Editing Fact and Fiction: A Concise Guide to Book Editing
Leslie T. Sharpe
Language: English
Pages: 227
ISBN: 0521456932
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Editing Fact and Fiction is a concise, practical guide for people interested in book publishing or already working as editors who want to learn more about the opportunities in various kinds of book editing. Writing in a lively, informal style, two editors with extensive experience in a wide variety of fields--fiction and nonfiction, trade and reference, academic and commercial publishing--explain what editors in different jobs really do. The authors take the reader step by step through the editing process, from manuscript to bound book. They discuss the principles of sound editing and provide many specific examples of how to--and how not to--edit copy. They also give examples of how to deal tactfully with authors and show when editorial restraint is the best intervention. Editing Fact and Fiction is a book to be read, not just referred to. It will be an indispensable guide for anyone thinking about a career in book publishing, a valuable resource for working editors who want to enlarge their knowledge, and a useful tool for senior editors training staff. Leslie T. Sharpe and Irene Gunther are both editors and writers. An experienced trade book editor, Leslie T. Sharpe teaches editing and writing at New York University and Columbia University. She is also a regular contributor to New York Newsday. Irene Gunther was a senior editor at Macmillan Publishing and has extensive experience in reference and college book editing. She is the author of a teenage biography and a contributor to various publications.
include assisting two editors with phones, correspondence, filing, as well as reading manuscripts and writing copy. Forward resume and salary history to: AdB ASSISTANT EDITOR Well-known mass market publisher seeks ass't editor for manuscript reading and evaluation, copyediting, and general office duties. Knowledge of mystery fiction a + . Knowledge of WordPerfect pref. Reply in writing only, with salary req., to: AdC 32 Fact or Fiction ? Knowing how hard it is to get that first editing job,
West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA 10 Stamford Road, Oakleigh, Melbourne 3166, Australia © Cambridge University Press 1994 This book is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press. First published 1994 Reprinted 1997 Printed in the United States of America Typeset in Palatino A catalogue record for this book is
should be prepared to offer the author an alternative. Even if the change is a minor one, it can help the author to have choices. For instance, a copyeditor didn't merely note that "enormous" appeared several times in the same paragraph; she suggested that one be deleted as redundant and another be replaced with "vast." 86 Principles to Edit By Another example: In an article for a medical yearbook, an author cites a figure of 25,000 for the number of new cases of postpolio syndrome in a given
imagery is more subtle. The editor must ask: Are the details significant as well as vivid? Significant details do more than create a strong word picture. They communicate the essence of a person, place, or experience or enhance the author's plot or thematic purpose. Insignificant or irrelevant details merely bog down the prose. A story described Emily "walking off in the wake of her huge German shepherd," conjuring up a clear and amusing image. But the description also heightened the story's
boats will require careful checking of every fact and the addition Editing Fact and Fiction of any important aspect of the subject that hasn't been covered. If, for example, there is no mention of rafts, the editor might decide that they should be included. He will do some research on rafts and add a short paragraph. He may then need to tighten the article so it will fit into the allotted space; he will also check it for style and make it conform to the overall style established for the entire