That is odd that a copy editor would pick up something that is mostly a point of etiquette. I would think the titles that an author chooses to attach to a character are part and parcel of the whole descriptive package. Miss Manners (my guide to all things social) points out the difference between one nobleman speaking on the phone and saying, "Lord Cavendish, Duke of Salisbury, speaking" and the other picking up the phone and saying, "Yes, Salisbury here."

That's part of the copy editor's job, Connie.

To point out etiquette flaws?

To point common usage and conform to a certain style.

Did I miss that this was non-fiction? Sorry.

I think most fiction writers want their stories to conform to basic rules of style and grammar, and it's the copy editor's job to edit the manuscript for those things, as well as punctuation, typos, spelling mistakes, and consistency. I've been copy editing books for going on fifteen years now, and you see all kinds of mistakes or things that have been overlooked, and most authors are happy to have you catch them.

I was simply pointing out that the copy editor in Barb's case was making sure she wanted Dr. used the way it was. It's entirely up to Barb to either leave it or change it back. Why would usage rules change when Barb is writing a contemporary story set in the U.S., simply because it's fiction?

Why would usage rules change when Barb is writing a contemporary story set in the U.S., simply because it's fiction?

Because the usage of Dr. for non-medical doctors is a socially defined thing, and a competent author doesn't randomly choose the titles that a character uses. A physicist being described as Dr. John Doe, as opposed to John Doe, Ph.D., says a great deal about the character.

It strikes me as a bit overly-obsessive, such as saying "The character in the dining room scene used a dinner fork instead of a salad fork on the Caesar salad. You do know that's incorrect, right?"

Either way, the copy editor is only pointing it out. This is not some huge breach of etiquette on the copy editor's part. Copy editors are hired to make sure that an author's manuscript is as good as it can be before it goes to print. And authors can then make the final call, so what's the big deal?

so what's the big deal?

Indeed.

a competent author doesn't randomly choose

Ah well, there's the problem. Not all are competent. Or care enough to differentiate, or even to be consistent.