The Editor's Companion

by Janet Mackenzie

As the knowledge economy takes shape, editors face many challenges. Technology is transforming publishing, text is losing out to graphics, and writing is distorted by cliché, hype and spin. More than ever, editors are needed to add value to information and to rescue readers from boredom and confusion. The Editor's Companion explains the traditional skills of editing for publication and how to adapt them for digital production. It describes the editorial tasks for print and screen publications, from fantasy novels and academic texts to web pages and government documents. It is an essential tool for professional editors, as well as media and publications officers, self-publishers and writers editing their own work. This revised edition features extended coverage of on-screen editing, single-source publishing and digital rights, a comprehensive glossary of editing terms and a companion website developed especially for students that includes editing exercises, expert 'tips' and essential weblinks.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

268 pages, Paperback

First published November 8, 2004

Reviews

[Saudah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Janet Mackenzie provides in-depth and expansive insight into what editors should know. Sure, the references are for the Australian editing and writing industry but the knowledge is still relevant. I found helpful nuggets in every single chapter. There’s macro and micro tips and tricks to improve efficiency and productivity as an editor. As a freelance editor, this book is definitely a good resource!

[Mathew Walls · Rating 1 out of 5]

There is some valuable information in this book, but it's mixed in with a lot of stuff that seems dubious or wildly speculative, and it's written in a fairly irritating manner. The author's outrageous claims about the many virtues of editors comes across as bizarre and (given that she is an editor herself) narcissistic. The language use and tone also seem very arrogant and condescending, as though she believes that she knows everything and her readers know nothing. And she continually writes "pix" instead of pictures, which I personally find incredibly irritating for some reason.

She also gives the strange impression throughout that she thinks that computers are some kind of passing fad. She seems to assume that an editor's work will mostly be done by hand in hard copy, rather than using a computer, and seems to write off ebooks as being clearly inferior to and less popular than print books. She states, for example, that readers of novels will always prefer print, and doesn't even attempt to justify this belief.

And as with everything in this book, the tone seems to suggest that Mackenzie has a very strong belief in the correctness of her own opinions, like if you were to suggest that she may be wrong about something she would simply dismiss it out of hand. I've never met her, obviously, that's just the (possibly erroneous) impression I get from this book.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone studying editing and considering it as a career option, I found this book to be highly useful.

This companion assumes that the reader is already working in/studying editing and has general knowledge of how to edit/proofread. What this book offers is insight into what might be expected from different editing jobs. It gives an overview of how different aspects of a publication might be approached and it offers advice on freelancing, including ideas on how to price etc.

This is a book aimed mainly at editors in Australia, and as such may not be quite so useful to those from other countries. It also refers regularly to The Style Manual for Authors, Editors and Printers and it would be good to read the two books in conjunction to make the most of the information in each.

This is the most recent edition and I was pleased to see how up to date it was in terms of information on new digital editing and publishing methods. Some aspects of my course are already out of date when they refer to e-books etc, so I was relieved to find that this book was better informed.

I am glad to have a copy of this book on my shelf as I pursue my studies and (hopefully) my career in editing. An invaluable reference work.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, despite a few issues pointed out by my editing teacher, is a very handy tool to have by your desk while editing. Mackenzie has a good sense of humour, and is quite visual with her analogies.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent reference source for editors and proofreaders, or those aspiring to it (like myself).

I found it very informative on a large range of subjects.