How to Configure Your Editing Habits

by Ryan Dettman | 14 September 2022

Carol Fisher Saller’s “The Subversive Copy Editor” is a book made to identify the copy editor’s loyalties to the
reader. It is an intimate and often times humorous way to understand the many relationships one must maintain
while remaining efficient and level-headed.

REVIEWED:
The Subversive Copyeditor
By Carol Fisher Saller
Chicago, 186 pp., $29.97

Subversive Copy Editing and the Chicago Manual of Style: Meet UChicagoan Carol Saller. YouTube.
YouTube, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9pDEweHyQQ.

“It’s rarely a good idea to explain anything more than is absolutely necessary,” says Saller before going on, “That’s
counterintuitive, because our first impulse is to appease, to defend ourselves, to receive permission, to explain. But
when you mention specifics, you provide ammunition for rebuttal on each point. In a first level explanation, It’s
better to be firm but vague” (Saller, 21).

Without the context provided by Saller, any type of relationship could be described in the quote above. Who are
these two parties? A mother and her misbehaving child? A young couple? Saller writes in a way applicable to
general relationships while surrounding subject matter with subtle tricks and strategies—concerned, too, with the arc
of a healthy connection between copy editor and writer. There is conflict, there is compromise, and there are people
to please—namely your boss—even more so, your reader. “Reassuring and impressing readers keeps them coming
back. It persuades them to believe, to invest, to buy” (Saller, 5).

CAREFULNESS , TRANSPARENCY , FLEXIBILITY :

The actual processes of copyediting don’t begin immediately. Saller first delves into the healthy introduction
between a copy editor and writer. In a way, it’s like a first date. Each party is nervous for different reasons and
things start out with awkwardness…unless you, the copy editor, make the first move. The best way to have a good
first impression comes from (1) carefulness. Your first priority is to “do no harm” —a reoccurring motto throughout
the book. Saller goes on to recommend studying your style manual and trusting in your author’s knowledge of both
subject and audience— don’t be afraid to prod at them, when necessary, too. They may not know the grammatical
subtleties nor the style guide, so it’s important to show carefulness in practice and cooperation.

(2) Transparency is important as it enhances trust between editor and writer via vulnerability. It’s your job as copy
editor to know why you made each individual mark on someone else’s work, and it’s also your responsibility to
query the author with confidence in your findings. Summarize your edits in a style sheet. Allow your writer to
participate with you whether that be before, during, or after the initial edits. Being inclusive and honest creates a
sense of trust and pushes the copy editor from being a possible adversary in the future.

(3) Flexibility. It’s not your job to always be right. Saller explains this in relation to style especially, though, it can
apply to some examples of ambiguous grammar, “Style rules aren’t used because they’re correct. They’re used for
your convenience in serving the reader” (Saller, 34). Create conflict when necessary and be open to discussion with
your author from the start. If you are concerned about being right, the author may misinterpret this as being
condescending.

DON’T DIE ON THE HILL OF TECHNICALITIES

Since being correct is a prideful part of many copy editors, it’s important to remember the reader first, and the writer
second. The writer is a partner, not an obstacle—and the reader is the objective, the most important set of eyes on
the inevitable product. By being more concerned with the technicalities, not only will you be working at a slower
pace, but you will also be catering to the idea that these rules are cemented in fact. First off, this will probably
irritate your writer (who knows that rules are more than flexible and won’t appreciate constant discourse). There is a
possibility, too, that paying attention to stylistic technicalities may allow for real errors to be missed along the way.
In other words, rules are made to be broken and the reader must be the first priority. Consider this next time when
editing the work of another. If by breaking the rule will increase legibility and fluency, break it.

THE PITFALLS OF EDITING ON WORD PROCESSORS

While word processors have been around since the founding of the computer, they can also act as a hindrance if
you’re not careful. Technology is exponentially evolving, and most people have gathered basic knowledge of word
processing, however, it is important to establish that this basic knowledge is not enough to get paid for. To be paid
requires efficiency and organization and Saller explains that being up to date, while also finding new shortcuts via
trial and error, will help not only your peace of mind but your number of assignments in the future.

THE VARIANCE IN BEING A FREELANCER

The first trouble freelance copy editors run into is the competition. Many spend their time appeasing their editors,
who, unless desperate, will select another copy editor if you’re not available. The dilemma forms here. Risk your
sleep and possible mental health for a job that doesn’t fit your schedule or miss the job opportunity altogether. The
best solution to this problem is to be transparent to the editor about your availability, possible tardiness, etc. Explain
this in your estimate. Along with this, consider making your schedule more flexible. The more flexible your
schedule, the less stress you have to deal with (and the less sleep you’ll end up losing). You’ll also develop a
reputation for being flexible and thus, get more jobs in comparison to your competitors. Another issue freelance
copy editors deal with is the aspect of being paid at their estimated amount. Another dilemma forms when you go
over your estimated contract. This is something that is bound to happen if you’re in the business long enough and
two questions can clear this up. First: Did the project consist of something new that you haven’t learned? —Is this
why you took more time? And second: Was your tardiness really necessary? —Are you at fault for being deliberate?
This is another issue that requires transparency, and it’s better to justify yourself with honesty than to cause conflict.

AVOID BURNOUT
Copy editing has the benefit of being satisfyingly meticulous and the faults of being perfectionistic and addictive.
Addictive in the sense that many editors don’t know where to stop—much like the artists who created the very piece
that they’re editing. This sort of compulsion leads to a few things. It leads to a certain dissatisfaction. You were
asked by your boss to spend a set number of hours on a project and ended up going five over. Why? Because instead
of lightly editing, you’ve coated the project in red—and yet you’re being paid the same amount. The balance of the
job is an important aspect, not only in pay, but also in life. The latest manuscript shouldn’t be something keeping
you up at night. Balance is key. It’ll help you remain productive, allow for some clarity, and finally, refresh your
day-to-day— keeping you from suffering a block or some sort of inefficiency down the line.

Carol Fisher Saller has represented “The Chicago Manual of Style” (the most popular style guide used by trade
book publishers in the U.S.) as Senior Manuscript Editor and Assistant Managing Editor for 17 years. With this
experience she not only understands how to edit in practice, but also the sensible strategies required for keeping the
peace and copy editing with comfort.
WORK CITED

Oates, Joyce Carol. “Disaster Was Her Element: Joyce Carol Oates.” The New York Review of Books. The New
York Review of Books, September 11, 2022. https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2022/09/22/disaster-was-
her-element-jean-rhys/?lp_txn_id=1379001.

Saller, Carol Fisher. The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago (or, How to Negotiate Good Relationships
with Your Writers, Your Colleagues, and Yourself). 2nd ed. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press,
2016.