For those about to slot, we salute you

“One of the great things about being a copy editor is freedom from vulgar desire for public recognition.” – Testy Copy Editor’s Web site

I’m not the type of person who requires a lot of attention. In fact, I usually go out of my way to avoid it. That, combined with a meticulous nature, is the reason I abandoned dreams of becoming a reporter in favor of an editing career.
Copy editors don’t enjoy total anonymity, though. We get plenty of attention. Unfortunately, it’s usually negative. When a mistake makes it into print -- not an uncommon occurrence at a college newspaper -- it’s probably our fault.
Many of the copy editors here at The Daily Gamecock don’t have a lot of experience. Only a couple of them have taken a copy-editing course. Most aren’t even journalism students, yet they all take their positions seriously and show up to work every night with a desire to learn that amazes me. And they keep coming back, despite all of the criticism they receive.
I’ve been in their shoes. I know how frustrating it is to work really hard on a headline, only to have some higher-up come along and change it. I know what it’s like to miss something small, such as a spelling error, because the story had much bigger issues that needed to be handled first.
And I understand what it feels like to leave the paper at 3 a.m. thinking you did a really great job, only to find an enormous flub on the front page the next morning.
But I also know what a rush it is to nail a perfect headline on the first try and be congratulated by everyone in the newsroom for a job well done. I understand how satisfying it is to catch little errors that make a really big difference.
I feel proud knowing that reporters have left here with clips that have helped them get jobs at major newspapers across the country thanks in part to my editing.
Copy-editing is a tough job. It’s not something you can learn overnight. There are hundreds of little rules and regulations you have to know. I want to thank my staff for taking up such a difficult -- and sometimes thankless -- task.
Keep up the good work. We’re getting better and better.

-- Copy Desk
Aaron Kidd
Copy Desk Chief