Book Review:

Technical Editing -The Practical Guide for Editors and Writers by Judith A. Tarutz

By Lois Marsh

Judith Tarutz’ book on Technical Editing is an absolute goldmine of learning about editing for everyone who writes or works with writers. It’s a collection of wisdom based on her extensive experience rather than a pure reference on grammatical rules and styles. The book is organized in three sections called "The Editor’s Role", "The Editor’s Job", and "The Editor’s Career".

Thinking of going into editing or ready to hire one? Tarutz devotes a large section to editing as a career and how the role has evolved outside the publishing industry (i.e., government, industry and non-profits). She includes a job descriptions and titles, sample interview questions, and even a section called "Being an Editor: What’s Bad About It"!

When it comes to the business of editing, Tarutz explains not only all the different levels of edit, but also the different types of editor and permutations of writer/editor. Here’s her description of a Technical Editor:

In addition to doing everything the literary editor does, the technical editor edits manuscripts for technical consistency and accuracy, by querying inconsistencies and implausibilities. Like the literary editor, the technical editor edits manuscripts for literary style, but with the added constraint of not changing the technical meaning or connotation.

Her "Twelve Basic Rules" of editing are a distillation of her many years in the field, and clearly based in practicality. The rules are organized in two sections: "Rules Governing Your Contract with Your Readers" and "Rules Governing Your Obligation with Your Employer".

And how about a chapter called "The 100 Most Common Errors" divided into categories like "fuzzy thinking"; "style and usage"; "technical accuracy"; "judgment, taste & sensitivity"? Sound useful? Another high point is the section on developing style guides, called "How to Write a Style Guide Writers Will Want to Use". It features such wisdom as "how to avoid revisiting the same decisions eternally".

If I have any complaint about Tarutz’ book, it’s the "Tips and Tricks of the Trade" section. You have to read the whole section cover-to-cover to get the best out of it, as it’s a blur of topics ranging from the micro (how to choose a list type) to the macro (strategies for updating manuals).

This is a book that should be kept close at hand with your other reference books and turned to when you have a few minutes to expand your expertise in the field. Just be aware that it’s a deep learning tool, not a quick reference.

Technical Editing - The Practical Guide for Editors and Writers, U$39.50
Publisher: Perseus Books, ISBN 0-201-56356-8

Lois Marsh has been analyzing, writing and editing procedures for more than twenty years. She currently manages a team of analyst/writer/editors for BMO Financial Group in Toronto, Canada. She can be reached at lois.marsh@bmo.com.