The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide For Book Publishing And Corporate Communications, With Exercis...
"The Copyeditor's Handbook "is a lively, practical manual for newcomers to publishing and for experienced editors who want to fine-tune their skill...
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reviews
Aug 10, 2011
Linda
rated it: 
Amy Einsohn explains the information in the style guides in a readable and interesting way. The book is intuitively organized and includes not only information on how different style guides handle a variety of situations, but it also has quizzes throughout the book so that you can test your knowledge.
For experienced copy editors, I imagine this book might not provide anything new. For those of us who are still learning, however, this book provides an excellent overview that is significantly les More...
For experienced copy editors, I imagine this book might not provide anything new. For those of us who are still learning, however, this book provides an excellent overview that is significantly les More...
Feb 03, 2012
Ashley
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{This review is for the Third Edition, published in 2011.}
With all of the books out there on editing, it’s not easy to know which ones are worthwhile and which ones are just freshly packaged regurgitation of the stuff many of us already know. I’d heard of this book and made a mental note—but it wasn’t until I came across Carol Fisher Saller’s glowing praise and her interview with Einsohn (on Saller's Subversive Copyeditor blog) that I was sold. If it’s good enough for our snarky friend More...
With all of the books out there on editing, it’s not easy to know which ones are worthwhile and which ones are just freshly packaged regurgitation of the stuff many of us already know. I’d heard of this book and made a mental note—but it wasn’t until I came across Carol Fisher Saller’s glowing praise and her interview with Einsohn (on Saller's Subversive Copyeditor blog) that I was sold. If it’s good enough for our snarky friend More...
May 17, 2011
I've only just started reading this for a course I'm taking, but my initial thoughts are:
1) It's too bad that my class is happening before the third edition comes out, and frustrating that it's close enough to that release date that I know the new edition is coming. There're things (on the technological side) that're less current than I'd like in the second edition--no surprise, since it dates back to 2005.
2) It uses the Oxford comma. Since I work exclusively with style g More...
1) It's too bad that my class is happening before the third edition comes out, and frustrating that it's close enough to that release date that I know the new edition is coming. There're things (on the technological side) that're less current than I'd like in the second edition--no surprise, since it dates back to 2005.
2) It uses the Oxford comma. Since I work exclusively with style g More...
Nov 26, 2010
Matilda
rated it:
A wonderful, quick-and-dirty guide to copyediting in (Am.) English. Einsohn guides the editor from grammar and punctuation review all the way to the more time-consuming editing of charts, facts and figures. I absolutely recommend this for anyone looking into being an editor or just wanting to brush up their writing and self-editing skills: Einsohn's style makes any grammar issue easy to approach, and I found wanting more exercises to practice on*!
(*And no, it's not a mistake to end a More...
(*And no, it's not a mistake to end a More...
Aug 19, 2011
Erin
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I won't disagree that it's a great reference grammatically, but it is severely outdated when it comes to computer terms. I don't know of many people who use the actual editing symbols anymore (though it was a fun trip down memory lane to see how many I still remembered learning way back when in school). Some parts were very well-written -- not just informative, but fun to read -- while others seemed to drag on and on. Part of that is subject matter (it's hard to make pronouns and clauses excitin
More...
Jun 23, 2009
James Boone
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I found this book immensely useful. Even with a strong knowledge of language, usage, and grammar, I felt that I learned a great deal that I have been able to apply to both my writing and editing.
Aug 18, 2009
Wendy
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Everything you ever wanted to know about grammar and punctuation, plus how to mark up a document as you edit. The book also includes sample passages to practice editing at the end of each section.
The author really knows her stuff!
The author really knows her stuff!
Sep 06, 2011
Natalie
rated it:
It's for school.
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This was a pretty invaluable resource, and now my copy is all marked up with various highlighter colors and those little page-marker flags. I'm a little frustrated that my class used the second edition and that my class happened right before the third edition was released, but I don't think much new information was contained therein excepting that it conforms to the 16th edition of the More...
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This was a pretty invaluable resource, and now my copy is all marked up with various highlighter colors and those little page-marker flags. I'm a little frustrated that my class used the second edition and that my class happened right before the third edition was released, but I don't think much new information was contained therein excepting that it conforms to the 16th edition of the More...
Jun 01, 2009
Apr 04, 2008
Andy
rated it: 
Half the people on the major freelance editing and writing circuit have desktop published their own books (which they'll happily sell you--in PDF format), and not one that I've read is worth a yard-sale price. Einsohn's book, on the other hand, really gives the entry-level editor what is needed to start the job on the right foot: advice, techniques, processes, and loads of tips and practice segments.
Now, all you need is someone to pay you for being a manuscript tyrant...
Now, all you need is someone to pay you for being a manuscript tyrant...
May 02, 2010
Meg
rated it:
Brings together grammar and style rulings from a number of style guides to provide some context on why some rulings are debated. I'd recommend the Chicago Manual of Style over this book for a desk reference, since this handbook lacks the depth found in other style guides, but this handbook does do a decent job of explaining how copy editors should handle certain debatable language issues when they arise.
Nov 06, 2007
Amber
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This book is awesome if you need a refresher on grammar or if you plan on going into copyediting. It was a textbook for my editing class but I'm keeping it. I would like to do some editing work in the future and think that this book will be an indispensable reference tool.
Jun 24, 2011
Jenni
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I am SO GLAD that I bought this book. It has taught me a lot about the business and made me better at what I do. It's been especially helpful with making my work more professional - particularly the forms and sample docs that she provides.
Jun 25, 2009
As an independent writer and editor I have found this book to be a helpful resource for a holistic view of the copyeditor's roles, rules, and responsibilities as well as techniques, style suggestions, and resources.
Nov 02, 2007
Sera
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Supremely helpful for anyone who needs a refresher course in American grammar rules. This book provides exercises and answers as well as rules and examples. And, to top it all off, it's not a dry, boring read!
Mar 22, 2009
Heather
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This book is SO good! Incredibly well-researched and informative (and not a bad read either). All grammarians should own this one.
Oct 13, 2008
Rachel
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Incredibly helpful for newcomers to the profession. Great explanations, real-world examples, and exercises.
Aug 22, 2008
kaitlyn
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I still turn to Einsohn when I have subject-verb agreement questions (it's trickier than you might think).
Feb 22, 2012
