Chapter 28: Editing Is Hell – Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Jenny Lawson walks readers through the chaotic process of editing a book, calling it awful, painful, and hilarious but never boring. She introduces the many people involved—main editor, copy editors, production editors, legal editors, and a group of friends—along with the “squirrels” that run spellcheck and autocorrect. Lawson describes her own self-editing habit of cutting half her writing before submission. She admits she once naively turned down a successful editor because she thought she already knew punctuation. After finding agent Neeti Madan and editor Amy Einhorn, she learned the true value of the editorial relationship. The chapter includes actual notes she wrote in manuscripts, such as placeholder text and absurd requests. She defines the term “stet” (let it stand) and gives real-life examples. The bulk of the chapter reproduces marginal conversations with editors covering grammar, fact-checking, spelling, pronunciation, and legal concerns. Lawson concludes that editing is hell but ultimately improves the book and teaches the author humility.

Key Events

Lawson compares editing to banging her head on a desk and explains why she took notes during the process.
She lists the various editors involved, including the fictional squirrels responsible for autocorrect.
She recalls her early misunderstanding of what an editor does, thinking it was just fixing punctuation.
She describes finding agent Neeti Madan and editor Amy Einhorn, who guided her books.
She shares actual placeholder notes from manuscripts, such as “Words should go here. I haven’t figured them out.”
She introduces the term “stet” and provides three personal examples (staying in pajamas, Netflix binge-watching, hidden foster rabbits).
She includes a series of back-and-forth exchanges with editors on topics including the Blackbeard/Bluebeard confusion, “Charlie horse” vs. “charley horse,” “adverse” vs. “averse,” the spelling of “douchecanoe,” missing antecedents, and semicolons.
She talks to the legal editor about a claim that the book repels corpses.
She discusses audiobook pronunciation issues, offering the excuse of “British English.”
She learns that there is only one mythical Pegasus (capitalized), not multiple.
The chapter ends with the realization that editing forces the author to confront her own ignorance.

Character Development

Jenny Lawson: Reveals herself as simultaneously arrogant and humble—defiant about her quirks but ultimately grateful for editors’ corrections. She admits to learning new grammar rules and to mispronouncing words she has only read. Her voice remains playful, but she accepts that the editing process makes her a better writer.
Victor: Briefly mentioned as yelling at Lawson to get out of pajamas; otherwise not developed.
Neeti Madan & Amy Einhorn: Referenced as the agent and editor who helped shape Lawson’s books; they are portrayed as patient and essential.
Karen: A friend who calls Lawson “Britney Spears in Mensa”; represents her circle of draft readers.
The Editors: Though unnamed, they come across as exasperated but good-humored professionals who tolerate Lawson’s chaos.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Chaos vs. Control: The editing process is portrayed as a battle between Lawson’s disorderly impulses and the editors’ demand for clarity. Lawson ultimately chooses to “stet” some errors, asserting artistic control.
Humility and Growth: Lawson repeatedly realizes she doesn’t know as much as she thought. The chapter underscores that even experienced writers are lifelong learners.
Language as Play: Lawson treats grammar and spelling as flexible tools for comedy (e.g., insisting “douchecanoe” deserves a hyphen). The editors patiently rein her in.
“Stet” as a Symbol: The word “stet” becomes a motif for accepting imperfection by choice. Lawson uses it to defend run-on sentences, invented words, and deliberate incorrect grammar.
Autocorrect as a Force of Nature: The “squirrels” represent the unpredictable, often embarrassing mistakes that technology introduces into writing.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter offers a behind-the-scenes look at how Broken itself came together, reinforcing Lawson’s signature blend of vulnerability and humor. It demystifies the editorial process, showing that authors are not infallible. The marginal conversations are both entertaining and instructive, illustrating common language pitfalls. The chapter also deepens Lawson’s characterization as someone who is simultaneously self-deprecating and defiant, a theme that runs throughout the book. For readers, it validates the struggle of writing and rewriting.

Study Questions and Answers

What is “stet” and how does Lawson use it?
“Stet” is a Latin term meaning “let it stand.” In editorial shorthand, it indicates that a marked change should be ignored. Lawson uses it to retain intentionally incorrect or awkward phrasing, such as run-on sentences or made-up words, claiming they are artistically justified.
Why does Lawson confuse Blackbeard with Bluebeard in the editing conversation?
She mistakenly believes that Blackbeard kept severed heads in a closet, but the editor cannot confirm. Lawson later realizes it was Bluebeard, not Blackbeard, who did that. She blames the similarity of their names and jokes that “Beard” might have been their last name, though the editor corrects her.
How does Lawson’s attitude toward editors change from the beginning to the end of the chapter?
She starts by admitting she once thought she didn’t need an editor because she “knew how punctuation works.” Through the chapter, she shows resistance (e.g., refusing to accept the “adverse/averse” distinction), but by the end she acknowledges that editing is “hell” yet necessary, and that editors “ensure they will always have jobs” because of people like her. She ends with a grateful tone, recognizing that the process makes the book better.