Fame

Ever hear of John Carroll, who worked for the Sun? How about Joseph Cunningham, who wrote the famous headline "Axis of Weasel" for The New York Post? Probably not.

The thing is that copy editors do not get much glory or fame. Writers get the fame. Copy editors are like drummers in bands who have to take down their equipment while everyone is celebrating their great set.

However, copy editors are generally writers themselves. Many copy editors write screenplays, poetry, and novels. Mary Norris, who is a copy editor for The New Yorker, has written a memoir and frequently contributes to her blog, "The Book Bench." The fame you might get is writing clever headlines for articles that appear on the front page of the magazine or newspaper.