What do you think?
Rate this book
The Editor's Companion: An Indispensable Guide to Editing Books, Magazines, Online Publications, and More
Excel at editing!
The editor's job encompasses much more than correcting commas and catching typos. Your chief mission is to help writers communicate effectively--which is no small feat. Whether you edit books, magazines, newspapers, or online publications, your ability to develop clear, concise, and focused writing is the key to your success.
The Editor's Companion is an invaluable guide to honing your editing skills. You'll learn about editing
• Analyze and develop writing that is appealing and appropriate for the intended audience.
• Ensure strong beginnings and satisfying endings, and stick with one subject at a time.
• PRECISE Choose the right words, the right voice, and the right tense for every piece.
• Recognize common mistakes in punctuation, parts of speech, and sentence structure--and learn how to avoid them.
You'll also find valuable editing resources and checklists, advice on editorial relationships and workflow, and real-life samples of editing with explanations of what was changed and why. The Editor's Companion provides the tools you need to pursue high quality in editing, writing, and publishing--every piece, every time.
The editor's job encompasses much more than correcting commas and catching typos. Your chief mission is to help writers communicate effectively--which is no small feat. Whether you edit books, magazines, newspapers, or online publications, your ability to develop clear, concise, and focused writing is the key to your success.
The Editor's Companion is an invaluable guide to honing your editing skills. You'll learn about editing
• Analyze and develop writing that is appealing and appropriate for the intended audience.
• Ensure strong beginnings and satisfying endings, and stick with one subject at a time.
• PRECISE Choose the right words, the right voice, and the right tense for every piece.
• Recognize common mistakes in punctuation, parts of speech, and sentence structure--and learn how to avoid them.
You'll also find valuable editing resources and checklists, advice on editorial relationships and workflow, and real-life samples of editing with explanations of what was changed and why. The Editor's Companion provides the tools you need to pursue high quality in editing, writing, and publishing--every piece, every time.
240 pages, Paperback
First published November 21, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 4, 2017
Though full of invaluable information, I found it difficult to get through and ended up skipping around and reading only the parts that were most relevant to my needs.
April 13, 2018
Excellent book! It's meant for editors, but writers can benefit from what Mr. Dunham has to say as well.
April 14, 2026
⭐ 4.5/5
The Editor’s Companion: Practical, Clear, and Best for Early-Career Editors
Editing is often described as invisible work, and Steve Dunham’s The Editor’s Companion does a great job explaining why that invisibility requires both skill and judgment. What I appreciated most about this book is how clearly Dunham breaks the editing process into practical stages that aspiring editors can actually apply.
Dunham makes a convincing case that editing is far more than correcting grammar. It’s about shaping writing into its best possible form while preserving the author’s voice. His breakdown of substantive editing, stylistic editing, copyediting, and proofreading helps demystify what editors actually do, especially for those new to the field. I found this structure one of the book’s biggest strengths—it turns a vague profession into a set of understandable responsibilities.
The book is also strong on the human side of editing. Dunham emphasizes that an editor’s job is not to rewrite, but to make the writer’s work better. His advice on working with writers—balancing firmness with encouragement—is particularly useful for anyone just starting out. He repeatedly reminds readers that editing is not just about applying rules, but about applying judgment, which feels like an important message in a field often reduced to grammar policing.
Chapter 9 stood out to me for its practical value. The discussion of style sheets, checklists, and procedural tools gives editors something concrete to take away and use immediately. This is where the book feels most like a working guide rather than a general overview.
That said, there are moments of irony. Early on, Dunham urges editors to use “plain English,” and then a few pages later describes something as “germane” instead of simply saying “relevant.” Nothing says plain English like dusting off a word from an 18th-century legal document.
More importantly, while Dunham acknowledges that language and style evolve, the book offers limited guidance on how editors should navigate modern issues like inclusive language or the shifting conventions of digital writing. Editors working in technical, academic, or legal fields may find the advice too general, and more experienced editors might wish for a deeper discussion of contemporary editorial challenges.
Overall, The Editor’s Companion is a solid, practical introduction to the craft of editing. It’s especially well-suited for early-career editors or writers who want to understand what editors actually do and how to think like one. More experienced professionals may find themselves wanting something more specialized, but as a foundation, this book does its job wonderfully.
The Editor’s Companion: Practical, Clear, and Best for Early-Career Editors
Editing is often described as invisible work, and Steve Dunham’s The Editor’s Companion does a great job explaining why that invisibility requires both skill and judgment. What I appreciated most about this book is how clearly Dunham breaks the editing process into practical stages that aspiring editors can actually apply.
Dunham makes a convincing case that editing is far more than correcting grammar. It’s about shaping writing into its best possible form while preserving the author’s voice. His breakdown of substantive editing, stylistic editing, copyediting, and proofreading helps demystify what editors actually do, especially for those new to the field. I found this structure one of the book’s biggest strengths—it turns a vague profession into a set of understandable responsibilities.
The book is also strong on the human side of editing. Dunham emphasizes that an editor’s job is not to rewrite, but to make the writer’s work better. His advice on working with writers—balancing firmness with encouragement—is particularly useful for anyone just starting out. He repeatedly reminds readers that editing is not just about applying rules, but about applying judgment, which feels like an important message in a field often reduced to grammar policing.
Chapter 9 stood out to me for its practical value. The discussion of style sheets, checklists, and procedural tools gives editors something concrete to take away and use immediately. This is where the book feels most like a working guide rather than a general overview.
That said, there are moments of irony. Early on, Dunham urges editors to use “plain English,” and then a few pages later describes something as “germane” instead of simply saying “relevant.” Nothing says plain English like dusting off a word from an 18th-century legal document.
More importantly, while Dunham acknowledges that language and style evolve, the book offers limited guidance on how editors should navigate modern issues like inclusive language or the shifting conventions of digital writing. Editors working in technical, academic, or legal fields may find the advice too general, and more experienced editors might wish for a deeper discussion of contemporary editorial challenges.
Overall, The Editor’s Companion is a solid, practical introduction to the craft of editing. It’s especially well-suited for early-career editors or writers who want to understand what editors actually do and how to think like one. More experienced professionals may find themselves wanting something more specialized, but as a foundation, this book does its job wonderfully.
October 31, 2016
This book is very informative. By reading this book, anyone from any field will acquire knowledge and skills needed to edit a document. Steve Dunham point out some keys elements that make a book great such as good grammar, plain language, accuracy, and easy read. He also warn writers about the use of abbreviations, prepositions, adverbs, semi-colons, and many other subjects.
I've learned that good editing means making sure that:
1- The readers won't have to read a paragraph twice to understand it
2- The names of the characters, dates, and facts are accurate throughout the book
3- Pronouns match their verbs
4-The verbs used are appropriate. A verb can change the meaning of a sentence and convey different message to readers
I became aware that using too much vocabulary may take away the readers' attention from the story and have them looking for definitions in the dictionary. The author shares information about the resources that are available to help writers do a good editing. I highly recommend this book.
I've learned that good editing means making sure that:
1- The readers won't have to read a paragraph twice to understand it
2- The names of the characters, dates, and facts are accurate throughout the book
3- Pronouns match their verbs
4-The verbs used are appropriate. A verb can change the meaning of a sentence and convey different message to readers
I became aware that using too much vocabulary may take away the readers' attention from the story and have them looking for definitions in the dictionary. The author shares information about the resources that are available to help writers do a good editing. I highly recommend this book.
June 16, 2018
Everybody needs a little editing in their lives. I remember seeing someone wearing a baseball jersey that said COUCH on the back. Maybe he was just trying to be funny. Maybe he was actually the coach and oh, what an example that must have made.
This book is a great reference for anyone and I'll be keeping it on my shelf. The author gives plenty of examples as well as a great chapter on the ones that got away. In some ways I expected this book to be dry, like a college textbook. It is interesting as well as being educational. I can't believe it took me almost a year to go through it. I guess, once again, life got in the way.
This book is a great reference for anyone and I'll be keeping it on my shelf. The author gives plenty of examples as well as a great chapter on the ones that got away. In some ways I expected this book to be dry, like a college textbook. It is interesting as well as being educational. I can't believe it took me almost a year to go through it. I guess, once again, life got in the way.
August 7, 2022
This book was originally to help me improve my paid newsletter. Now it’s inspired my career direction. So I will be reading more books like these so I can become an editor, myself. It has helped me continue to read the slap as sometimes I find the book vulgar and need some intellectual reading to balance it out. Thankyou Steve for your advice and making this book inspire me to go in a better direction re my career and use of my Bachelors Degree.
April 16, 2023
This book is a very helpful introduction and guide to the art of editing. Dunham's style is relaxed, down-to-earth, and tactfully humorous. His material is practical and useful. His goal is to equip editors (especially the up-and-coming) to help writers communicate accurately and excellently and thereby serve their readers. This book leads by example.
Read
March 17, 2024A very useful text based on the central principle that it is your job to make reading as easy as possible for the reader. Easier said then done, or course, but Dunham walks with you through how to get it done. No, Goodreads, my review does not have spoilers. Unless you count the announcement that "Of course this book has a section on 'that' vs. 'which'" as a spoiler.
July 23, 2018
I'm sure that if I were an actual editor, I would have gotten a lot more out of this book. Overall it had some useful writing tips as far as the editing process, but it was more technical editing than writing.
February 25, 2021
I was assigned to read and discuss this book for my editing class. There is nothing sexy about it, but it accomplishes, quite well, the task at hand: improving your writing for the reader.
It is something that should be on every writer's bookshelf.
Happy Reading,
www.w-alexander.com
It is something that should be on every writer's bookshelf.
Happy Reading,
www.w-alexander.com
February 24, 2025
I still maintain, as the great philosopher Brian David Gilbert once said, “nobody has ever enjoyed reading, or writing, an academic textbook.” That being said, this one was highly informative and I wasn’t filled with dread of impending death by boredom whenever my professor assigned a chapter.
October 10, 2017
Some good tips and techniques, but with the focus on non-fiction editing, it wasn't as helpful for me as I was hoping.
May 28, 2019
Helpful, organized reference guide on editing.
February 16, 2021
A clearly written book, with lots of tips and resources. An excellent companion to any editor's bookshelf.
July 8, 2022
Lots of great tips, and hilarious real-life mistakes that publishers have made.
December 10, 2024
Impeccably written. Fascinating stuff.
March 10, 2026
Read this for my Editing For Publishing class. For a book about editing, it was really good! Amusing and informative. I recommend!
April 17, 2016
Good book for writers
August 22, 2016
Excellent editing reference book. Easy read and understood.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews