‘The More You Know’

By Kendra M.

I've always thought of myself as a decent writer and editor. Feeling like I have the skills I need to do the job. But after reading over 'The Elements Of Editing' I'm not too sure that I'm doing it the right way.

Within the first few chapters I realized that there's a lot more to editing than I thought. It's a very complex procedure that takes time and concentration. I also noticed within the first few chapters that I picked a book that wasn't totally relevant to me. The book spoke to big league editors and journalists to help them know how to properly edit. It was a little over my head at times but I tried to keep an open mind while reading. A few things I learned was that editors have the ability to say no to authors, even ones that have already made their mark in the world of writing. I thought that was interesting since I had thought that editors only said no to up and coming writers, not big league ones. I also found it interesting because I always thought it was the publishers that said no, not the editors. I had always assumed it was easy to get an editor, but hard to get a publisher, I guess it's hard to get both though. Another thing I found interesting was how much time they take on editing. They read the manuscript word for word and tediously correct everything, while also making sure that all the facts in the manuscript are correct. They also make sure that all the citations are properly done. That's a lot of work. I do wish that I had picked a different book that would have been a wee bit more interesting. Since this one was not entertaining in the least bit. It was interesting at times but nothing riveting enough to get you excited.

I would probably stick to not recommending this book to someone. To spare them the time and agony. If you were an editor I would recommend reading it but not as a student. A lot of the information is irrelevant to the average writer or editor. This book is geared toward people who do this for a living, not for fun.

The Elements of Editing, by Arthur Plotnik, Macmillan Publishing Co.,1982, 156 pages