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informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Being advised to read thisbook as a work assignment proved doubly advantageous – it is relevant to what Iwill be doing at work, and also provided me with both additional informationand confirmation about when I did (do) freelance editing/copyediting. Part 1:Working with the Writer, for the Reader had quite a bit ofuseful information especially pertinent to my freelancing experience, whilePart 2: Working with Your Colleagues and with Yourselfpromises to be very useful in my rapports in the office. Working with the Writer,for the Reader This part provides broadstrokes with pertinent targeted details for a copy editor’s relationship with theauthor they are editing and the work in question. There is information rangingfrom how to deal with the business side of things (everyone likes getting paida fair amount, right?) to ways to communicate with authors who may be open tofeedback (or…less so). I found Ms. Fisher Saller’s sections on “Carefulness,Transparency, Flexibility” and “When Things Get Tough” to be especiallyinteresting and useful, as she offers readers a solid 360 view of varioussituations in working with writers/on projects. Working with yourColleagues and with Yourself In a similar vein to Part 1,Ms. Fisher Saller addresses many aspects of working with word processors andhow they can both aid and obstruct a copy editor whether freelance or in-house.She offers tips on how computer features can aid, and also how these same aidswhen trusted implicitly can instead cause more hassles – basically, howcomputers are all well and good and useful, there are some things that humansare just better at doing. After all, will a spell check always catch that you wrote“site” when you meant “sight”? (Probably not.) You’re better off in the handsof a copy editor to catch errors like that, and more. Since Ms. Fisher Sallerwork(s/ed) with the CMOS (The Chicago Manual ofStyle), she also had a solid network of knowledgeable individuals whomshe could approach whenever she had questions regarding grammar, style, etc.While not everyone has access to such a personable network, she is sure topoint out the many online resources available, from the CMOSsite/Q&A to various other blogs and information repositories to help the questioningcopy editor. By the end she offers a veritable list of online resources andreferences which I for one can see perusing at greater length both when I havequestions and when I am looking to keep up-to-date on copyediting guidelines tostay current, as anyone should desire to be in their chosen field(s). I am glad that my work advisedme to read this book, as I have come away with many good takeaways, both whichhave affirmed me in the approaches I was already taking and provided me with moreinformation, more good advice, to keep in mind and apply to my work. Theanecdotes also made this read more than just informative but also fun, whetherthey came in-line or as footnotes at the bottom of the page. Ms. Fisher Saller’swriting style is very accessible and often conversational, making what she hasto say targeted to a specific audience while retaining enough generalness toalso make for an interesting, inside-look type of a read for those who are not(yet?) copyediting.
This is an excellent, humorous reference for editors. Especially relevant for novice editors, I feel, the book still does contain a ton of good information for those who've been working in the field for a while. It has great tips on navigating tricky relationships with other editors and writers, when to let a "rule" slide, keeping up on trends, and so much more. The Subversive Copy Editor will join the Chicago Manual of Style on my reference shelf, to be reached for over and over when the need arises.
I read this in prep for an editing course with the University of Chicago (where Saller works, conveniently), and really enjoyed it--especially the Q&A she included at the beginning/end of each chapter. Insightful, comprehensive, and--indeed--subversive.
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
I really enjoyed learning more about the actual work copyeditors do throughout this book. There were so many things I never even considered until seeing them laid out in such plain language. It was written well, explained clearly, and stayed engaging the entire time!
An entertaining read with some good stories, and ice, and resources for anyone interested in copyediting.
I really enjoyed learning more about the actual work copyeditors do throughout this book. There were so many things I never even considered until seeing them laid out in such plain language. It was written well, explained clearly, and stayed engaging the entire time!
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced