Career choice
Two advantages the plumber has over the editor:
1. The customer understands that the plumbing doesn’t work.
2. The customer doesn’t think that he knows better than the plumber how to fix it.
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John McIntyre, mild-mannered copy editor for a great metropolitan newspaper, has fussed over writers’ work at The Baltimore Sun since 1986. He is the director of its copy desk, an affiliate faculty member at Loyola College of Maryland, a former president of the American Copy Editors Society, a native of Kentucky, a graduate of Michigan State and Syracuse, and a moderate prescriptivist. If you are inspired by a spirit of contradiction, comment on his posts or write to him at john.mcintyre@baltsun.com.
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Comments
Then of course there's the money. You may have heard the story of the plumber who did some work for a lawyer and gave him a bill, including $200/hour for labor. The lawyer says, "$200/hour? I'm a lawyer and I don't charge $200/hour." The plumber replies, "Neither did I when I practiced law."
Posted by: Ray Ward | July 27, 2007 11:31 AM
It's worth keeping in mind, though, that for all the excrement the editors must deal with, at least it's all metaphorical.
Posted by: M. G. | July 29, 2007 3:38 AM
Who do you consider your customer in your metaphor? The reader, or the corporate heads?
JEM: In this parallel, the customer, the person with whom the editor deals diectly, is the writer.
Posted by: steegness | July 30, 2007 4:44 PM