Editing Made Easy - by Bruce Kaplan (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

As the title states, this book is designed to be easy to use for all writers. It offers straightforward, practical guidelines for editing, without getting into the weeds of advanced English grammar. You will find no loftier technical grammatical terms here, such as present perfect progressive, correlative conjunctions, imperative mood or interrogative adjective. However, much of the advice in this book is not to be written in stone. English is a flexible language, and writing a creative calling. As you will see, there are many acceptable ways for writers to express themselves. What you will find in this book is:

--How to avoid the most common errors of grammar and spelling.

--How to spot typographical and factual errors.

--Understanding the styles of print and online media.

--How to make your writing more exciting and dynamic.

--And improving your odds of having your work published.

The goal of this book is simple--to put the odds on the writers' side; to increase your chances of being published or finding success as a reporter, feature writer, novelist, freelance writer, blogger, Web developer, Web editor, communications consultant, advertising copywriter, speechwriter or public relations consultant--in fact, anything involving the written word.

Review Quotes

It is rare that even an experienced and successful author has not needed the services of an editor. In "Editing Made Easy: Simple Rules for Effective Writing," Bruce Kaplan draws upon his more than forty years of professional experience and expertise as a newspaper copy editor and an editorial trainer to create a succinct, thoroughly 'user friendly, ' 112-page compendium of instruction, information, commentary, examples, and techniques for editing a manuscript to make the writing energized, engaging, and just plain better. "Editing Made Easy" lays out common errors of grammar and spelling; reveals how best to avoid typographical and factual errors; become informed as to the diverse styles of print and the varied online media. One of the principal reasons for the novice author to give "Editing Made Easy" a careful reading is to substantially improve their chances of having their manuscripts published, and as published books have them achieve a marketplace success. Covering the rules and conventions of American English, "Editing Made Easy" is informed, informative, and highly recommended for both personal reference shelves and community library Writing/Publishing instructional collections.-- "Midwest Book Review"

Longtime newspaper editor Kaplan offers no-frills advice to self-editors. He stresses the value of writers who know how to edit their own work. His approach is similar to Bruce Ross-Larson's Edit Yourself. In 37 short chapters, Kaplan covers most thorny writing difficulties, such as split infinitives, tautologies, and misplaced modifiers. This is a book with lots of lists and white space: it would seem just as well suited to use in a digital format as in the traditional print version. The book's portability and its low price make it especially useful for college students and bloggers. VERDICT This affordable, bare-bones guide will appeal to writers (and others who have to write) - especially those who like referring to a handy list of do's and don'ts.-- "Library Journal"

About the Author

Bruce Kaplan is an editorial trainer, consultant, senior copy editor, and freelance nonfiction book editor with an international career spanning more than forty-five years. Kaplan has held senior editorial positions with major newspapers and magazines in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea. He is also co-author of The Korea Times Guide to Best Practice English Writing and Editing.