Talk:Copy (publishing)

This article was nominated for deletion on 8 September 2018. The result of the discussion was keep.

The article is slightly wrong when it specifies that copy only refers to written material. I'm fairly sure that advertising executives refer to an entire proposal as copy, including pictures, words, diagrams, and more. Additionally, newspaper/magazine advertisers refer to the actual print adverts as "copy"—for example, a production editor on a magazine will have to gather together the "advertising copy" (ie pages, or insertions) before the magazine goes to press. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.138.167.141 (talk • contribs)

Actually, I'm in the industry, when we say "copy" we are only referring to the main body of text that we've paid a "copy writer" to produce the description removed seems more accurate. Copy writers usually can't do any of the other stuff, just write the main text in the body of a web page or printed article. It's the editors that write the captions, titles, headlines, etc. texxs (talk) 13:22, 24 February 2009 (UTC)[reply]

I'm in the industry as well, and we certainly do refer to whole adverts as "copy" when sending them off to magazines. See for example page 5 of this typical media pack. It surprised me at first, because "copy" can also refer specifically to the text of an advert (what copywriters do), and that's how I'd heard it used before. the wub "?!" 14:27, 3 September 2010 (UTC)[reply]

I deleted this:

"Copy is distinct from other elements to be found on the page in that, typically, the writer of the copy will not concern themselves with placing text around pictures and other pieces of page furniture: page template, page numbers, headlines and subheadings. Copy may be sent in remotely and then pasted into its place in the layout."

I'll replace it with info on body copy and display copy. Maurreen 10:58, 27 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Deleted: Request to merge[edit]

The request to merge Copy (written) with Copyright was removed. Written copy and copyrighting are two entirely different things. The first concerns actual content, while the second concerns legal protections that people put into place for the works of writing, art, or otherwise. 12/13/05

The request to merge was with copywriting, not Copyright. I have restored the request. Nurg 01:21, 18 March 2006 (UTC)[reply]

Link to German entry[edit]

I think the related German article "Typoskript" does not match the English "Copy" since Typoskript only deals with the technical means a text is created, not dealing with the content. The better match would be http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrauchstext. 88.68.19.35 (talk) 10:33, 6 July 2014 (UTC)Edding89[reply]

Why is it called Copy?[edit]

I am continuously baffled by the question why the heck it is called COPY. It is not a copy (duplicate), it is unique. Or at least in many/most cases. Could not find anything anywhere on why it is called "copy". (Personally I hate the term but that does not do anything here or there.) Would love it if anybody could add this. Also it seems to me that basically all "texters" are called copywriters nowadays - at least as long it is not for a book (author) or magazine (journalists). Hell, even the relation to "blogger" looks very blurry to me. 31.150.135.25 (talk) 11:30, 13 August 2014 (UTC)[reply]

This web page https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2013/08/copy.html indicates that the meaning of the word goes back hundreds of years. I don't know the best way to incorporate the word history/etymology on to this page, but I think it would be helpful. 74.132.28.47 (talk) 13:09, 11 July 2019 (UTC)[reply]