The fine art of copyediting / Elsie Myers Stainton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stainton, Elsie Myers, 1911-2007.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Copy editing.

Physical Description:

xv, 153 pages ; 21 cm

Edition:

Second edition, revised and expanded.

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2002]

Summary:

Now featuring solid advice on computer editing and a new chapter on style, as well as more information on references, bibliographies, indexing, and bias-free writing, "The Fine Art of Copyediting, Second Edition" offers the same wealth of information that prompted William Safire to commend the first edition in "The New York Times Magazine."

Contents:

The Copyeditor's Job 3

The Copyeditor's Stance 4

Kinds of Editors 5

The Value of Copyediting 5

2. Legal and Contractual Aspects of Publishing 8

Mutual Dependency 8

Libel 9

Indiscretion (Bias) 10

Copyright and Permissions 12

Design 13

Jackets 14

Other Contractual Specifics 14

Titles 14

Proofs and AAs 16

Index 16

3. Types of Editing 17

Trade Books 19

Scholarly Books 20

Textbooks 20

Scientific and Professional Books 21

Reference Volumes 22

Dictionaries of the English Language 22

Other Dictionaries and Encyclopedias 22

Miscellaneous 23

Journals 24

4. The Editor's Dilemma 26

Personal Relations 27

Praise 27

Differences of Opinion 28

Difficult Manuscripts 29

Editor's Ploys 29

The Confident Bad Writer 30

The Role of Appreciation 30

5. Editorial Procedures 32

Choices 32

Generic Coding 33

Chapter Titles and Headings 35

Illustrative Material 35

Notes and Bibliography or References 36

Front Matter 37

Copyediting 38

Errors, Ambiguities, Inconsistencies 38

Style of Writing 38

Style Sheet 39

Capital Letters 40

Italics 40

Hyphens 40

Special Problems 41

Corrections 42

Finishing Up 43

Running Heads 44

Spine Copy 44

Review 44

Editor to Author 46

6. Computer Technology 48

The Publishing House 49

Computer Aids 49

Editor on Computer 50

Author on Computer 51

Computer Language 52

Results 53

7. A Concise Manual of Writing Style for Copyeditors 55

General Guidelines 55

Rhetoric 56

Readership 56

Ambiguity 58

Repetition 58

Pretentiousness 59

Details 60

Spelling 60

Capitalization 61

Italics 62

Compound Words and Hyphens 63

British Spelling and Punctuation 63

Grammar and Usage 64

Parts of Speech 64

Mistakes in Grammar 66

That and Which 68

Punctuation 68

Cross-References 69

Bias-Free Writing 70

8. The Fine Art 74

Sentences 75

Punctuation 76

Figures of Speech 78

New Uses for Old Words 78

Metaphors 79

New Words 81

Changing Usage 81

9. Notes, References, and Bibliographies 85

Numbered Notes 86

Content and Placement 86

Shortening 87

Parenthetical References 87

Bibliographies (and Notes) 88

References (and Parenthetical Citations) 90

Page and Volume Numbers 91

Alphabetization 92

Summary on Documentation 92

Basic Serviceable Forms of Notation and References 93

Numbered Notes and Bibliography 93

Parenthetical Notes and References 96

10. Special Editing Problems 99

Authors' Foibles 99

Faulty Research 99

Stubborn Author 100

Venerable Author 101

Problem Prefaces and Introductions 101

Special Cases 103

Lectures to Books 103

Multiple Authorship 103

Translations 105

Scholarship 106

Hebrew and Other Scripts 106

Authoritative Sources and Accuracy 107

Final Checking 107

11. Proofs and Index 109

Proofs 110

Compiling an Index 113

Editing an Index 114

Finale 115

12. Job Satisfaction 117

Opportunities 117

Rewards 119

Annotated Bibliography 121

Dictionaries 121

Unabridged Editions 122

Abridged Editions 125

Thesauruses 128

Supplementary Volumes 128

Manuals on Grammar and Format 129

Comprehensive Manuals 129

Special Helps from Disciplines 131

Online Style 133

Stylistic Aids on Writing 134

Useful Pointers 137

Reference Works 139

Biographical Names 139

Geographical Information 139

Quotations 140

Miscellaneous 140

Figure 1. Sample of Computer-Edited Copy 143

Figure 2. Explanation and Illustration of Editing Changes on Hard Copy or Typescript 142

Figure 3. Abbreviations for Notes and Bibliographies 144

Figure 4. Signs for Correcting Proof 145.

Notes:

"Including advice to editors on how to get along with authors and tips on style for both."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0231124783

0231124791

OCLC:

46359687