At the American Copy Editors Society conference, which concluded this weekend, I heard a great way to keep from being taken for granted.

Have a Plan B.

This copy editor was not trying to run a scam on anyone, she was quite naturally keeping options open when she asked her editor if she could get two days off to take the qualifying exam for law school, the LSAT.

That would be an eye-opener for most editors.

"How did you do?" he asked.

"Pretty well," she said.

He seems to be seeing her in a new light.