Some books are more special in your library than others. Books may have a personal connection through events, history, or associations. “Word by Word” is one of those books. I am a member of a writers group that meets each week for lunch called Writers’ Bloc. We share projects we are working on, critique each other’s writing, and celebrate when a member is published. My friend and fellow Writers’ Bloc member, Linda K. Taylor, recently wrote a book on self-editing entitled, Word by Word – An Editor Guides Writers in the Self-Editing Process. Linda delves into a topic I am passionate about, editing.
Linda K. Taylor is passionate about words — so passionate, in fact, that she has spent the better part of her life reading, writing, and editing, all in the service of writers to help their writing be the best it can be. Linda understands the writing process and how difficult self-editing can be. This book helps writers who have just completed a manuscript and know they need to edit it but don’t know how to begin. Walking through questions to ask when content editing, common grammar and punctuation errors to watch for when copyediting, when to get permissions, how to format manuscripts, and how to work with Bible text, Linda’s book is filled with valuable information for writers who want to take their manuscripts to the next level.
I have gotten to know Linda over the past few years as I have become more involved with the Writers’ Bloc. While we have gotten to know each other and share our passion for editing, we have found opportunities to work together. She had me guest lecture in an editing course she teaches then she encouraged and sponsored my teaching of “Writing and Editing for Gaming.” When I heard she was writing a book on self-editing I couldn’t wait to read it. So excited for Linda that this book is now in print, and it was a wonderful read. My favorite quote in the book is…
“That is why you as a writer being thorough with your self-editing is so important. It sets you above the rest. When a manuscript arrives clean, the editor can more easily keep deadlines and deliver a quality product” (page 46)
As an editor I can vouch for that with all my heart. When you receive a clean manuscript as an editor, you can’t help but smile as you begin. You still have work to do shaping the manuscript, but when it starts out clean, formatted properly, and self-edited, it makes your work so much simpler and more enjoyable. Whether you write books, rpgs, or board game manuals, I highly recommend you give this book a read. It can help you produce high quality manuscripts that will impress publishers.