Copy approval

Every so often when interviewing for an article, I get asked if the interviewee can see the article before it goes to print. And unless there are mitigating circumstances I always say no and explain why.

Years ago when I started out I would on occasions let people have copy approval. And every time this would happen:

1.      I would give the person a deadline of, say Monday noon, and they would always return it Tuesday afternoon at the earliest. Always, always. 

2.      Grammar or punctuation errors would be added to my work. This one really riles me.

3.      My eight hundred word article would have been turned into a 1,200 word article which I then have to edit down, or even worse a five hundred word piece, leaving me with a gaping hole.

4.      The person to whom I gave copy approval would, after having come back after my deadline, demand that if the magazine had gone to press already, then everything would have to be stopped and the magazine taken off the shelves because I had described something as yellow when it was actually lemon.

5.      Quotes will be changed, despite me having taped evidence that the person did say what I have written.

If you are one of these people who thinks copy approval is okay, here’s two more reasons to think about:

1.      By showing the article to someone else before publication the writer could be in breach of contract with the publication. The argument is that this is by showing the article to a third party you are leaking information that came to you in the course of your employment. This is a disciplinary offence.

2.      If the company wants to okay what is written about them this is called an advertorial and writers charge for that.