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Just now getting around to reading this. Very sensible, and nice there's even a chapter for writers, advising them how best to work with their copy editors. Basic motto of book is "Lighten up," which is refreshing and rare in the world of copy editing.
A good resource for navigating the editor-author relationship.
This witty book is a great remedy to the "thou shalt" rigidity approach many editors maintain. It's also an insight into how an academic press works. For the editor who is serious about his/her/their work (yeah, we all hate that there's not a singular neutral pronoun for someone/anyone/occupational nouns) but not about himself/herself/themselves, this should be a delight.
Enjoyed this and found it helpful and interesting as I learn more about copyediting.
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
The book is divided into two parts. The first, which is focused on the way copyediting works and what it means to be a copyeditor, was an excellent overview of what it means to copyedit, whose side a copyeditor is on, and how to keep your eye on the value and usefulness of copyediting as a job or task (depending on the size of the piece you're copyediting). The second, which is focused on some of the mechanics of being a copyeditor (including working with word processors and people), was still interesting, but I found myself zooming up a little bit to understand how those pieces work together in a job that isn't strictly copyediting. Given that the book was written for copyeditors, that's probably just fine.
The main points:
-Remember that you're there for the reader. It's your job to make sure the reader has a smooth reading experience and a clear understanding of the text they're consuming. That's why style guides exist in the first place, and you're there to make sure everything continues to make sense.
-Copyediting is a deadline-heavy business that requires a lot of communication with a large number of people before you and after you in the dependencies chain. You can avoid personal stress and professional embarrassment by being knowledgeable about your deadlines, communicating directly and clearly with the people responsible for meeting those deadlines, and being frank in your communication without going into too much detail.
-The style guide, whatever it is, is like the pirate's code -- it's more like guidelines than actual rules. Don't be a stickler when it's not necessary.
The main points:
-Remember that you're there for the reader. It's your job to make sure the reader has a smooth reading experience and a clear understanding of the text they're consuming. That's why style guides exist in the first place, and you're there to make sure everything continues to make sense.
-Copyediting is a deadline-heavy business that requires a lot of communication with a large number of people before you and after you in the dependencies chain. You can avoid personal stress and professional embarrassment by being knowledgeable about your deadlines, communicating directly and clearly with the people responsible for meeting those deadlines, and being frank in your communication without going into too much detail.
-The style guide, whatever it is, is like the pirate's code -- it's more like guidelines than actual rules. Don't be a stickler when it's not necessary.