Fran Wilde: Editorial Marks, Explained!
Dear Chuck,
I heard you were feeling poorly so I stole the keys to your car shed blog again and made you a get-well Questionable Answer to All Your Publishing Questions.
QUESTION 3: WHERE THE @#%!%^&@ Do EDITORIAL MARKS COME FROM AND WHAT THE $@#@$@! DO THEY MEAN
The answer’s been right in front of our eyes for years, but I’ve only now decrypted the truth to those cryptic squiggles you see on manuscripts (and sometimes restaurant menus after I’ve been there, shhh don’t tell.).
No need to thank me. I’m guessing this will be GREAT to read in your fevered state!
* * *
Fran Wilde’s short stories have appeared at Tor.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Uncanny Magazine, and in Asimovs’ and Nature. Fran also interviews authors about food in fiction at Cooking the Books, and blogs for GeekMom and SFSignal.
Her first novel is Updraft (Tor 2015). Her novella, “A Jewel and Her Lapidary” will be published by Tor.com Publishing in May 2016, and her 2nd novel, Cloudbound (Tor 2016) will follow in the fall.
Updraft: Indiebound | Doylestown Bookshop | Amazon | B&N
SMertz74
December 10, 2015 at 9:44 AM //
Love it! Only thing you forgot was “Feed me tuna or lose a foot!”
Leslie Aguillard
December 10, 2015 at 9:56 AM //
Oddly, my cat is not into tuna. He likes tape, however. He also adds he is not concerned with editing my writing and is mostly annoyed when I sit in front of the computer rather than attending to his every need.
Ali Trotta
December 10, 2015 at 11:26 AM //
Totally just showed this to my work colleagues. BEST.
Steve Fahnestalk
December 10, 2015 at 11:26 AM //
Oddly enough, her “and” sign is backwards.
Fran Wilde
December 10, 2015 at 11:32 AM //
it’s the cats…
Fran Wilde
December 10, 2015 at 11:41 AM //
with thanks for the inspiration on this one to the letters E, A, F, C & C.
Sheck Threepew (@SheckyX)
December 10, 2015 at 12:09 PM //
Uh-huh. Associate the copyeditor with the litterbox. I SEE WHAT YOU’RE SAYING, FRAN. 😉
Fran Wilde
December 10, 2015 at 10:11 PM //
it’s an homage!
Sheila
December 10, 2015 at 12:11 PM //
Brilliant! Can’t wait to share this with my coworkers!
Gregory Frost
December 10, 2015 at 1:16 PM //
This explains so much. You should add to the list the punctuation mark “!” which is of course an alarmed cat as seen from behind. -gf
Fran Wilde
December 10, 2015 at 10:10 PM //
I will never, ever be able to get that out of my mind. Thanks, Greg.
sarahcain78
December 10, 2015 at 2:20 PM //
Is there a mark for “I left you a present under the bed, guess what it is?”
Fran Wilde
December 10, 2015 at 10:11 PM //
hah!