20 Best Books For Editors (2023 Update)

Editing is a tricky business. it requires analytical flair and creative panache, the patience of a saint and the vision of a writer. transforming a manuscript into a book that edifies, inspires, and sells? that’s the job of the developmental editor, whose desk is the first stop for many manuscripts on the road to bookdom—a route ably mapped out in the pages of developmental editing. author scott norton has worked with a diverse range of authors, editors, and publishers, and his handbook provides an approach to developmental editing that is logical, collaborative, humorous, and realistic. he starts with the core tasks of shaping the proposal, finding the hook, and building the narrative or argument, and then turns to the hard work of executing the plan and establishing a style. developmental editing includes detailed case studies featuring a variety of nonfiction books—election-year polemic, popular science, memoir, travel guide—and authors ranging from first-timer to veteran, journalist to scholar. handy sidebars offer advice on how to become a developmental editor, create effective illustration programs, and adapt sophisticated fiction techniques (such as point of view, suspense, plotting, character, and setting) to nonfiction writing. norton’s book also provides freelance copyeditors with a way to earn higher fees while introducing more creativity into their work lives. it gives acquisitions, marketing, and production staff a vocabulary for diagnosing a manuscript’s flaws and techniques for transforming it into a bestseller. and perhaps most importantly, developmental editing equips authors with the concrete tools they need to reach their audiences.

Too many writers suffer under friendly fire. too many pros are ground down by unhelpful supervision. how to edit and be edited is the first book to set out the principles of constructive editing–how to provide it, and how to obtain it from those who read your work.an editor and film development executive for over 30 years, allegra huston has worked with writers including two nobel prize winners, three booker prize winners, and jane goodall. as the author of the bestselling memoir love child and the novel a stolen summer, as well as numerous screenplays and magazine articles, she has worked with editors and development executives across the spectrum. in this concise guide, she shares techniques that energize and inspire the writer, clarify problems and foster a strong working relationship." the twice 5 miles guides how to read for an audience and how to edit and be edited should be required reading for all writers and editors, as well as all creative writing teachers and students. both books are bursting with outstanding insights and fresh ideas. and as a bonus, they're written in prose so accomplished and excellent, they're a lesson in itself on how to write a brilliant writing guide. whether you're a newbie beginner or a well-seasoned pro or somewhere in between, these books will make you a better editor, reader, and writer." –kate christensen, pen/faulkner award-winning novelist and former teacher at iowa writers workshop"deft, clear and charming, without a wasted word. the series, which might as well be subtitled 'things writers are too embarrassed to ask about, ' promises to immediately fill a tremendous need in the lives of those of who still live and die by the book." " –jonathan lethem, nyt bestselling novelist and roy e. disney '51 chair in creative writing, pomona college"an indispensable tool for students in terms of learning how to respond to fellow writers in a workshop setting. this is a very valuable book."–sue william silverman, novelist and memoirist, faculty member at vermont college of fine arts

Editing is an invisible art where the very best work goes undetected. editors strive to create books that are enlightening, seamless, and pleasurable to read, all while giving credit to the author. this makes it all the more difficult to truly understand the range of roles they inhabit while shepherding a project from concept to publication. in what editors do, peter ginna gathers essays from twenty-seven leading figures in book publishing about their work. representing both large houses and small, and encompassing trade, textbook, academic, and children’s publishing, the contributors make the case for why editing remains a vital function to writers—and readers—everywhere. ironically for an industry built on words, there has been a scarcity of written guidance on how to actually approach the work of editing. this book will serve as a compendium of professional advice and will be a resource both for those entering the profession (or already in it) and for those outside publishing who seek an understanding of it. it sheds light on how editors acquire books, what constitutes a strong author-editor relationship, and the editor’s vital role at each stage of the publishing process—a role that extends far beyond marking up the author’s text. this collection treats editing as both art and craft, and also as a career. it explores how editors balance passion against the economic realities of publishing. what editors do shows why, in the face of a rapidly changing publishing landscape, editors are more important than ever.

At last, direct from the trenches, here's the book technical editors have been waiting for. unlike other guides which review grammar and spelling—but don't address the special challenges of technical editing—this lively, practical book deals with the real-world problems, issues, and decisions that face technical editors and writers.in this book you'll get tips for preparing a style guide technical writers will want to use. you'll find checklists of what to look for during different types of editorial reviews, learn how to make the transition from traditional to desktop publishing, and see how you can build true usability into printed and online documentation. enhanced by real examples, case studies, and practical techniques, these flexible and pragmatic solutions go far beyond the mechanics of marking up manuscripts.

A giftable and gorgeous book featuring the very best recipes from the america's test kitchen tv show in celebration of its 20th anniversary and its renowned celebrity cast. as the longest-running and most successful cooking show on public television, america's test kitchen has reached a remarkable milestone after 20 years on the air. this curated collection of what the editors deem to be the very best recipes from the show is not only beautiful but is also a valuable collection of foolproof recipes along with fascinating commentary from the team that brought them to life on tv. the book captures the personality of the show and provides a first-ever behind-the-scenes look at its beloved cast members along with special features that relay the collected expertise, wit, and wisdom of the team behind america's most-trusted test kitchen.

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.

From the bestselling author of the guncle and lily and the octopus comes a novel about a struggling writer who gets his big break, with a little help from the most famous woman in america.after years of trying to make it as a writer in 1990s new york city, james smale finally sells his novel to an editor at a major publishing house: none other than jacqueline kennedy onassis. jackie–or mrs. onassis, as she's known in the office–has fallen in love with james's candidly autobiographical novel, one that exposes his own dysfunctional family. but when the book's forthcoming publication threatens to unravel already fragile relationships, both within his family and with his partner, james finds that he can't bring himself to finish the manuscript. jackie and james develop an unexpected friendship, and she pushes him to write an authentic ending, encouraging him to head home to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother. then a long-held family secret is revealed, and he realizes his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page… from the bestselling author of lily and the octopus comes a funny, poignant, and highly original novel about an author whose relationship with his very famous book editor will change him forever–both as a writer and as a son.

Longtime manuscript editor and chicago manual of style guru carol fisher saller has negotiated many a standoff between a writer and editor refusing to compromise on the “rights” and “wrongs” of prose styling. saller realized that when these sides squared off, it was often the reader who lost. in her search for practical strategies for keeping the peace, the subversive copy editor was born. saller’s ideas struck a chord, and the little book with big advice quickly became a must-have reference for copy editors everywhere. in this second edition, saller adds new chapters, on the dangers of allegiance to outdated grammar and style rules and on ways to stay current in language and technology. she expands her advice for writers on formatting manuscripts for publication, on self-editing, and on how not to be “difficult.” saller’s own gaffes provide firsthand (and sometimes humorous) examples of exactly what not to do. the revised content reflects today’s publishing practices while retaining the self-deprecating tone and sharp humor that helped make the first edition so popular. saller maintains that through carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, editors can build trust and cooperation with writers. the subversive copy editor brings a refreshingly levelheaded approach to the classic battle between writers and editors. this sage advice will prove useful and entertaining to anyone charged with the sometimes perilous task of improving the writing of others.

'the skincare queen' itv's this morning the ultimate no-nonsense guide caroline hirons knows skin. an established industry expert and aesthetician, she knows what works, what doesn't, what you need and what you absolutely do not. whether you are a skincare pro or overwhelmed by information, skincare: the new edit covers where to start, how to build a routine, ingredients to look for and things to avoid, whatever your age, skin concerns or budget. fully revised and updated, this book is packed with all the latest skincare recommendations, brands and techniques… and no nonsense.

From newspapers to twitter, the media's ability to deliver news and interact with audiences is constantly changing. in copycrafting, author kenneth rosenauer provides aspiring journalists and copyeditors with the essential tools for delivering content effectively and correctly, regardless of the media platform. more than just the basics of copyediting and ap style, this complete package provides a wealth of examples and exercises for practice. this allows students to actively learn the editing skills that they will need to flourish in the constantly evolving media landscape.

Everyone in the newsroom agrees that copy editors are the unsung heroes in the business who, until now, have never had a succinct and authoritative guide for on-the-job use. from counting the headline to line breaks, from decks to jumps, from editing numbers and photo captions to editing for organization, the copy editing and headline handbook is the complete source of essential information for the copy editor. whether copy editing on a computer or on the printed page, for a newspaper or for a magazine, barbara ellis shows how to clean, organize, and proof copy like a pro. with special sections on libel, captions, forbidden words, job hazards, and head counts, as well as a section of the most commonly used symbols in copy editing and proofreading, the handbook is essential for every copy editor's bookshelf.

One of the world's leading experts on genetics unravels one of the most important breakthroughs in modern science and medicine. if our genes are, to a great extent, our destiny, then what would happen if mankind could engineer and alter the very essence of our dna coding? millions might be spared the devastating effects of hereditary disease or the challenges of disability, whether it was the pain of sickle-cell anemia to the ravages of huntington’s disease. but this power to “play god” also raises major ethical questions and poses threats for potential misuse. for decades, these questions have lived exclusively in the realm of science fiction, but as kevin davies powerfully reveals in his new book, this is all about to change. engrossing and page-turning, editing humanity takes readers inside the fascinating world of a new gene editing technology called crispr, a high-powered genetic toolkit that enables scientists to not only engineer but to edit the dna of any organism down to the individual building blocks of the genetic code. davies introduces readers to arguably the most profound scientific breakthrough of our time. he tracks the scientists on the front lines of its research to the patients whose powerful stories bring the narrative movingly to human scale. though the birth of the “crispr babies” in china made international news, there is much more to the story of crispr than headlines seemingly ripped from science fiction. in editing humanity, davies sheds light on the implications that this new technology can have on our everyday lives and in the lives of generations to come.

"i trust tiffany yates martin with the editing process even more than i trust myself. read this book and steal her secrets "–kelly harms, washington post-bestselling author of the overdue life of amy byler"tiffany yates martin is an exceptional editor, so of course her advice and counsel in intuitive editing is exceptional as well. when you are ready to go deeper, to dig into the revision process, using tiffany's intuitive editing strategies will help you take your writing to the next level."–new york times- and usa today-bestselling author steena holmes"authors, if you can't be lucky enough to have tiffany as your editor, then intuitive editing is the next-best thing. her advice is sound, thoughtful, no-nonsense and given with the compassion that every author and their book deserves."–elisabeth weed, literary agent, the book group"editing your own writing can feel like doing your own brain surgery…." after you've completed your manuscript and you're standing at the foot of revision mountain, climbing to the summit can feel impossible. it's hard to look at your own writing with the objective eye needed to shape it into a tight, polished, publishable story–but just like writing, self-editing is a skill you can learn. developmental editor tiffany yates martin has spent her career in the publishing industry honing practical, actionable techniques to help authors evaluate how well their story is working, where it might not be, and how to fix it.with a clear, accessible, user-friendly approach, she leads writers through every step of deepening and elevating their own work, as well as how to approach the edit and develop their "editor brain," and how to solicit and process feedback. intuitive editing doesn't offer one-size-fits-all advice or rigid writing "rules"; instead it helps authors discover what works for their story and their style–to find the best version of their vision.whether you're writing fiction, narrative nonfiction, or memoir; whether this your first story or your fiftieth, intuitive editing will give you the tools you need to edit and revise your own writing with inspiration, motivation, and confidence.tiffany yates martin has spent nearly thirty years as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and bestselling authors as well as newer writers. she's led workshops and seminars for conferences and writers' groups across the country and is a frequent contributor to writers' sites and publications.

The cook's illustrated baking book has it all–definitive recipes for all your favorite cookies, cakes, pies, tarts, breads, pizza, and more, along with kitchen-tested techniques that will transform your baking. recipes range from easy (drop cookies and no-knead bread) to more ambitious (authentic croissants and dacquoise) and the trademark test kitchen expertise shines through each one. an illustrated baking basics chapter at the front of the book provides information on key ingredients and equipment and lays the groundwork for a lifetime of baking success. a shopping guide at the back recommends our favorite brands.

Here is the thoroughly revised and updated edition of the essential reference for writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, and publishers. almost 200 pages longer than its 11-year-old predecessor, this edition reflects nearly every significant change in style, usage, procedure, and technology. the 14th edition of "the chicago manual of style" has now been superseded by the 15th edition. see below for a link to the new edition. the isbn of the new 15th edition is 0-226-10403-6.

Each year writers and editors submit over three thousand grammar and style questions to the q&a page at the chicago manual of style online. some are arcane, some simply hilarious—and one editor, carol fisher saller, reads every single one of them. all too often she notes a classic author-editor standoff, wherein both parties refuse to compromise on the "rights" and "wrongs" of prose styling: "this author is giving me a fit." "i wish that i could just demand the use of the serial comma at all times." "my author wants his preface to come at the end of the book. this just seems ridiculous to me. i mean, it’s not a post-face." in the subversive copy editor, saller casts aside this adversarial view and suggests new strategies for keeping the peace. emphasizing habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, she shows copy editors how to build an environment of trust and cooperation. one chapter takes on the difficult author; another speaks to writers themselves. throughout, the focus is on serving the reader, even if it means breaking "rules" along the way. saller’s own foibles and misadventures provide ample material: "i mess up all the time," she confesses. "it’s how i know things." writers, saller acknowledges, are only half the challenge, as copy editors can also make trouble for themselves. (does any other book have an index entry that says "terrorists. see copy editors"?) the book includes helpful sections on e-mail etiquette, work-flow management, prioritizing, and organizing computer files. one chapter even addresses the special concerns of freelance editors. saller’s emphasis on negotiation and flexibility will surprise many copy editors who have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. in encouraging copy editors to banish their ignorance and disorganization, insecurities and compulsions, the chicago q&a presents itself as a kind of alter ego to the comparatively staid manual of style. in the subversive copy editor, saller continues her mission with audacity and good humor.

Each year writers and editors submit over three thousand grammar and style questions to the q&a page at the chicago manual of style online. some are arcane, some simply hilarious—and one editor, carol fisher saller, reads every single one of them. all too often she notes a classic author-editor standoff, wherein both parties refuse to compromise on the "rights" and "wrongs" of prose styling: "this author is giving me a fit." "i wish that i could just demand the use of the serial comma at all times." "my author wants his preface to come at the end of the book. this just seems ridiculous to me. i mean, it’s not a post-face." in the subversive copy editor, saller casts aside this adversarial view and suggests new strategies for keeping the peace. emphasizing habits of carefulness, transparency, and flexibility, she shows copy editors how to build an environment of trust and cooperation. one chapter takes on the difficult author; another speaks to writers themselves. throughout, the focus is on serving the reader, even if it means breaking "rules" along the way. saller’s own foibles and misadventures provide ample material: "i mess up all the time," she confesses. "it’s how i know things." writers, saller acknowledges, are only half the challenge, as copy editors can also make trouble for themselves. (does any other book have an index entry that says "terrorists. see copy editors"?) the book includes helpful sections on e-mail etiquette, work-flow management, prioritizing, and organizing computer files. one chapter even addresses the special concerns of freelance editors. saller’s emphasis on negotiation and flexibility will surprise many copy editors who have absorbed, along with the dos and don’ts of their stylebooks, an attitude that their way is the right way. in encouraging copy editors to banish their ignorance and disorganization, insecurities and compulsions, the chicago q&a presents itself as a kind of alter ego to the comparatively staid manual of style. in the subversive copy editor, saller continues her mission with audacity and good humor.

The classic guide to the book publishing process, with essays by over three dozen professional editors: “terrific.”—judith appelbaum, author of how to get happily publishedfor decades, editors on editing has been indispensable for editors, aspiring editors, and especially writers who want to understand the publishing process, from how manuscripts are chosen for publication to what lunch with an agent is like. in this third revised edition of the book, thirty-eight essays are included to teach, inform, and inspire anyone interested in the world of editing. covered are such topics as:the evolution of the american editorthe ethical and moral dimensions of editingwhat an editor looks for in a query letter, proposal, and manuscriptdevelopmental editing; line editing; copyediting; and freelance editingworking in different genres and markets, from science fiction to children’s books to christian publishingthe question of political correctness in both nonfiction and fictionmaking the most of writers’ conferencesand many more

Rebecca harding davis was a prominent author of radical social fiction during the latter half of the nineteenth century. in stories that combine realism with sentimentalism, davis confronted a wide range of contemporary american issues, giving voice to working women, prostitutes, wives seeking divorce, celibate utopians, and female authors. davis broke down distinctions between the private and the public worlds, distinctions that trapped women in the ideology of domesticity. by engaging current strategies in literary hermeneutics with a strong sense of historical radicalism in the gilded age, jean pfaelzer reads davis through the public issues that she forcefully inscribed in her fiction. in this study, davis's realistic narratives actively construct a coherent social work, not in a fictional vacuum but in direct engagement with the explosive movements of social change from the civil war through the turn of the century.

A handbook of editing early modern texts provides a series of answers written by more than forty editors of diverse texts addressing the 'how-to's' of completing an excellent scholarly edition. the handbook is primarily a practical guide rather than a theoretical forum; it airs common problems and offers a number of solutions to help a range of interested readers, from the lone editor of an unedited document, through to the established academic planning a team-enterprise, multi-volume re-editing of a canonical author. explicitly, this handbook does not aim to produce a linear treatise telling its readers how they 'should' edit. instead, it provides them with a thematically ordered collection of insights drawn from the practical experiences of a symposium of editors. many implicit areas of consensus on good practice in editing are recorded here, but there are also areas of legitimate disagreement to be charted. the handbook draws together a diverse range of first person narratives detailing the approaches taken by different editors, with their accompanying rationales, and evaluations of the benefits and problems of their chosen methods. the collection's aim is to help readers to read modern editions more sensitively, and to make better-informed decisions in their own editorial projects.