5 Essential Books on Editing

Great books aren’t just written. They are often rewritten, revised, reconceptualised and have to pass through numerous stages of editing before they reach their intended readers. Experienced authors know that the success of their book comes down to collaboration with an experienced editor.

As long as the author’s wishes are kept in mind, most manuscripts can be improved immeasurably by the skills of a professional editor who can take a diamond in the rough and make it shine. But why is it that so many authors have an irrational fear and loathing when it comes to editors?

It is completely understandable that some writers are fiercely protective over their work. Their completed manuscripts are their babies that they have laboured long and hard over to bring to full-term so may not take too kindly to some upstart book editor telling them their newborn is ugly.

Some authors will insist their manuscript be published exactly as they have written it and not a single comma to be removed without having a lengthy phone conversation with their editor. But in the court of public opinion, which usually takes the form of book reviews, readers won’t hesitate to complain about convoluted and over-written stories and how they lost interest half-way through the book.

With the popularity of self-publishing such as Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP)‎ and other self-publishing companies, the market has been flooded with badly written books but also poorly edited, or in some cases unedited books. This not only leaves readers feeling frustrated that they wasted their money on what could’ve been a great book (had it been edited) but also gives self-published authors a bad name.

Experienced authors agree that the job of an editor, is crucial to their success. But writers who haven’t been signed to a publisher often have to self-edit their own manuscripts in order to improve their chances of being signed and perhaps to save money having to hire a developmental editor for substantive editing.

The following books have been carefully selected for writers who are new to editing as well as more experienced writers who are interested in how to edit their own work more effectively. These editing books contain essential information on the mechanics of editing as well as giving expert opinions on the publishing industry as a whole which will hopefully improve the quality of your writing and chances of getting published.

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, Second Edition: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne

Teaches writers how to apply the editing techniques they have developed to their 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.

What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing by Peter Ginna

This book contains a collection of essays from twenty-seven leading figures in book publishing about their work. It offers professional advice and 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.

The Elements of Style: Classic Edition by William Strunk Jr.

This updated Classic Edition contains the original version of William Strunk’s The Elements of Style, plus a variety of enhancements that make this book even more useful. Many of the grammar rules listed in his book still apply today; but the English language has changed over the years, and some of these rules have are now obsolete. This Classic Edition addresses these changes.

Developmental Editing: A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers by Scott Norton

Developmental Editing includes detailed case studies featuring a variety of nonfiction books. It offers advice on how to become a developmental editor and adapt sophisticated fiction techniques (such as point of view, suspense, plotting, character, and setting) to nonfiction writing. Norton shows copyeditors how to earn higher editing fees while introducing more creativity into their editing work.

The Subversive Copy Editor by Carol Fisher Saller

The Subversive Copy Editor is a must-have reference book for copy editors. It brings a levelheaded approach to the classic battle between writers and editors. This book will prove useful and entertaining to anyone charged with the sometimes perilous task of improving the writing of others.

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