Be Your Own Editor

JC writes:

I write in the fantasy genre and there are certain expectations that readers
have where language is concerned. However, the copy-editor I’m working with has balked at my use of “upon,” to the point where she changed all of them into “on.” She must have done a search and replace all because “whereupon” became “whereon.” *sigh*

My question is: How can I convince her that “upon” sounds more appropriate after words like “wait,” “lay,” “set,” “look,” and in phrases like “upon the instant,” “evening was upon them”?

JC, your question brings up two other questions: Does good writing mean different things in different genres? and, Why do you have to “convince” your copyeditor of something?

First, I will admit to not being well versed in genre fantasy, so I can’t speak with authority to your statement about readers’ expectations regarding language. Generally, I would caution writers to be careful of thinking in such a way and to be more concerned with simply writing well than with sounding like every other writer in their genre. I do suspect that fantasy is unique in this respect, and that more formal usage is common (e.g., “upon” vs. “on”). But I still think you should be careful not to blindly follow such conventions at the expense of good writing. It’s possible to overwrite, even in fantasy. And it’s possible that in some cases, “on” is perfectly fine and even preferable.

For the record, the words are synonymous according to Webster’s, so we’re talking about style, not grammar. You can use the dictionary to make your case—an editor should have the burden of proof when arguing for a correction in your writing, and if the words have the same definition, she has no rule-based argument.

I second your sigh; no decent copyeditor will make a global change in a manuscript by using the “Search and Replace” function—at least not without looking at each instance as it comes up on the screen. That’s just lazy and unprofessional. Which raises a key question you haven’t answered: Did you hire this copyeditor, or did your publisher? If she’s working directly for you, you of course don’t have to do a single thing she says.

If she’s working for your publisher, is she a freelancer? Are you dealing with her directly, or through the editor who acquired your book? The majority of publishing houses use freelancers for copyediting nowadays, but authors are sometimes not made aware of this fact and assume the copyeditor is an in-house employee.

The issue I’m getting at is whether or not you have the final say about what words go into your book. A copyeditor normally doesn’t have the power to overrule the wishes of an author—but you, the author, should be able to overrule her. (Every author’s favorite word is “stet.”)

If your acquiring editor is arguing for “on” rather than “upon,” you may have a tougher time, since that editor is responsible for your getting published there in the first place and presumably knows something about the fantasy genre. Remember, and remind them if necessary, that your name will be on the book. But remember, too, that their money is being invested in the book. If the editor and copyeditor are experienced in the genre, balance your authorial, well, authority, with a respect for their opinions. Of course, if you’ve been published before and sold books, you have a strong argument for preserving your style.

Which brings me to my last question, and it’s important: Does the copyeditor work often in fantasy, or was she hired for this one project with little or no experience in the genre? If you hired her, then you can learn a lesson from this experience (i.e., hire an editor who knows your genre). If your publisher hired her as a freelancer or if she works for them full-time, find out her background. If she’s never edited fantasy, point that out to your contact at the publisher. If she’s been copyediting fantasy for ten years, her recommendation may not be entirely off-base.

In short, the answer to your question depends on the circumstances. But no matter what, you are the author of your book and should fight for your words. At the same time, you shouldn’t be so attached to them that you aren’t open-minded to editorial suggestions. Her use of “Search and Replace” is inexcusable in a copyeditor, but that doesn’t mean she was wrong in every instance. Try to have a direct conversation with her, or with whoever is trying to force these changes upon (on?) your book, and express your concerns. Writing e-mails or notes in the margins of your manuscript is not the most efficient way to settle conflicts about language.

I wish you the best of luck, JC. If you want to post a comment and give me more details, perhaps I can offer more concrete advice. Thanks for writing!

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 22nd, 2007 at 10:31 pm and is filed under Genres, Readers Q&A, Self-publishing, The Book Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.