A Cloud of Witnesses
A review of "What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing (edited by Peter Ginna
What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing. Edited by Peter Ginna. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2017.
Dear Fellow,
In the Bible, Hebrews 11:1-40 is a collection of biographies that shows the varied forms and manifestation of faith—in God. It contains brief accounts of specific aspects of the lives of ten people, name mentions of six others, “the prophets”, and the people of Israel. Immediately after that comes the next chapter, which begins thus: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1, ESV; italics mine). So was my experience as I read the anthology under review in today’s despatch; I heard the editor, at the end of the book, say to me, “Therefore, since you are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, go and do better.”
The Backstory
I had been on several editorial teams and designed over half a dozen books when I saw the book: What Editors Do: The Art, Craft, and Business of Book Editing (edited by Peter Ginna). I first saw it with Mr. Victor Meshak, present chairman of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) Plateau State Chapter. He referred to it when we discussed the various forms and aspects of book editing. Stunned by the information in the preliminary pages, I remember saying to my friend Izang, “This is a must-read for anyone considering a career in publishing.” And so, I am thankful I made it through the twenty-six essays in the book.
The Reading
The book opened my eyes to the intricacies of the publishing industry. The contributors to this anthology are professional editors with an average of at least ten years in practice—some from traditional publishing houses and others are freelancers. The book’s content, divided into five parts, walks you through the book production process, from acquisition to distribution. By the end of the book, I felt like I had gone through a full, well-rounded course in publishing, and only needed a certificate to my name. Put another way, the book answered all the questions I had in mind about the industry at the time I picked it up.
Before reading the book, I assumed freelancing was illegitimate practice, and self-publishing illegal.
The Lessons
Freelancing, self-publishing, and the richness of an anthology are the major areas the book helped demystify or correct my perception of. Before reading the book, I assumed freelancing was illegitimate practice, and self-publishing illegal. So, while I had delivered freelance services for the last five years, I was unsure and felt like a fraud. In fact, I was scared to charge a fee because I felt I had not gotten the validation to put a price on my services. However, the bigger problem is that I didn’t know who or where the validation would come from. Katharine O’Moore-Klopf’s essay “This Pencil for Hire: Making a Career as a Freelance Editor” in the anthology was the final instruction out of my ignorance as a freelancer.
Self-publishing is arguably the predominant publishing option in my city. Internet sources—in agreement with the anthology—show these other options: Traditional Publishing, Independent Publishing, Hybrid Publishing, and Vanity Publishing. Traditional publishing has chronically been the holy grail of publishing. This ideology so plagued my mind that even while my debut book was going into print, I felt insecure and struggled to accept being called an author afterwards. It took Jeff Shotts’s “The Half-Open Door: Independent Publishing and Community” in the anthology to walk me out of this ideology.
The anthology is now somehow my favourite dish in the large, innumerable delicacies of books there are. This is in light of my belief that books are a sure way to launch into any career. An anthology, like this one under review, brings unique individuals with unique experiences to write on a particular theme. Sure, you will see unifying themes across the pieces in an anthology, but you cannot miss out on the nuances. What’s more, an anthology is like a carefully curated selection of the results of a search query on the internet. Peter Ginna has certainly saved me the hassle of querying the internet to have all my questions about the publishing industry answered.
The Conclusion
So far, I have been talking about the publishing industry, you’d think the title of this book is What Publishing Is. The book is really about what the title says it is—what editors do. The book not only shows you that editors are the primary guys on any publication procedure; it also shows you that the context of their work is the publishing industry. It turns out the context made such a great impression on me, not any less than the main subject.
“The great aim of education,” says Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), “is not knowledge but action.” The official announcement of my professional freelance services marked the end of my first reading through this book under review. See the details of my services in the footnote.
Good Fellow, I hope you find the right book to launch you out of ignorance that has kept you from exploring your potential, especially of skills that you’ve spent years honing. I suggest you begin with an anthology on your field of interest.
Thrive!
Your LetterMan,
Tongjal, W. N.
My portfolio:
Freelance Writer. I have written biography essays for Walking Together. I write a weekly newsletter called LetterMan Despatches on Substack since 2021, which currently has over 1,700 subscribers. Some of my writings on my Facebook page: Tongjal WN - LetterMan.
Format Editor. I work with these style manuals: of the American Psychological Association (APA), The Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS), the Turabian Style Guide, and the Modern Language Association (MLA). I make text consistent in content and form by the provision of the style manual in use. Among other works, I served as format editor for the anthology “The Twelfth Despatch: On Writing and Becoming”.
Book Designer. I arrange in standard order the entire content of a book from front matter to end matter. I also decide the font style, font, and format of a book. I have delivered projects for ACTi Publishing.
Copyeditor. Here, I work on a manuscript that has gone through developmental edit, line edit, and production edit. Just before the manuscript goes into print, I ensure the chosen style is fully complied with and that the facts are accurate.
Certified Teacher. I was certified as a teacher by the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) in December 2023. I am a graduate of integrated science education. I was a private mathematics tutor to secondary school leavers from 2020 to 2022; these students were from schools with diverse curriculums, including students from Foundation Academy, Jos. I developed and taught a course called #Bookmatics for JS3-SS3 students during last year's summer break.
Excellence is the first of my values in life and work. Lifelong learning, creativity, innovation, and design follow accordingly.
I look forward to a memorable work relationship and experience with you, for you, and for your organisation.
Contact:
Email: wungakhat@gmail.com
WhatsApp: 09028838362
A very beautiful and insightful read I must say.
thank you and well done, Letter Man.