Part 23: The Scrub

Part 23: The Scrub So now we've been through a first edit, a top edit, and a copy edit. Chris Anderson has read it through and given Jason and Nancy the thumbs-up (whew!). But we're not done yet. After the layout is finished and approved, the story editor fits it -- cuts or (rarely) stretches to fit the allotted space--and sends it on to the "scrub" editor, whose job is to continue polishing, look for any logic errors or reporting holes, identify structural issues, and so on. Here's the scrub edit for this story, below; scrub editor John Birdsall's comments are in blue ink, and Nancy's and Jason's responses are in red.
Download the "scrub" printouts here.

Another note: In the end, we lost the "One of these sentences is a lie" intro when we decided to run part of the first sentence as display copy on the opening spread. It would have been too jarring to have that non-traditional beginning displayed so prominently, and separate from the rest of the piece. Jason always had mixed feelings about it, so he wasn't too sad to see it go.

Also, we toyed with a few headlines--ultimately, a decision for our display-copy gurus: managing editor Jake Young, executive editor Bob Cohn, and our corral of scrub editors. "Unadapted" was deemed too subtle. They tried "Charlie Kaufman: The Director's Cut," but it would be odd to have Kaufman's name twice on the same spread in big display copy, and we didn't want to change the first sentence. So for right now, They're going with "Puzzle Master," but like I said in my last post, I'm going to try and get it changed. I don't like how it looks on the layout. It just sort of lays there.

  • Darrell

    Hmmm? Puzzle Master? I guess you have to read it. How about Kharlie Caufman?

    or namfuaK eilrahC? At least that would put me in the right frame of mind.

    I know you don't read this but I enjoy offering my 2¢

blog comments powered by Disqus