Something I’m constantly doing as a copyeditor is looking things up, and perhaps compound words are what I look up most. Should a compound word be open (like “rib cage”)? Should a compound word be closed (like “windowsill”)? Should a compound word be hyphenated (like the noun “run-in”)?
It can be easy to know how to write many compound words we encounter regularly, but while editing manuscripts it’s very common to stumble upon those that require a look-up. That’s why I always, always have Merriam-Webster open in one of my browser tabs. (And, yes, M-W actually lists both “look-up” and “lookup” as acceptable spellings of the noun, so in a case like that, it’s my job to ensure each instance of such words is written consistently throughout a manuscript.)
Let me tell you about “motor home.”
I recently did a sample edit for a potential new client. His story features a motor home. He had written it as “motorhome” throughout his first chapter. As this is a compound I don’t come across every day, I needed to look it up and, lo and behold, M-W lists it as “motor home.” Apparently, many sites that sell motor homes write this as a closed compound, so it’s completely understandable that this author went with that spelling; he clearly did his research. I decided to leave a query in the sample edit, explaining what I found in M-W.
There’s more leeway in fiction writing as compared to formal writing, so it would have been completely acceptable for this author to have gone with “motorhome” as a closed compound if that’s what he thought looked better or if he wanted to stick with how many retailers write the noun. What’s most important is maintaining consistency throughout a manuscript. It should either be always written as a closed compound or always written as an open compound.
In this case, the author ended up choosing to go with the M-W entry, and he was so impressed with my desire to be meticulous that he’s chosen to hire me to proofread his manuscript. I couldn’t be happier.
Copyediting is slow work. Nobody can memorize every compound in the English language, and that’s only one sliver of the job. But it’s worth doing it slowly and correctly. Having this mindset can help you be a better editor, and even land you projects that might’ve otherwise passed you by.
(And, yes, M-W also lists “mind-set” as an acceptable, though less common, spelling.)
Need an editor who’ll check all those compounds for you? I’m Timothy, a fiction editor. My schedule is full for the remainder of 2024, but I’d love to start chatting about working together in 2025. Feel free to reach out if you’re interested.
Timothy