I Stand Corrected

As an editor or proofreader, there is The Line. The Line is the difference between being a capable and knowledgeable grammarian and being an unbearable know-it-all twit. Some people are able to straddle this line better than others.

Correcting those you work with has to be done judiciously if you don’t want the whole office falling silent when you walk into it. Corrections are certainly appropriate, but it’s important to know the time, place, and how to go about it, whether you’re the new kid in the cube or the weathered expert.

Five Rules for Correcting Your Coworkers:

1. Save it for the proof: There’s a time and place to correct people’s grammar. Unless you are working on something that will represent your brand or company, save it. Don’t correct grammar on the spot as a joke, either. Teasing is wasted on people who don’t know you at best, at worst it’s could be considered juvenile and a waste of time.

2. Pick your battles: Now there may be times where a casual reference may need correction. Take the example of Queen Elizabeth versus Queen Elisabeth; a coworker was about to post a tweet about the Queen Elisabeth competition, but in the email it had a “z” instead of an “s.” At the risk of sounding obnoxious, I did double check to make sure the right spelling went up, but only because I knew the spelling would go live.

3. Keep it discrete: One thing I didn’t mention about the above example is that it all happened via group email. Instead of emailing the entire group, including the person who misspelled the word, I only emailed the party who would be posting it to make sure she was aware of the differences in the spelling. She was, and there did not end up being a problem. But by confirming and not correcting, I kept myself from looking like a know-it-all, which is The Line we editors walk daily.

4. Know your stuff: When you do have to go out on a limb and correct, make sure you’re right, even if you think you are. I feel like grace is the best attribute an editor can have, because the harsher you correct others, the harsher they will correct you when given the chance. There are a million exceptions in the English language. So look it up before you open your mouth, and be ready to back yourself up if necessary.

5. Put it to a vote: One thing that makes our lives as editors even hard is that at the end of the day, that which is technically right may give way to that which is more readable. Obviously, strive for correct grammar and spotless punctuation whenever possible. But when it comes to blows, put it to a vote. Find your audience and poll them. Does a figure look fine or should you spell it out? If something looks odd when done correctly, is there a way to rework it? Remember that the rules of grammar ultimately serve the purpose of clarity. If your “correct” text confuses or distracts the reader, it may as well be wrong.

Tags: BurtCreative, coworkers, editing, freelance writing, grace, know it all, proofing, proofreading, The Line, writing