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.
Every month, it seems, brings a fresh crop of books on writing. Whatever it is you want to write, you can be sure there's a shelf's worth of books to guide you. But try to locate a book on editing, and you're likely to come up empty-handed. Editing is so dependent on instinct that a newcomer is expected somehow to just figure it out. We can imagine no finer introduction to book editing than Editing Fact and Fiction. Authors Leslie T. Sharpe and Irene Gunther explain what different editors (acquiring, copy, production, managing) do, as well as how those tasks vary depending on the type of book (fiction, nonfiction, children's, reference, textbooks, etc.). They address freelance editing, electronic editing, and publishing courses, and have compiled a terrific bibliography of useful books for editors.
But most important, they have "distill[ed] our philosophy of editing into a set of guiding principles," principles "that will inform every editing decision." These principles are all about restraint and respect and having a deep understanding of the elements of good writing. "Do no harm," the authors advise. "Change as little as possible." A book belongs, ultimately, to its author, and it is the editor's job to coax out the best version possible. An editor, they say, is like a baseball umpire. "The best umps, like the best editors, are invariably the ones you don't notice. They guide the game but don't intrude on it." --Jane Steinberg
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Well Worth the Purchase:
One Stop shopping for editing information. This is a great tool for beginning editors and writers. The book is concise, easily readable and contains a wealth of information about the editing role in publishing. There is also great insight and tips for freelance editing and excellent reference information in the back. This is the best book of its type that I've come across to date.
A Great Teaching Tool:
As an editor, I'm always amazed at how few texts are out there to teach young editors how to edit. I discovered this book, when it was first published years ago, and gave it to my junior staff to read and, hopefully, teach them the basic principles of editing. Which it did, really well. I went back looking for it again, and I was amazed and delighted that it's still in print (though it could indeed us an update in the tech chapter especially). But the core chapters--on principles, senses, and... more info
An Editing Classic:
This is an editing book that practices what it preaches--it's well written as well as well edited. Most of all, it's the first book I've found that tells exactly what editors do--or, more to the point, exactly what editors should do and just don't these days. That, is, edit, and not write--that is, intervene, without changing the author's words or meaning. At a time when both editing and writing are on the decline, this book seems to me to be even more relevant than when it was published, nearly ten... more info
Strong on overview, philosophy; weak on technique.:
While not much of a how-to book, it provides a fine overview of the publishing business, with details on specific editorial positions and what kinds of people will succeed in them. It's also good at describing/prescribing the editor-author relationship: how to write tactful queries, be a friend to authors, and generally get what you want. More of this would have been helpful. The final chapter, on technological advances in publishing, is out of date and mostly pointless.
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