Typesetting and printing processes were revolutionized by the widespread use of computers. The ease of producing periodicals and making changes could be done in a fraction of the time it used to take when lead type was manually set. Typos are also dramatically decreased.
With all the technology available to editors and writers, the practice of copy editing is still a vital part of the editorial process. Software programs can check for spelling and grammar errors but the human touch has not yet been entirely replaced by automation.
Human Touch
A computer can correct the spelling of “thier” to “their” but what if the writer meant “there?” It takes an experienced editor to read someone else’s prose and determine and correct any confusing text. Making correct spelling changes is the easy part so is grammar that a computer program missed.
The editorial process is largely done on a computer screen today. But it didn’t used to be that way.
History
Copy editing and the tools to accomplish it are glorified in old movies. The scene is one of a smoke-filled newsroom, mostly men, typing frantically on manual typewriters. They are on deadline because newspaper competition was severe in large cities. New York had as many as eight dailies at the turn of the 20th century.
As soon as a story was finished, the typed pages were grabbed off the desk by a copy editor who began reading, making corrections and marking up the copy. From him it went to another editor for finalizing and then to the typesetter. A few hours later, the latest edition of the paper was printed and sold.
How did they know?
Since the copy editing process took place outside of the typesetting room, special characters and symbols had to be developed so the next person in the chain knew exactly what to do.
Proof reading marks were developed as a standard set of symbols that every editor used. The universal symbols equal consistency so anyone involved in the process knows exactly what the previous reviewer meant when marking up the copy.
The symbols encompass just about any changes or errors found in an article. Delete a word, spell it out, add punctuation, reverse words, lower case or upper case and many others. For a complete list of the standard proofreading marks, click here.
On the same page
Copy editing is an important step in the editorial process for many reasons. The editor clarifies content by changing words or adding and deleting text. They also look for factual errors in the copy. Those can be anything from a common known fact to historical error to anything the experienced copy editor simply knows from years in the field.
Using proofreading marks avoids miscommunication. As stated, several different people read the copy. If all know that the letters “lc” mean lower case a word, there is no question what the previous editor intended.
Age of Automation
So with computers everywhere, including on the phone, why do we need to “mark up copy?” It can be done easier and faster on the monitor screen. But some errors can be missed when viewing on a screen.
Copy editing is as important today as ever. A good practice for a writer or editor is to print out the article and read through it on paper. Do this even if the text is intended to be on-line only, such as on a Website. I see typos, missed words and other errors on Websites and blogs every day. These mistakes could have been fixed if the owners had printed out the text.
The writer can make use of proofreading marks by printing out the copy and using the standard symbols to mark it up. Set it aside and go back later to do a final review. If your handwriting is as bad as mine, you may not remember what you meant by the chicken scratch next to a paragraph.
Other uses for copy editing include checking hyperlinks to make sure they go to the intended web page. Also, reading through the text you can make formatting changes such as italic-sizing or bolding headlines and phrases.
Computers are wonderful but sometimes using old technology to perform a task will produce a much better product.
– Artwork Abode
Artwork Abode
