While reviewing artwork for a children's picture book, I found inverted clothing patterns and limbs, missing background colors, perspective issues, thought bubbles that should be speech bubbles, errant lines, and layout problems.
@RedPenRabbit@edibuddies My best-ever catch as a copy editor was in a cover photo for a special section. Image showed a designer in his studio. Behind him: a wall covered with art and sketches and tons of other stuff. One of the sketches: five naked men mounting each other.
Some things I checked in my last copyedit:
-song lyrics (as in listening to the actual song)
-spider anatomy (ew)
-whether certain planets are aligned on a future date
-whether said architect designed X
-Japanese names
-math
When you have to google "biggest spider in the world" for the copyedit you're working on, so you wince and brace yourself for the inevitable image results as you hit Enter.
Sitting down with a 1,200-word proofread when my last editing task was an 80,000-word line edit and I'm having to steer my brain pretty hard over here 😂 @edibuddies#AmEditing
The Conscious Language Toolkits for Writers and Editors are 20% off through November 30! These resources provide guidance on choosing language that's more intentional, compassionate, and empowering, and they include terms to be aware of, alternatives to consider, and where to learn more. bit.ly/RedPenRabbitShop
As a copyeditor, I find that few things are as satisfying as finding an entry or example in the style guide that matches what I'm looking for to a T. No ambiguity, no guesswork, just "this is what you do in the exact scenario you're dealing with."
It's funny how quickly my brain can go from "Yay, editing! I've got this!" to "Do I even know English?" when I come across a usage that may be totally valid and common but that I've never seen before.
Romance writers (& editors), are you interested in gender as a craft tool & inclusion issue? I've just reposted my article ✨ Doing Gender on Purpose: Diversity, Depth, and Character in Romance✨ so that it's freely available. I hope you'll check it out, share it, give it a think :) https://www.eliotwesteditorial.com/gender-on-purpose.html
Something awry with today’s Observer newspaper. A Q&A with Rowetta (Manchester singer with Happy Mondays etc.) seemingly published with the answers from actor Mathew Horne. Rowetta gains a Norwegian wife, a baby son, and (most unlikely of all) a love of Tottenham Hotspur FC.