—letters to the editor, communications, verse, comments from other newspapers, and the like—is prepared by his assistants. “Editing” copy means preparing it for the compositor, putting it in the exact language in which it is to be printed.
Systematic, careful revision of all copy is necessary not alone to correct error of fact, of judgment, of good taste, but also to regulate the volume of matter. The notion that newspapers print articles “just to fill up” is as absurd as the intimation that they “print anything they can get.” ”

“ Whether the copy was made direct from the original manuscript, or whether it was (as in the case of Mankind) (q.v.) a copy of a copy, or further, whether the collation of the proof-sheets was with the original or with the copy is not stated: still even the last is something towards assurance, for the ways of the modern "comp." and the oversight of the average "reader" are, at times, passing strange. Yet Mr. Magnus by his remark, "Prof. Brandl had to make his edition from a copy of the manuscript," seems to infer that the German editor was unable to get into close contact with the original. ”

“ With respect to the other part of the charge, it is certainly true that while almost every page of the second folio is disfigured by printer's blunders, and arbitrary and capricious deviations from the original copy, the editor of that book has in a few places corrected such manifest errors of the press in the elder copy, as could not escape a person of the most ordinary capacity, who had been but one month conversant with a printing-house. ”

“ The proof, when corrected, is returned through the overseer (who retains the copy) to the clicker, and he gives it to the compositor who set it up. When the type is corrected a revise is pulled, which goes through the same hands to the overseer again; and then it is de spatched to the author, editor, or publisher. In a well-ordered composing-room strict silence is enjoined upon the workmen. Among the industrial pursuits there is none more monotonous and more exacting, none demanding more patience, sustained industry, and power of endurance than the compositor's art. ”

“ Larry thought this was rather easy work and wondered why the city editor laid so much stress on it.
“You’ll have to be very quick,” went on Mr. Emberg, “for we want to get as much in the regular editions as possible. You must be very careful, too, about the copy. There will probably be a number of boys from other papers there, and sometimes they play tricks. If they could make you lose your copy, or get it away from you so as to delay us, they would do it and their papers would be glad of it. So be careful of the copy Mr. Newton gives you.” ”

“ There was no answer save the clicking of half a score of typewriters, at which sat busy reporters.
“Copy!” cried the editor once more. There was a shuffle among a trio of boys on the far side of the room.
“Copy! copy!” fairly shouted the exasperated editor, as he shook the papers, looking up from his work towards the boys who were now advancing together on a run. “What's the matter with all of you? Getting deaf, or are you tired of work? When you hear 'Copy' called at this time of day you want to jump! ”

“ Every time the Fern Bulletin is late, doubtless half the subscribers wonder what the editor can be doing to prevent the magazine from appearing on time. The editor, therefore, rises to explain that this publication would always be issued promptly if correspondents would send in copy in season. We endeavor to have each issue ready for the printer a month before publication, and yet there are many of our contributors, who, having arranged for space in a number, will wait until two or three days before the publication date to send in copy. ”

“ If The 100 Best Poems of the 20th Century is also protected as a compilation, someone who wants to copy a significant number of its poems may need to get permission from whomever has copyright in it as a compilation, generally the editor or the publisher. ”

“ The “third proof” is now sent to the author, editor, or publisher, with so much copy as may cover it, the copy-holder being careful, however, to retain the “mark-off”; i. e., the sheet on which is marked off the place where the next “first proof” is to begin. But when the work is of such sort as not to require extraordinary care, the second proof is sent out, a single reading by copy being deemed sufficient. If the work is read twice by copy, only one reader should attend to the punctuation. ”

“ The lads ran out to the pneumatic tube that shot the copy to the composing room, or, in case of an important story, took it upstairs themselves so that it would receive immediate attention from the foreman.
The boys were running to and fro, as if in training for a race, typewriters were clicking as fast as though the operators were in a speed contest, the editors were slashing whole pages from stories to make them shorter, and the copy readers were doing likewise.
“Hurry up that stuff, Jones!” exclaimed the editor to one reporter. “You've only got two minutes!” ”

“ The editor or copy-reader who is constantly writing heads comes to think unconsciously in headline units; that is, his daily practice makes it possible for him to frame readily statements of the essential facts that will fulfill the requirements of each deck of the head. Nevertheless, he always counts the units to be sure that the number is correct. For the beginner the process of building up the several decks of a typical headline is analyzed at some length in the following pages, in order to demonstrate the methods pursued. ”

“ In many small offices, where copy-readers or copy-editors are not employed, a knowledge of the style-code by printers and proofreaders is of vital importance. It has been computed by a committee of printers of wide experience that a style-code will save from three to five per cent of the cost of composition. In offices conducted along the lines of chaos the waste of time is great. ”

“ Subscribers of 1l. 1s. shall be entitled to a copy on royal paper, and subscribers of 10s. 6d. to a copy on demy paper.
5. Each editor shall be entitled to the same number of copies as are allowed by the Camden and other similar societies. ”

“ However, to observe rules of style when working for a newsp'aper i s of inestimable aid to that corps of time ruled workers, the copy editors. Less important than errors in speech, they ap pear quite as important in the eyes of conscientious copy readers. ”

“ If, on the other hand, he conceives it his duty to reduce all writing to a dead level of mediocrity * * * * he richly deserves the epithet that is certain to be hurled at the copy reader by the reporter whose fine phrases have been cut out—he is in truth a 'butcher' of copy."
Dr. Willard G. Bleyer writes: "The reading and editing of copy consists of (1) correcting all errors whether in expression or in fact; (2) making the story conform to the style of the newspaper; (3) improving the story in any respect; (4) eliminating libelous matter; (5) marking copy for the printer ”

“ Writers should understand that printers, though often highly competent to write or edit manuscripts better than those who present them as copy, are too busy at the case or the machine to stop and edit copy, form a style-code, consult dictionaries, verify quotations, harmonize discrepancies, and prevent the blunders of writers in general. If nobody edits copy, one of two things happens—the blunders are put into type for the public eye, or they are corrected by the proofreader. ”

“ The copy-reader must transform the weak, rambling sentence into a firm, coherent statement with an emphatic beginning. For the trite, colorless word or phrase, he must substitute the fresh, picturesque one. The too figurative flights of exuberant fancy in one young reporter’s copy must be toned down, and the bald, prosaic narrative or description in another’s given life and interest. In short, the copy-reader’s work is constructive as well as critical; it is as important for him to rewrite and rearrange as to cut out and boil down. ”

“ Some editors make it a rule to quote the general style of the clipping, holding that the style of the clipping is as much a part of the author’s personality as are his words and sentences. Unfortunately there are usually so many contradictions and inaccuracies, so many evidences of no style whatever, that it is not a sensible plan to follow reprint copy. The best system is for the compositor to follow the code of his office, and the code should be so well known to him that to follow it would be a pleasure. ”

“ Just as short words and short, simple sentences save the time and energy required to gather the meaning that would be clouded by the use of long, involved sentences, so clearly written and accurately prepared manuscripts save time, energy, and money in the printing-office.
Typewritten copy is almost a necessity in this busy age, but whether penned or typed, manuscripts should be consistent in style, and above all readily legible. Fast typesetting machines should not be made slow and expensive by the carelessness and indistinct manuscripts of editors and other writers for the press. ”

“ There is no doubt that every author has the right to dictate what shall be the typographical form of his work, but no self-respecting publisher’s imprint or hall-mark ever appears on the pages of slovenly work. Even the author who demands his own way should be shown his inconsistencies and slacknesses, if they exist. The productions of some authors, who insist that copy be followed by the printer, betray lack of system before the work has reached the end of a galley; but if a writer urges that his faults be put in type his orders should be followed. ”

“ System is as necessary in a printing-house as in a bank, and classification and obedience to the law of the office are absolutely essential to the production of correct composition. Since many editors and patrons, authors and others are usually either careless or untrained in the art of preparing copy, the printer must be extremely painstaking and methodic, or his work will be censured, and he will be blamed for every fault that shows itself in ‘cold type.’ The owners of newspapers printed at other men’s offices are especially unreasonable when mistakes occur. ”

“ Printers do not agree, some are incompetent, all are busy with other details than editing copy, and it is not the duty of printers to correct the blunders of writers. Again, a printer may see but a fraction of a given manuscript, and may not know, unless there is an office style-card, what system is the author’s desire. A style-card will show printers the way out of many dark places, and will overcome many of the obstacles presented by the copy of untrained editors and writers. ”

“ In large and quiet rooms in the home office a force of copy-readers is preparing the correspondence from all over the world for the compositors; at the news desks trained men are working day and night over telegrams flashed from far and near, eliminating useless words, punctuating, putting on "heads," and otherwise dressing copy for the typesetters. ”

“ As each newspaper has its peculiar “style,” so-called, the copy-reader must learn the rules set forth in the “style book” which his newspaper prints for the guidance of its reporters, editors, copy-readers, and compositors. These rules have to do with capitalization, abbreviation, hyphenation, punctuation, use of numerical figures, and also with the use of certain words and phrases. The form and size of each kind of headline and the number or letter by which it is to be designated in the copy, are sometimes included in the style book. ”

“ In all offices the reporters are furnished with typewriters, and one is helpless until one learns how to use a machine. Longhand copy rarely is sent to the compositors nowadays. If such copy comes into the office, it is generally given to stenographers or reporters to type before being dispatched to the composing room.
3. Longhand Copy.—At times, however, when away from the office, one cannot obtain a machine and must write in longhand. In such cases, write with painstaking care for accuracy. Other things being equal, it is the legible copy that survives. ”

“ There is a general belief that the correction of these oversights is the duty of the printer, and the writer too often throws this duty largely on the compositor and the proof-reader. During the last fifty years there has been no marked improvement in the average writer's preparation of copy for the printer, but there have been steadily increasing exactions from book-buyers. The printing that passed a tolerant inspection in 1850 does not pass now. The reader insists on more attention to uniformity in mechanical details. ”

“ He must be able to detect and correct errors of fact. As every art, science, business, occupation, sport, recreation,—in short, every form of activity, is the subject of news, the copy-reader should be able to pass intelligent judgment on the accuracy of stories written about these various activities. [Pg 256] He must also be familiar with proper names that appear in the news, such as names of prominent persons and places the world over, the titles of well-known books, plays, pictures, and musical compositions, the names of railroads and important corporations, and special trade-mark names. ”