Once upon a time, we professional writers had several paid nitpickers between our raw prose and the words on the printed page. For my first book, I had an acquisition editor, a development editor, a copy editor, and probably another one whom I've forgotten by now. When I wrote my first technical article for PC Magazine, it went through at least four revisions before the editor accepted the manuscript. I didn't just accept the changes the editors made or answer their queries; I did my best to learn from the advice ("This sentence is too long; let's break it up") and apply it to my next project. Which probably is why, these days, I spend more time editing other people than I do writing, anymore. Even if it isn't considered "necessary" I send an Author Review for the writer so she can answer queries ("Is 'turgid' the right word here?" "It isn't clear to whom 'he' refers; clarify please"), see the changes I suggested, and tell me if my changes inserted errors (it does happen).
Many of my friends are not quite so lucky. Even as well-paid professional bloggers, they write an essay and then post it themselves, with nobody to point out errors or typos or poor judgement other than their readers. And you KNOW how friendly and supportive people are on the Internet... no?
Another editor-friend recommended this book to me after he took a workshop with Susan Bell, and I within a few pages I understood his enthusiasm. Her advice is both practical (here's the steps you should consider for a macro-edit; here's what to do on a micro-edit) and strategic (what is it we're doing here exactly?). The editing advice is written primarily for long fiction (and I certainly hope that at least a few of the people who send me "Please review my self-published book!" apply her suggestions). But as someone who spends most of the week editing shorter non-fiction I can comfortably assert that most of it applies to other writing equally well. Plus, although this is ostensibly about SELF editing, the how-to-edit stuff articulates beautifully the steps that I go through in editing someone else's writing. Often I could not tell you WHY I changed that phrase, and her explanations made me say "Yes! That's it!" several times.
There are several examples from-real-life about how others edit their work, both writers -- of course -- and people from other professions, such as Walter Murch, film and sound editor on such films as
The Godfather
,
Apocalypse Now
, and
The English Patient
. "What you do as an editor is search for patterns, at both the superficial and deeper levels--as deep as you can go," Murch tells Bell.
When my friend told me that for a primary example Bell used
The Great Gatsby
, I confess that I wrinkled my nose. I read Gatsby as a teenager, I think, and while I thought it was okay I never saw what the fuss was all about. (Now, of course, I shall have to go back and re-read it.) Bell explains that she chose the Fitzgerald novel because "It is, quite simply, a tour de force of revision. So much so that critics, who rarely mention the edit of a book, pointed to the quality of Fitzgerald's rewriting, not just writing, in reviews." Plus, we still have the first drafts of Gatsby to look at, giving plenty of before-and-after examples. Much of the credit for Gatsby's success (and I supposed the generations of high school students who have to wade through the book) goes to Maxwell Perkins, considered the saint of editors, who helped Fitzgerald polish the diamond he had created. Bell's examination of their correspondence demonstrates the attitude that makes a good editor-writer relationship, which I try in my halting and awkward way to emulate.
So, for example, Bell discusses foreshadowing with an example of it from Gatsby that Fitzgerald added in the book's galleys. As she explains, "Whether we are science writers, children's writers, or art critics, we have to compel readers to the end. Foreshadowing is a good tool for it, and editing is an ideal time to introduce and hone your foreshadowing," also warning, "If a reader feels like a huge mechanical hand has lifted her up from point A to point B, it's a good bet the foreshadowing is too obvious."
After a while I began putting sticky notes on pages that I wanted to highlight. The book is now fluttering with yellow flags, like a poorly plucked chicken.
Which is not to say that the book is perfect. Bell's advice is colored by her experience, of course, and she clearly likes capital-L literature more than I do. I don't find her writing pretentious but I can grok the viewpoint of the reviewers here who do. Bell works hard to show that different methods work for different writers (I love the visual of hanging up the pages of a manuscript on a clothes-line) but I wish she had stressed the point that you should try a few of these techniques, even if you think they're silly, to see how they affect your editing. (I do have one cherished author who might benefit from using search-and-replace on his articles to change every use of the word "though" to bright red, then stepping back to see how often he over-uses it. Maybe that would break him of the habit, or at least make him remove the word in his edit pass more often.)
But those are mere quibbles. As you can tell, I think this is an outstanding book. It's going alongside the other Must-Read books on my writing shelf, including
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
and
The Art and Craft of Feature Writing
.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
Frequently bought together
$14.58
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may ship from close to you
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
An excellent guide to editing your own fiction
The author uses The Great Gatsby and the previous drafts of the novel to demonstrate how Fitzgerald clarified passages, streamlined the plot, and defined characters with more precision and vitality. Very helpful for all writers.
Top reviews from other countries
Juan Albor
Espléndido para aprender más de autoedición.
Reviewed in Mexico on March 14, 2019Kalvin
Typically with a lot of books on craft you find ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 23, 2018