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    Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers
    Unavailable
    Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers
    Unavailable
    Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers
    Ebook456 pages49 hours

    Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers

    By Scott Norton

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherUniversity of Chicago Press
    Release dateAug 1, 2009
    ISBN9780226595160
    Unavailable
    Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers

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    Reviews for Developmental Editing

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    • 5/5
      Great book on editing! I’m in a publishing class and this is a great secondary resource to support what I’m learning. I liked the format because I can see the original page numbers which is helpful for quoting and citing this. Also, I had no trouble zooming in... The tables and references were very helpful when reading about the concept!
    • 1/5
      It's not in an ebook format. Each page is an image. The text is difficult (if not impossible) to read, since zooming in doesn't work.

      4 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      University of California Press in Berkeley guides developmental editing in this book, for authors and publishers. This book denotes significant structuring or restructuring of a manuscripts discourse. It helps the author form a vision for the book and coaches chapter by chapter to ensure the vision is successfully executed. With use of line editing, chapter, section, paragraph and sentence levels, suggested rewrites are given. Authors should find practical advice to improve their writing skills; and maximize the appeal of their own manuscripts to prospective publishers. Concept focusing the authors vision, thesis and creating a winning title that reflects the winning choice is covered. Narrative to form a coherent story structure to choose between telling a story and making an argument is discussed. Detail to name a few topics includes, brainstorming to fine-tune a timeline to a revised table of contents is included. In exposition they fine-tune the main argument. A blueprint is created that will serve as a touchstone for the author and publisher throughout the editing process. It provides interventions when schedule or budget does not allow for a full developmental edit. Chapter equality with editing for pace with restructuring and transitions are used. How moving a conclusion from one place to another can lead to entirely different effects. With structure in place, ways of prose is used to help authors achieve their unique voice in prose. Opportunities to illustrate concepts and to express data visually, and extra touches to add luster, web pages are discussed. The sequences of stages may occur simultaneously or frequently and others may be inapplicable to specific projects. Techniques presented can be adapted to personal styles and advice discarded if it does not resonate. There is no one way to perform a developmental edit but first learn to master the rules. The tools given in this book are clear and in sequence with much more valuable instruction to read. I highly recommend this book. I own a copy

      2 people found this helpful