Copyedit drive-by

I’m eyebrow deep in copyediting Under the Rose for the next few days, so this is going to be quick.

In passing, here are some things I’ve learned care of my fabulous, fabulous copyeditor:

The thing I refresh approximately 694 times a day is called “e-mail” not “email.

It’s “Daily Kos” not “The Daily Kos.”

One should always double check, when revising lyrics, that one has not ruined the follow up joke that is based on the earlier draft of said lyrics.

The copyediting package include a style sheet that list all the proper names used. People in my book with names starting with O include: Odin, Orpheus, and Oscar the Grouch. I guess Odile is listed under her last name. (Yep, there she is, under D for “Dumas” and right after Darth Vader, Dickens, Dimmesdale, and Nancy Drew.) People in my book with names starting with V include: Cruella DeVille, The Virgin (Mary), and Lord Voldemort.

I can’t tell you how much fun I have with this list. Sailor Boy has gotten sick of my recitations. “Look honey: the Ks are Kali, Kandinsky, King Kong and Kurtz!” It’s totally my favorite part about copyediting.