Editor's Query

About five or six years ago, I was working as a freelance copy editor for a publisher that specialized in medical and social science books. Usually, when a manuscript was ready, the editor would call me, and I would go pick up a floppy disk containing the text. One day, though, she called back to tell me to hold off. She said she still had "issues" to work out with the author of the project, a book on juvenile criminal justice.

A week or so later, she called to say the project was back on track. According to the editor, the problem had been that the author was sure his book was already "perfect." After all, hadn't his secretary proofread it and run it through the spell-checker? He didn't want an outside copy editor mucking it up.

The editor had other ideas, though, and I did the project.

Good thing. I found -- and corrected -- at least 14 unintended references to "pubic policy."

Muphen R. Whitney, Westminster, Md.

New query: Tell us about a time when technology seemed to act human. If you have a 100 percent true story taken from your own experience concerning the above query, send it to queries@washpost.com or The Washington Post Magazine, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. Include your daytime phone number. Recount your story in 250 words or less. We'll pay you $50 if we use your tale.