Presented to you through Paradigm Publishing Services
University of Chicago Press
Book
Licensed
Unlicensed
Requires Authentication
Developmental Editing, Second Edition
A Handbook for Freelancers, Authors, and Publishers
Language:
English
Published/Copyright:
2023
About this book
The only guide dedicated solely to developmental editing, now revised and updated with new exercises and a chapter on fiction.
Developmental editing—transforming a manuscript into a book that edifies, inspires, and sells—is a special skill, and Scott Norton is one of the best at it. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Norton offers his expert advice on how to approach the task of diagnosing and fixing structural problems with book manuscripts in consultation with authors and publishers. He illustrates these principles through a series of detailed case studies featuring before-and-after tables of contents, samples of edited text, and other materials to make an otherwise invisible process tangible.
This revised edition for the first time includes exercises that allow readers to edit sample materials and compare their work with that of an experienced professional as well as a new chapter on the unique challenges of editing fiction. In addition, it features expanded coverage of freelance business arrangements, self-published authors, e-books, content marketing, and more.
Whether you are an aspiring or experienced developmental editor or an author who works alongside one, you will benefit from Norton’s accessible, collaborative, and realistic approach and guidance. This handbook offers the concrete and essential tools it takes to help books to find their voice and their audience.
Developmental editing—transforming a manuscript into a book that edifies, inspires, and sells—is a special skill, and Scott Norton is one of the best at it. With more than three decades of experience in the field, Norton offers his expert advice on how to approach the task of diagnosing and fixing structural problems with book manuscripts in consultation with authors and publishers. He illustrates these principles through a series of detailed case studies featuring before-and-after tables of contents, samples of edited text, and other materials to make an otherwise invisible process tangible.
This revised edition for the first time includes exercises that allow readers to edit sample materials and compare their work with that of an experienced professional as well as a new chapter on the unique challenges of editing fiction. In addition, it features expanded coverage of freelance business arrangements, self-published authors, e-books, content marketing, and more.
Whether you are an aspiring or experienced developmental editor or an author who works alongside one, you will benefit from Norton’s accessible, collaborative, and realistic approach and guidance. This handbook offers the concrete and essential tools it takes to help books to find their voice and their audience.
Author / Editor information
Scott Norton was formerly a developmental editor at the University of California Press, where he eventually served as the director of editing, design, and production before retiring in 2020.
Reviews
"When I say this eleven-chapter book is an entire semester-long (or longer!) course in everything developmental editing (DE), I do not exaggerate. The material is engaging, relevant, immediately applicable—and just plain amusing. Norton excels in presenting concepts with clarity and coming up with examples aplenty. He is that professor that can lighten the dense, rein in the unwieldy, and still prompt a chuckle or two. . . . This book is one that every publishing professional should dissect and then place on the shelf for future reference."
— Publishing Research QuarterlyTopics
-
Download PDFPublicly Available
Frontmatter
i -
Download PDFPublicly Available
Contents
v -
Download PDFPublicly Available
Preface
ix -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
Introduction
1 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
1 Concept: Shaping the Proposal
13 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
2 Content: Assessing Potential
33 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
3 Thesis: Finding the Hook
58 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
4 Narrative: Tailoring the Timeline
83 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
5 Exposition: Deploying the Argument
107 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
6 Plan: Drafting a Blueprint
130 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
7 Rhythm: Setting the Pace
143 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
8 Transitions: Filling in the Blanks
164 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
9 Style: Training the Voice
183 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
10 Display: Dressing Up the Text
214 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
11 Fiction: Weaving the Dream
253 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
Afterword to Publishers
285 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
Further Reading
287 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
Acknowledgments
295 -
Download PDFRequires Authentication UnlicensedLicensed
Index
297
Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
November 8, 2023
eBook ISBN:
9780226793771
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook ISBN:
9780226793771
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
