An intimate, lively guide to the magic and mechanics of editing by a veteran editor and writer, this book explores the many-faceted and often misunderstood--or simply overlooked--art of editing.

An intimate, lively guide to the magic and mechanics of editing by a veteran editor and writer, this book explores the many-faceted and often misunderstood--or simply overlooked--art of editing.

Hundreds of books have been written on the art of writing. Here at last is a book by two professional editors to teach writers the techniques of the editing trade that turn promising manuscripts into published novels and short stories. In this completely revised and updated second edition, Renni Browne and Dave King teach you, the writer, how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to your own work. Chapters on dialogue, exposition, point of view, interior monologue, and other techniques take you through the same processes an expert editor would go through to perfect your manuscript. Each point is illustrated with examples, many drawn from the hundreds of books Browne and King have edited.

A comprehensive guide to the art of self-editing, written by a professional editor. This book introduces an innovative, easy-to-follow, three-stage process for authors looking to effectively self-edit their book, be it for self-publication or if they are looking to polish their manuscript before submission to agents or traditional publishers.

The essential resource for aspiring and professional editors Whether you are a student of the craft or a working editor, you need The Complete Canadian Book Editor. From building and managing author relationships, through acquiring and developing manuscripts, to every level of text editing and proofing for print and ebooks, editors play integral roles in the operations of a book publishing house. In The Complete Canadian Book Editor, veteran editor and professor Leslie Vermeer sets out both the concepts and the processes that an effective editor must command. Dr. Vermeer guides aspiring editors in presenting themselves successfully to employers and clients, and working editors will recognize the voice of a mentor in her advice about career advancement. Editors at all levels—along with authors and self-publishers—will find in The Complete Canadian Book Editor all of the step-by-step editorial tools they need to take projects from promising beginnings to their full potential. With exercises throughout, The Complete Canadian Book Editor reinforces key concepts, and builds your skills as an expert editor. Topics include: Manuscript acquisition and book contracts. Editorial stages, from development to proofreading. Design and production, including digital workflow. What every editor needs to know about marketing. The state of book publishing in Canada today. The future of publishing, and why editors are more important than ever before.

"Highly recommended: On Editing is indispensable reading for anyone who is or wants to be a writer. Every desk should have a copy!" - Dr Samantha J. Rayner, Director of the Centre for Publishing, UCL "On Editing is a feast with many courses. When you have finished this book, you will feel encouraged, empowered, and indomitable. If you are writing-or editing-a novel, you could do no better than to have this book by your side. Comprehensive, easily digestible, it is a classic in the making." - Shaye Areheart, Director of the Columbia Publishing Course Writing a novel is a magical but often difficult journey; and when your first draft is complete, that journey's not over. As the editing process gets underway, authors often find themselves in unfamiliar territory. What does it mean to 'map your plot'? How do you know if you're 'head-hopping'? When is your novel ready to send out to agents, and how do you make each submission count? Written by the team behind one of the world's most successful literary consultancies, On Editing will show you how to master the self-edit. You will learn to compose, draft, and edit while sharpening your writing and ensuring that your novel is structurally sound, authentic, well-written, and ready for submission. On Editing will help you harness your creative potential, transform the way you think about your writing, and revolutionise your editorial process. "It's easy for writers to be overwhelmed by the technicalities of writing, editing and getting published, but Helen Corner-Bryant and Kathryn Price share their decades of experience nurturing writers in On Editing. They know all the problems and how to fix them - including many you might not even think of - and explain it all in a clean, jargon-free, way that demystifies the whole process, with infectious enthusiasm that will have you ready, eager and bursting with the confidence to take your writing to the next level." - Writing Magazine

If you read one book about writing every week for a year, what would you learn? Thanks to the self-publishing revolution and events like National Novel Writing Month, the genre of writing craft books has exploded in recent years. Book editor Kristen Tate set out to read and review one writing advice book each week for a year, from classics like E. M. Forster’s Aspects of the Novel and Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird to newer works like Jane Alison’s Meander, Spiral, Explode and Jessica Brody’s Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. What she discovered was a dizzying array of approaches to writing: plotters who know even the smallest details about characters before they write a word; pantsers who blithely dive right into a draft without a plan; anti-adverb crusaders and advocates for complex sentences; and, always, that the best way to learn is to read the kinds of books you want to write. All the Words is also a meditation on the challenges and pleasures of starting and sustaining a weekly practice of reading, thinking, and writing. It’s an optimistic, encouraging book that will motivate you to keep reading and, most importantly, keep writing.