“Please Mr. Postman”

Please Mister Postman, look and see

Is there a letter, a letter for me.

I sang along to this and other Motown songs when I was younger, and I still get caught up in the catchy tune. But this week, when an article I edited used the word “postman,” I paused on the word. Language has changed since the Marvelettes first sang the tune in 1961. Some might say the term is old-fashioned, that it should be “mailman.” Others might point out that postal workers aren’t just men anymore, and the term should be a gender-neutral term such as “letter carrier.” The latter is in line with the latest APA Style Guidelines for bias-free language, which advocates for choosing language that is inclusive and respectful. You can see their entry on avoiding gendered occupational titles here.

As an editor, I have the opportunity to spot problematic language and check in with the writer about their intent. Does a certain word choice unnecessarily exclude people or introduce bias? Does the phrasing come across as disrespectful; was that the intent? I try to thoughtfully consider the language that I find on the page, and it’s an ongoing process.

This past week I added to my awareness by attending an ACES editing webinar on potentially problematic language. Some of the examples were good reminders of things I’d heard before about considering wording used around race, gender, and mental health. For instance, saying someone “suffers from depression” is biased compared to simply stating that they “have depression.” Another piece of advice was to consider the language that advocacy groups recommend and to think through the pros and cons for choosing terms when there’s no consensus. Ask: Is this word choice perpetuating a harmful stereotype? Is it respectful to readers? The editing stage is the perfect time to catch and consider these moments so that the writing fits the intent.

Whether it’s a handwritten letter from a loved one or the latest novel from your favorite author, words connect us to ideas and feelings. Yet language is changing all the time, so it’s a good idea to think about what ideas and feelings underlie particular word choices. Conscious language guides from advocacy groups and editing associations are great tools to keep up with language trends. Some of these guides are helpfully compiled by editor and authenticity reader Crystal Shelley here.

Looking for an editor to bounce ideas off of and thoughtfully provide feedback on the language in your writing? Send me a message on my Contact page.