A review by ebonyutley
Thinking Like Your Editor: How to Write Great Serious Nonfiction and Get It Published by Alfred Fortunato, Susan Rabiner

4.0

Thinking Like Your Editor is one of the few books I bought in graduate school that is just as useful then as it is today as an associate professor and a published author. Rabiner says it took her 8 years to deliver under her contract, which is awesome because a) it makes me feel great about my delivery time and b) it made for an awesome book. It’s so concise and honest about a form and style of writing that no one ever teaches you. The two most important lessons—it’s about the audience and the story—nothing else matters as much. Know exactly whom you want to write for and tell a psychological story that carries your argument. I admit to not always thinking in terms of a story but always wanting to be engaged by one. Whether you’re writing serious commercial nonfiction or university press projects, this book is for you. Learn how to structure your arguments within a standard book format. My only critique is that the book is way overdue for a new edition. How books are written may still be the same but how books are published is certainly not.