Sub-editing, copy-editing – call it what you will
In the UK, we are called sub-editors. In the US, it's copy-editors. Or, more precisely, copyeditors. In the UK, we kind of like hyphens. In the US, they kinda don't. But one way or another – here or there, sub-editors or copyeditors – we care enough to be consistent.
Because that's what sub-editors do. We care. We read your copy and we care about it.
We care that:
- It makes sense. What the writer writes and the reader reads can often be very different. A good sub-editor makes sure there is no confusion or ambiguity.
- It is grammatically correct. A fraught subject, 'correctness', but there's a body of opinion on modern English usage that provides us with some workable guidelines.
- It is punctuated appropriately. Is there anything more beautiful than a well-placed comma? Anything more ugly than a misplaced apostrophe? Possibly, but not on this site.
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- It is spelt correctly. No problem with 'correct' here. Dictionaries have been around for a while, so if you want to be idiosyncratically interesting, you're on your own.
- It fits the space required. Cutting copy is a delicate skill – a clause here, an adjective there. But, occasionally, a thoughtful axe must be wielded.
- The facts are checked. Names, titles, dates, places. The writer doesn't always have time to get these right. A good sub-editor takes the time to check and check again.
