This is a list of some notable current and former American copy editors and possibly others prominent in the field.
- Theodore M. Bernstein, editor at The New York Times and author of "The Careful Writer," "Watch Your Language" and other books on grammar and usage, also co-author of "Headlines and Deadlines"
- Sue Blair, as of 2005, the only non-newspaper copy editor who has served on the executive committee of the American Copy Editors Society
- Bill Cloud, runs the midcareer institute for copy editors at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- William G. Connolly, co-author of the New York Times style guide
- Hank Glamann, two-time winner of the John Murphy Award for Excellence in Copy Editing from the Texas Daily Newspaper Association
- Joe Grimm, recruiter for the Detroit Free Press, runs the [Jobs Page]
- Rich Holden, executive director of the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund
- Tom Mangan, began blogging in the mid-1990s
- Mindy McAdams, early Web developer
- Pam Robinson, founder and first president of the American Copy Editors Society
- Allan M. Siegal, co-author of the New York Times style guide
- Dave Thomas, two-time winner of the John Murphy Award for Excellence in Copy Editing from the Texas Daily Newspaper Association
- Mike Waller, former publisher of The Baltimore Sun
- Barbara Wallraff, editor of Copy Editor newsletter
- Bill Walsh, of the [theslot.com] and author of Lapsing into a Comma
Source: List of some people who have advanced from the copy desk, at the bottom of the page, from the American Copy Editors Society