[author’s name removed] 1

[author’s name removed]

ELang 350

Suzy Bills

Personal Response Paper, Prompt #2
Title
The decision I faced about which path of education to pursue went from agonizing to
obvious in a matter of minutes. I hiked up into the foothills by my house with the intent of never
returning home unless I made the decision. Half afraid of having to frolic with the deer for the
rest of my life, I ventured into the wilderness, contemplating many possible areas of study, but
none of them seemed right. Then one question popped into my head that led me straight to my
answer: What do you love to do? I realized that my favorite part of my academic career so far
Commented [AS1]: If you’re following MLA (which it
looks to me like that’s what you’re going for, but I don’t
know for sure), the order should Name, Professor’s Name,
Class #, Date. I did not edit anything to follow MLA format,
not wanting to mess up what you may have already styled
according to a different style guide.
Commented [AS2]: I love this paper. It’s so engaging and
real. I don’t have to struggle to read it. I didn’t find many
mechanical errors, if any, but there are some comments and
edits relating to style and parallel structure. Hope they’re
helpful. You’re an awesome writer.
Commented [AS3]: Something about this feels awkward
to me. The imagery is great, but could we reword this
somehow?
Commented [AS4]: I love how personal this first
paragraph is. I feel like you’re letting me in on a secret from
your life because of your tone and use of “I.” It’s great. This
specific phrase made me chuckle. 

had been the two days a semester I got to peer edit the writing of other students. School didn’t

feel like school on those days because I enjoyed the work so much. It became clear that what I

really wanted to be was not an English teacher, a humanitarian aid worker, a dietician, or a choir

director. No, I wanted to be an editor.

No ordinary person I know gets thrilled about learning hyphenation rules, finds

satisfaction in distinguishing between who and whom, or feels excited about the power of parallel

structure. But I do. I know I can be a good editor because editing is the one discipline that has Commented [AS5]: I feel ya!

motivated me to work tirelessly to master it. I am willing to embark on the lifelong process of

mastering the rules of the English language, sharpening my attention to detail, cultivating an

attitude of flexibility, and humbling myself to view the entire process as an act of service. Commented [AS6]: Fantastically written!

No one is a “natural editor.” Some people might feel they have a better knack for

correctly placing commas or incorporating elements of good style in a text than others, but what
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really makes a good editor is a thorough knowledge of “the rules.” This knowledge can be

acquired only bythrough diligently studying and by smartly handlinged experience. All editors

have rules that sink into their souls, that are firmly rooted in their minds, and that can be called Commented [AS7]: I would consider deleting this and
depending on what you want to go for: is this list exhaustive,
or do you want to suggest that the list could keep going?
upon at any moment. Other rules are not so easy to remember. Good editors know whichthe rules

they know and which rules they struggle to retain. With more experience, more rules become Commented [AS8]: Change OK? Reworded to avoid
awkwardness.
engrained into memory. Learning the rules is a lifelong process. Because rules are not always set

in stone, “in order to feel confident about our choices, we need to read” (Saller, 53). Editing Commented [AS9]: MLA deletes the comma.

skills need to be continually sharpened and updated to be the most accurate and efficient. In my

mind, this task is exciting rather than daunting. I know I can be a good editor because I have

already improved significantly in my ability to remember and apply the rules, and I know I will

only increase in that ability the more experience I gain. Commented [AS10]: Consider rewording (“as I gain more
experience”).
Knowing the rules doesn’t mean that one has to be inflexible. Just as important as

knowing the rules is knowing when to make a change and when to leave something alone. It is

important to “always know why, according to an authority, you are making a change” (Saller,

40). Grammar rules are rarely negotiable, but style is different. Commented [AS11]: I would like to hear something from
you about this, a personal experience or something. Do you
have something you could add?
Among the most important attributes of good editors is attention to detail. According to

Amy Einsohn, “A copy editor must read the document letter by letter, word by word, with

excruciating care and attentiveness. In many ways, being a copyeditor is like sitting for an

English exam that never ends: At every moment, your knowledge of spelling, grammar,

punctuation, usage, syntax, and diction is being tested” (Einsohn, 4). Catching mistakes is Commented [AS12]: If MLA, delete author’s last name if
already mentioned in the text, as here.
becoming more natural for me with more experience. At the beginning of my time as an editorial

intern, I allowed many mistakes to slide (some quite embarrassing, including the spelling of

Nice, France, as Niece). By the end of the internship, my supervisor returned my work to me
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with little to no correctionedits to my edits. I became more aware of the possible mistakes and

developed a sharper eye in catching and fixing those mistakes.

Good editors view editing as a service. This service is first and foremost a service to the

reader, then the author, then the publisher. I have been in positions of service before when I

learned that what I was doing was not about me. The same goes for editing. It is not about

showing how much I know or imposing my personal style preferences on a manuscript and

snuffing out the voice of the author. My purpose is to make the prose as clear and engaging as

possible for the readers and to help the authors get their points across in a coherent manner,

fixing any errors so their message can shine through and their work can be published in its best

form. When editors look at the tasks at hand as service, they are less likely to engage in power

struggles with the author. Editors can choose which battles to pick and when to let the author’s

preference prevail. As Abraham Lincoln said, “You can accomplish anything if you do not care

who gets the glory.” My name will not appear on the cover of a book to recognize the work I Commented [AS13]: Source for citation?

have done. My role is not to be in the spotlight. I am happy making my contribution in the

background and helping the hard work and creativity of the author flourish to the delight of

readers and publishers. Commented [AS14]: I’m sure your concluding paragraph
will be as great as the rest of your paper. Don’t forget it, the
title, and your third quote. This paper was a pleasure to read.
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Works Cited
Einsohn, Amy. The Copyeditor's Handbook. Los Angeles: U of California Press, 2011. Print.
Saller, Carol. The subversive copy editor: advice from Chicago (or, how to negotiate good
relationships with your writers, your colleagues, and yourself). Chicago: The U of
Chicago Press, 2016. Print.
Commented [AS15]: Cool feature: Under “Home,” in the
“Paragraph” formatting box, click the arrow in the bottom-
right corner. At the top of the pop-up box, switch to the
“Line and Page Breaks” tab, then check the box that says
“Page break before.” This will create, in essence, a new page
so you don’t have to use enter a bajillion times. I just learned
about this trick last month. 
Formatted: Page break before