Links for copyeditors (and that would be us)

This morning I was looking for tip sheets on the Internet on how to write headlines, and I found one with a headline I liked: Copy editor struggles with headline I think that's a pretty good head in itself. It's from a Lee Enterprises seminar for copyeditors, and it features a quote from Roger Buddenberg (whoever he is). Good quote:

“Heads are like poetry. Hell, they are poetry. You’re a poet: You choose words that tell and find a way to fit them into given limitations.”

Here's another, from Joel Pisetzner:

“Friends from other lives will attest to how often I, having just copyread a difficult story, will go to the men’s room (after delaying nature’s call the requisite hour or two) and will come out with a great headline idea. I can’t explain it. But I recommend that copy editors drink plenty of liquids.”

Buddenberg is with the Omaha World-Herald, by the way, and Pisetzner is with the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger. I just Googled them -- oops, performed a keyword search in the Google search engine. Something that should be getting to be second nature to you now. I look up everything I don't know.

The "No Train No Gain" Web site has a very good directory of tips for copyeditors, by the way. According to its "About Us" description, "No Train No Gain is a resource site for newsroom trainers. The site offers training tips and handouts on writing, editing, reporting, newsroom management skills, recruitment and retention, diversity, technology and newsroom surveys." Very useful.