The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "All these parties share one basic desire: an error-free publication..." (more)
Key Phrases: con sectetuer adipiscing elit, light copyedit, most copyeditors, New York, United States, Wilson Follett (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Copyeditor's Handbook is a lively, practical manual for newcomers to publishing and for experienced editors who want to fine-tune their skills or broaden their understanding of the craft. Addressed to copyeditors in book publishing and corporate communications, this thoughtful handbook explains what copyeditors do, what they look for when they edit a manuscript, and how they develop the editorial judgment needed to make sound decisions. This book may be used for self-instruction or as a textbook in copyediting classes. The fifteen practice exercisesranging from sets of sentences to 900- word articlesare accompanied by answer keys and detailed line-by-line explanations. Readers will also welcome the glossary of copyediting jargon, glossary of grammar terms, and a checklist for analyzing the idiosyncracies of a publisher's "house style." All editors will want to keep this handy reference right next to their copy of The Chicago Manual of Style, Words into Type, or the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

From the Inside Flap

"A basic text for beginning copyeditors and a good read for old pros, this handbook will also enlighten any editor contemplating freelance work." -- Margaret Mahan, former Managing Editor, University of Chicago Press, and editor of The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition

"The Copyeditor's Handbook brims with valuable information, good advice, and helpful suggestions for novice copyeditors and experienced practitioners. It is comforting to know that current and future copyeditors will be able to turn to this handbook. I'm placing this work, which fills a huge gap in the literature, right beside my dictionary, and will highly recommend it to all my colleagues and students." --Alice Levine, Lecturer, The Denver Publishing Institute, and freelance editor

"A definite 'must have' for the beginning to intermediate editor or author, and even the experienced editor. An indispensable reference tool." --Kim Hawley, President, The Chicago Book Clinic

"This is the book that every teacher of editing has been waiting for: thorough, clear, authoritative, up-to-date, and sane." --Beth Luey, Director, Scholarly Publishing Program, Arizona State University

"This book warms the cockles of the copyediting heart. It is thorough, useful, helpful, and smart. And it fills a huge vacuum." --Constance Hale, author of Sin and Syntax and Wired Style

"An excellent resource. The Copyeditor's Handbook should sit on every business editor's shelf, next to the in-house style guide." --Erika Henik, Research Publications Manager, Banc of America Securities LLC

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 573 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (May 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520218345
• ISBN-13: 978-0520218345
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,403,474 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, May 18, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (Paperback)

I'm an English teacher who does occasional freelance copyediting, and I found this book to be not simply a fine guide to copyediting but an excellent run-down of grammar and sentence structure, including the various 'debates' about split infinitives, email or e-mail, like or as, and so on. It is a clear and readable book (just as it ought to be!), useful and informative, but also enjoyable for its own sake.

43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential training for copyeditors, March 24, 2005

By	David A. Hall "David Hall" (Infinity Dental Web, Mesa, Arizona) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications (Paperback)

The Copyeditor's Handbook is a manual for learning copyediting skills. Copyeditors, a style manual and a dictionary are not enough. With this book, Amy Einsohn will teach you how to use these references.
She starts with a perspective on the task of copyediting: How heavy a hand should you wield? How long should it take you? How should you structure and pace your work?
Next she tackles the rules of English under the various headings of punctuation, spelling, grammar, style, etc. But she does more than just give you rules. She explains the rationale for the rules, gives you the range of opinions about those rules, and helps you choose which rules to keep and which to ignore. You can't just use a style manual and expect to be a good writer or copyeditor.
My advice if you're a writer, a copyeditor, or a person who works with copyeditors: get this book, read it twice, and keep it handy on your shelf as a reference. The Copyeditor's Handbook is weighty reading because it provides serious learning.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A comprehensive guide for any editor, July 2, 2001

By A Customer

This book is a wealth of clearly presented information. People considering copyediting as a career should certainly invest in a copy. I heartily disagree with the reviewer who gave it one star; rather than being too liberal, Einsohn succinctly presents the reader with a broad spectrum of opinions on common disputes about grammar and punctuation, allowing readers to make their own decisions. The book contains an excellent explanation of what copyediting is, how to copyedit your first manuscript, how to typecode manuscripts, what to expect from authors, etc. I found Einsohn's exercises and detailed answer key extremely useful.